How do i make my pc into a server ..?

Question

so i can publish my work on my own website ..i can have my own web site ..things like that how do i start ??

Answer 1

You have to run server software on your computer. something like Apache (http://www.apache.org/). I believe that certain Windows versions like XP Pro can download (since they aren't installed by default) server software. Depending on how much traffic you have, will put strain on your computer and then you have to look at the specs on your PC. Consider that with a computer running as a server it gets bombarded with requests for it to send people the files it contains and it can be hard on a PC.

Beyond this you just need your firewall open so people can access your computer on the proper ports which are commonly 80 and 8080 if I recall correctly.

The real issue comes in upload bandwidths which are severely limited by ISPs. I know that comcast itself makes it all but impossible to attempt to host anything. The speeds are just awful. This becomes a non-issue if you are thinking of hosting some soft of internal home server or something that exists entirely within your own network but it sounds like you want to host your own website.

Personally for the effort, and time and management, and security issues with hosting your own website from your home. Not to mention getting adequate upload bandwidth if you intend for it to become popular, I would recommend using a web hosting service if this website will be for something that sees a lot of traffic.

There are a lot of shared web hosting services that are cheap, and easy to use. If you want your own server somewhere you may need to pay a little more and get either a virtual dedicated server (where you can have someone else manage it for you sometimes which is nice for the less technically inclined) or a full on dedicated host (which can sometimes offer support)

I personally use http://www.bluehost.com/ . They work for what I want but again it varies a lot and there are solutions for nearly every level of need.

Answer 2

You need web server software, a subscription to fixed IP address through your ISP and a registered domain name. You will need to point your registrar's dns to point to your address, set A CNAME and MX records, and then forward all the reqired ports through your router to your internal IP address.