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Mac OSX as web server

northernmunky

northernmunky

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 19, 2007
851
362
London, Taipei
I'm trying to turn my Mac into a web server so that I can serve files to the internet using the 'Personal Web Sharing' tool but from what I can tell I can only create a local IP address which is only good for the machines connected to my hub.

I think I understand now that I need a static IP address for serving files from my machine but how I get that, and even how I make the files accessible to that address I'm a little lost.

Anyone else doing this I'd appreciate some advice on this! Thats is of course if what I'm trying to do is even possible without shelling out for OSX Server? :confused:

Thanks!
 
Once you get your IP address, you will need DNS so you can point your domain name to your IP address. you don't really need a static IP address for this. I use a service called DYNDNS:

https://www.dyndns.com/

They can point your domain name to a static IP address. There is a little app that runs on my server that tells them when my IP address changes.

If you want to see how this works, send me a PM and I'll point you to my webserver.
 
jane doe said:
Once you get your IP address, you will need DNS so you can point your domain name to your IP address. you don't really need a static IP address for this. I use a service called DYNDNS:

https://www.dyndns.com/

They can point your domain name to a static IP address. There is a little app that runs on my server that tells them when my IP address changes.

If you want to see how this works, send me a PM and I'll point you to my webserver.
Click to expand...

Thats wicked, my router had something on it called DDNS buried in the settings which pointed to dyndns.com so I've just registered for that. My router has fields for the username and password which I've filled in, I'm guessing the host name field is for the address of the local client, 192.168.1.100?
 
northernmunky said:
Thats wicked, my router had something on it called DDNS buried in the settings which pointed to dyndns.com so I've just registered for that. My router has fields for the username and password which I've filled in, I'm guessing the host name field is for the address of the local client, 192.168.1.100?
Click to expand...

Correct. One thing to look out for here is if your machine's internal IP changes (if it's also on DHCP).

The router should keep Dyndns updated with your routers external DHCP IP if it changes from your ISP.
 
jane doe said:
Once you get your IP address, you will need DNS so you can point your domain name to your IP address. you don't really need a static IP address for this. I use a service called DYNDNS:

https://www.dyndns.com/
Click to expand...

I use the exact same service. But watch out. Many routers that say they will support dyndns.com are broken.

Read the dyndns.com they have some notes about this. What you can do that will 100% work correctly is run a script on the mac that checks for a changed IP address and then sends a message to dyndns.com. They have a number of sample scripts on their web site. But if the router works it is best to do it there. test it. Broken outers tend to work for a while then not work. This info in on the dyndns site. They have a list of routers
 
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