Personal Web Server

[oldschool]

Is there any way that I can set up a personal web server? So I would be able to give someone my IP address so they can look at my sites folder?

[Doctor Q]

I think you can. Technically, it should just be a matter of configuring whatever firewall you use, which can be straightforward or dauntingly hard to figure out.

If the visitors to your personal web server aren't going to be in your local network, there is also the matter of legality, since some ISPs say, in the fine print of the contract you "agreed to", that you won't run any servers. There is very little chance, however, that they would give you any trouble as long as you aren't running a service that uses a noticable amount of bandwidth. A web server for friends to access shouldn't be a problem.

[sonofslim]

a lot of ISPs also assign IP addresses dynamically, which means that your IP address today might not be your IP address tomorrow.

[Phatpat]

System Prefs --> Sharing --> Personal Web Sharing.

If you have a dynamic IP you could use some like this: DynDNS.org (http://www.dyndns.org/services/dyndns/)

[OutThere]

Originally posted by Phatpat
System Prefs --> Sharing --> Personal Web Sharing.

If you have a dynamic IP you could use some like this: DynDNS.org (http://www.dyndns.org/services/dyndns/)

I prefer http://www.no-ip.com/

[oldschool]

Thanks guys but how would I go about doing this if I'm using AirPort with IP distribution on so I get a 10.0.0.0 address?

[OutThere]

Well, the first thing that we need to know is if you are planning on putting the site up for the world to see, or just people on your home (or office) network.

[oldschool]

I know how to make a site for an intranet...so people at my house can see it, but I'd like to be able to make it so anybody can see it.

Can you help me with this?

[varmit]

What they do is give you IP address a name, so you don't have to give out the numbers.

Mine: http://ducktapeandglue.no-ip.org

Go to their site, get the free service and configure it to resolve the name to your address on a certain port. Now mine is on a Cable modem, with limited upload so it can sometimes take time to load.

[oldschool]

ok now i did all that, and my address is http://inabru.hopto.org

The problem however is that it just takes people to the apache server page.

[crazzyeddie]

The address needs to be http://your.ip.goes.here/~yourusername/

So... if you wanted people to load your site with no-ip it would be http://yoursite.whatever.com/~yourusername/

[oldschool]

Yeah I thought that might be it, but that doesn't work either.

inabru.hopto.org/~stefan

[oldschool]

ahhh nevermind. I changed the index page from .htm to .html and that worked.

Can somebody explain the difference between an HTM and HTML extension?

[oldschool]

Ok i think its working.

I tried it through a proxy server and seems to be ok.

[Nermal]

Originally posted by oldschool
ahhh nevermind. I changed the index page from .htm to .html and that worked.

Can somebody explain the difference between an HTM and HTML extension?

.html is the "correct" extension.
.htm is a Microsoft version of it, because DOS could only handle 3-letter extensions.

[oldschool]

ahh great, thanks.

[Stike]

The address needs to be http://your.ip.goes.here/~yourusername/

So... if you wanted people to load your site with no-ip it would be http://yoursite.whatever.com/~yourusername/

I have a problem concerning this. I set up my no-ip account and have set my site, but then again, if I enter the redirection, it redirects to the Apache site and not the User-Sites. How can I add the /(strangeSymbolhere)User/ to my redirection?
Where? I can´t find it...

[magid]

i too signed up with no-ip.com i cannot get it to work. I have an router that is connected to my basestation. I downloaded the updater client, but things still are not working. please help

[varmit]

i too signed up with no-ip.com i cannot get it to work. I have an router that is connected to my basestation. I downloaded the updater client, but things still are not working. please help

You need to set up the port forwarding on your router and basestation. When someone comes to your site as it is right now, it reaches the router but the router acts as a natural firewall, because the router doesn't know who to forward the request too. So open up port 80 to foward along and see if it works.

[magid]

i setup the port foward thing with no-ip.com but it still just goes to the router. how do i get it past it?

[superfunkomatic]

for setting up your router - your router's admin area should allow you to forward port 80 to a specific IP address on your local network. that way any requests that get to your firewall are filtered and only requests for web materials on port 80 will be forwarded to that machine. the admin's are slightly different depending on your router - should be a port forwarding area or possibly a gaming port area.

for targeting your site - if you put files (html and such) into your main library folder at the path - library/webserver/documents it will show up for your domain mydomain.com, if you put the files in your user public folder it will show up at mydomain.com/~username.

check out information about configuring your httpd.conf file online, or virtual hosts if you want to target different sites to the different directories - apache will do all the redirection for you.