I have this router and I want to put up a web server. How do I do this?

Question

At my house there is this home network of two desktops, connected to a router via Ethernet, and a laptop connected via 802.11b. I know the IP address, but it's for every computer connected to the router. I want to set up Apache on one computer and have it so that if someone from another computer would enter my IP address, they would see it as a web site set up by Apache. I tried, but it would only work on localhost and 127.0.0.1. If I entered the IP address of the computer I'm using, I see a setup page for Linksys. I want it so that anyone could enter that IP address, they would see it as a web site setup by Apache. I am using Windows XP on all computers and I do have Administrator's priviliges. I prefer Apache, but I can use something like IIS or anything for Windows, but I do not want to use Linux. If you need to know, the router is by Linksys and is also connected to a broadband cable modem. And I also don't plan on having a lot of traffic going to it, just only for me.

Answer 1

Start by checking with your ISP. They will have to assign you a static IP address before you can host a web site. Otherwise the IP will keeping change. Also, you need to find out of your ISP will permit you to host a site. Due to bandwidth concerns, many ISPs had it in the contract that you can not host a site on their service.

Get their permission before worrying about set up the server.

Answer 2

First of all, what you want to do may be againist the terms of service for you ISP. I did exactly what you want to do on my ISP and received a nice little "stop hosting a web site or we will turn you off" letter from my ISP.

Assuming that you want to continue, what you want to do is called "port forwarding". Basically, you want your router to route any incoming web requests (port 80) traffic to go to a specific computer on your network. To do this, you first need to give the machine that you want to act as the webserver a static IP address. Once you do that, you need to configure your router to forward any incoming port 80 traffic to the IP address that you gave to your web server. Since the steps to do this are dependent upon your router, I'd recommend this website:
http://www.portforward.com/routers.htm

Just find your router on the list, and then follow the directions on how to forward traffic for Apache.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Can you see the Apache page from your other desktops on the LAN? Your desktop with the website on it will have its own IP address, try checking it from the other desktops on the LAN by entering the IP address of the computer with the website.

If that doesn't work, you need to set any firewall to allow traffic to port 80 (the default web port).

If you can access the website from the computers on the LAN, you need to set the router to forward port 80 to the computer with the website on it.

Answer 4

specific, one device can host different servers... in simple terms supply each and each of them a different port that they hear to. the bigger undertaking you will run into is the upload cut back on your connection (i'm assuming you have a residential provider)... in the adventure that your web pages are heavy in photographs, they'll load on customer machines very slowly... it is the reason maximum folk pay web hosting centers to furnish their web pages to the www.