Is it possible to make my eMac a web server?

[johnbro23]

I'm starting a little business this summer. I'm doing freelance web design. So I was thinking about getting my own website. I checked out godaddy.com (the power of superbowl commercials) and found myname.com for $9 a year. Very reasonable.

The only problem is I don't have a host. I have cable internet, so my connection is up all the time. It definitely can handle the minimal traffic I expect to get to my site.

Is there any way I can set up my Mac to be a web server? Is there any security threat to doing that?

 

[Eluon]

i guess i am confused as to what you are asking. isn't godaddy.com a server for your files?

 

[Quartz Extreme]

Okay, here is what you do.

First, turn on "Personal Web Sharing" in System Preferences.

Next, goto Hard Drive/Library/WebServer/Documents/

Put your website there.

Browse to the IP address of the computer on your LAN to test it out. Your website should come up.

Now that your Apache webserver is up and running, we need to open it up to the Internet. If you have a router, you need to configure it to forward incoming requests to port 80 to the internal IP address of your eMac. It would also help to give the eMac a static IP address.

Now, if you enter in your external IP address in a web browser, your website should come up.

Next, we need to link your external IP to a domain name. Because your external IP is dynamic, you need to use a dynamic DNS service, like dyndns.com to forward a name like yourname.dyndns.org to your dynamic, external IP address. The service is free and requires that you install a client app on any computer within your LAN to keep the DNS updated. They have several subdomains to choose from.

Once all of that is in place, have your newly purchased domain name forward to your dyndns name, and there you go! Your very own webserver.

You can keep track of who visits your website using Console, available in /Applications/Utilities/Console.app. Goto File>Open Quickly>var/log>httpd>accesslog to see who is visiting your website.

I hope this helps!

 

[reh]

i guess i am confused as to what you are asking. isn't godaddy.com a server for your files?

They do offer web hosting, yes. But it sounds like the OP is just interested in registering a domain name with them and hosting the website at home.

 

[Arcus]

Unless you have a contract with your cable company that specificaly states that you will have a static IP address I suggest you don't host at home unless you are planning on using a dynamic DNS service. Your cable company , if it is like most I have dealt with changes IPs sometimes as often as once a month.

 

[Fleetwood Mac]

Thats probably a bad idea.

If you send me a pm I can give you some space on my server.

 

[timswim78]

As others have said, setting up a server on your cable connection is likely against the terms of your contract.

I have used both of these low-cost hosts and have been happy with them.
http://e-rice.net
http://ripplehost.com