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186
 
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Until recently i never wondered how people used servers, until this week's article about building your own. One question... If i wanted to build a web server, not a home file server, would there be any difference in spec? or are they exactly the same?
how do servers work exactly? i mean do you plug them into the phone line and they just barge aside some space to reside in? is all you need a domain that links to your home server's IP? (for hosting your own website / files) And if so, how can you keep users only in the right places and not let them access other files on the server?
im slightly confused,
Supernova.
currently trying to find a way to change my supid sig...
Supernova
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%20(WinCE)%20(Custom).GIF)
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Ok, in order: If i wanted to build a web server, not a home file server, would there be any difference in spec? or are they exactly the same? I don't believe that there's any huge reason to have a greater spec, although presumably there can be some speed benefits if the server is on a fast enough connection (which I'd guess a home ADSL connection isn't, although perhaps those new, shiny 10Mbit/s NTL ones... anyone help me out here?). I'd point you to here: http://www.david-web.co.uk/index.php?pagename=about and here: http://www.david-web.co.uk/index.php?pagename=alphastation255 both from David Johnson (famed MM writer and forum member)'s web site. These are what he has/is using to serve his site. how do servers work exactly? i mean do you plug them into the phone line and they just barge aside some space to reside in? Ok, as far as working goes, you have some software which makes the ocntents of a folder viewable over the HTTP protocol, this can be Microsoft IIS, or more commonly Apache, which comes free with most linux distros. As far as the internet connection goes, you would plug the server into your network, or have it directly connected to the internet. is all you need a domain that links to your home server's IP? Yes, and software to serve the site for you, such as the aforementioned apache, or IIS. You then, as you've suggested, link the domain to your server - this can be difficult if you have a connection with a dynamic IP address, however there are some software programs to get around this, these basically use a piece of software to send your new IP address to some kind of DNS (again, I'm not completely clear on this). how can you keep users only in the right places and not let them access other files on the server? Again, the software of your choice should allow access to only a specific folder, of course as with any other pc you would install a firewall, antivirus and the other malarky  . HTH, Chris PS Your sig should be changeable under control panel/message sig.
Toshiba Portege M200 / 12.1in / P-M 755 / 512 / 60 / FX5200go 32MB / XP-Tablet Celeron D 320 (2.66GHz) / 1280 / 6GB RAID / 120GB & 40GB / Matrox Dual Head GFx / DVD / CDRW
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186
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ok thanks, that clears up a rather large grey area.
and could you point me in the direction of the control panel please :s
*feels stupid*
i can't seem to find it.
Supernova
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186
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I've never tried to upload a picture before, but: 
Toshiba Portege M200 / 12.1in / P-M 755 / 512 / 60 / FX5200go 32MB / XP-Tablet Celeron D 320 (2.66GHz) / 1280 / 6GB RAID / 120GB & 40GB / Matrox Dual Head GFx / DVD / CDRW
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Root
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Almost any machine will be adequate for a web server. If you're only serving plain HTML, a 486 can fully utilise a one megabit connection to the net (most ADSL connections give you just 256KBp/s to the net). My ADSL connection is serving about 10 sites and no-one has complained about the speed so far.
It'll make life easier if your ISP gives you a static IP address to point your domain at. If not, you can use a service such as DynDns which keeps your domain updated with your IP address as it changes.
I really, really, really wouldn't suggest that anyone run Windows on a server unless they're a Windows expert and know how to lock it down tightly and keep it secure. There are less risks with a Linux server, but it still must be kept updated. In any case a web server should always be kept behind a router with a firewall.
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David Johnson
Micro Mart Writer & Forum Moderator
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186
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Im using AOL, and my IP changes every time i log on. With a server it would be online all the time, so would i be able to keep the same IP? or would it get reassigned every now and again? I dont have a router, and the server would host my school band's website, plus a few others. (only up/downloads would be MP3s)
Is aol suitable?
and is there a power saving mode for a server? so it could be online all the time and not use as much power as a desktop pc...
also, i liked the idea of the ClarkConnect linux in this week's issue. Would that be useful to me?
side note: firefox or norton or avg or mcaffee (not sure which) was blocking that link, but it works in IE (grrrr) Thanks.
Supernova
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I haven't read the article, so I may be way off line here, but do you really want or need a webserver, or would you be better off getting some free webspace to host the sites. There are many web service providers that will give you free space such as www.netfirms.com as an example if that is what you want. As I said, Didn't read the article so may well have missed the point here, if so, I apologise! Tim
Famed Author Of The MM Mug Slogan"T:\Invalid System Status, Insert Drink To Continue"! Main Rig;P5V-VM DH, E2160, 2Gig 667,WD 120,Optiarc DvdRw, 6600GT. 2nd Main Rig; Asus M2A-VM HDMI, AMD 64 x2 5000, 1 Gig Geil 667, LG DvdRw, Maxtor 320. Old main;Shuttle Sn45, Xp2600+, 1gig Crucial, Radeon 9200se, WD120 Gig, LG DVDrw Old Spare; MSI K7N2Delta ilsr,Xp3000+, 512meg Crucial, FX5900, 2x WD120Gig +WD80 Gig, Asus DVD + DVDrw, Games Rig; 965P-DS3P, E4400 C2D,2gig Crucial 667, x1950XT, 5oogig Samsung, LG Dvd & Dvd R/W , Dev Rig Asus P5B, E6300 C2D, 2gig Geil 800, 7900GT, 250Gig WD, LG Dvd & Dvd R/W, Kids Rig Asrock 4CoreDualVsta, E4300 C2D, 1gig Geil 667, Asus 6600GT, LG Dvd & Dvd R/W - All XP Pro Sp2 or Vista Ultimate
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Root
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Your IP won't change as long as you don't reconnect, but as it is prone to change you'll still have to use a dynamic IP service in case you do have to reconnect for some reason. This should be easy if you use an all-in-one Linux server solution such as ClarkConnect.
I don't know if AOL is suitable. Some ISPs block port 80 (the web server port) to stop people from running web servers on their connections. You'll need to check that with AOL.
There is no power saving used on servers, since they need to be active and accessible all the time. The best way to reduce power consumption is to use as low spec a machine as you can get away with and remove any unused hardware from it.
You may also want to look at SME Server, which was featured in last week's Linux Distro Guide.
Have you considered using the free webspace provided by AOL? You won't be able to have your own domain, but it would be free and save some time and effort. Also, all schools are provided with webspace by their local education authority - could the school band website live there?
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David Johnson
Micro Mart Writer & Forum Moderator
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186
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Thanks for the help. Its actually currently hosted online, and i was really enquiring just to see if it was possible for me to make one in the future. Being 16, my parents don't want to pay the electricity bill, but i would like to find out how plausible it would be to run one when i have my own place...
Anywa, thanks for the help. I'm off to subscribe to the mag because it's really helpful!
And with aol webspace, i don't particularly like AOL much, as their 19.99 1meg broadband service, whilst having no cap doesnt allow (lol) home networking. I could buy a router, but ge | | | |