How to setting up a web server ?

[ngkamsengpeter]

How to setting up a web server ?I have installed apache , php, mysql but how to make my domain name point to my server . And how can I configure apache so that it can host multiple domains and also subdomains?

 

[octelcogopod]

Well, your best bet is to install a control panel like CPanel or Plesk, which will configure all the domains and apache for you.

 

[-Job-]

You need to use DNS to have a domain name point to your server. You don't need to host your own DNS server though if you don't want to. The easiest alternative is to find a company like GoDaddy or Dotster, register a domain with them. In order for it to redirect to your site you have to give Dotster or Godaddy or whomever (called the registrar) your nameservers. The nameservers are DNS servers which take queries on a domain name, like www.yahoo.com and return an IP, like 172.56.23.10.
The process then is the following, for having www.mydomain.com point to your server.
- find out your server's IP
- register www.mydomain.com with a registrar
- set up the nameservers which will contain a DNS entry translating www.mydomain.com into your IP
- go to the registrar's page and set the name servers to be the ones you set up above
- wait up to 24 hours for DNS records throughout the internet to update

Obviously the tricky part involves the nameservers. but there's a really easy solution. For example, you can use http://www.zoneedit.com
ZoneEdit will freely host your DNS entries in their nameservers, so you don't have to set up your own. Basically just create an account with them, they'll guide you through the process, it's simple. I've used them before with perfect service and uptime.

In order to host subdomains, like blog.mydomain.com you also use DNS. You create a DNS entry called an "Alias". You can do this in ZoneEdit as well, very quickly. It has a form where you type in the subdomain and the IP address (which again should be the same as your server's) which creates the Alias record. Obviously then you'll have www.mydomain.com and blog.domain.com point to the same IP, thus the same server, hence the same page. Well, not necessarily. In web servers like IIS and Apache you use Host Headers to "route" this content. Basically when you create a website, under IIS for example, it allows you to specify a Host Header, such as blog.mydomain.com. Then you set that site's root folder to be the one where your blog is, and you're all set.

 

[ajsingh]

The best way is to register with ZoneEdit (http://www.zoneedit.com) , and I believe you will have the option to manage upto 5 domains for free.

Then, find out your WAN IP address (http://www.whatismyip.com) . Check with your ISP weather its a static or a dynamic IP address. If its static, you just saved yourself a few more extra steps, but its not that hard if its dynamic aswell.

If your IP address is dynamic, you will require a dynamic IP address updater for Zoneedit. They have quite a few listed on one of their pages.

I would recommend you visit DSLWebServer (http://dslwebserver.com) . Its the perfect site to help anyone set up their own home web server.

If you need any specific help, do ask,

Ayman