Web.design1.0
tutorials and resources
how to host your own.site
Here are the steps to follow to set up a web site hosted entirely on your own Windows PC. First I'll present the general steps, then I'll break down the details for you:
1. Make sure you have cable modem, DSL or another high-speed connection. A dialup telephone modem is NOT good enough.
2. Get a DNS hostname for your home Internet connection.
3. Get a static local IP address for your computer within your home network.
4. Configure your router to correctly forward connections on port 80 (the HTTP port) to your web server. If your ISP blocks port 80, choose an alternative port number and forward that (or get a better ISP that welcomes web sites at home, like Speakeasy.Net).
5. Configure Windows Firewall to allow your web server to communicate on port 80.
6. Get Apache, a free, high-quality web server program. If you have Windows XP Professional, you also have the option of Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), which comes standard with Windows XP Professional. But that option only allows you to host one site. I recommend Apache.
7. Test your web server from your own computer.
8. Replace the default home page with your own web page. Now the site is your own!
9. Test your web server from a computer that is NOT on your home network to make sure you followed all of the steps correctly.