Web Hosting New-b questions.

Hello friends.
I decided to start my own site just for the hell, maby also to learn a bit of HTML and Flash :giddy: but I am not interested in that "angelfire" crap.
Now my question(s) are:
I understand that I first have to register a domain name www.abc.com
Second, I have to register with a web hosting service such as www.monsterhosting.ca
But my real question is, whats the difference between the "Windows Hosting" va "Unix Hosting"
Another thing I wish to know, if I register both a domain name and a domain hosting service, is there anything ealse I should be aware of? such as do I need a PC, or does the web hosting service provide that, the website IP and all other necessities.
Let me know. :stickout:

Thanks

After you have your domain name, the chosen hosting service provides you with the choice to use "Windows Hosting", meaning you are using Frontpage, MySQL, PHP and/or ASP as programming languages, in addition to normal HTML/CSS/JS.
If you don't use Frontpage & Co, the "Unix" hosting type will be fine (and cheaper normally).
You only get the Server-Space and perhaps some software (try www.oneandone.com and check their offerings), and as with most hosting companies, pretty good customer support. Your new host provides the IP for the new domain.

You need your own PC, with an ASCII editor such as Notepad. There are tons of commercial HTML-editors out, both free and paid for. Most popular is CoffeeCup.
I prefer EditPad Pro from http://www.editpadpro.com/. It does all the color-coding just as good, it is no-clutter, multi-tabbed, unlimited in file-size etc.

You will also need an FTP-program to transfer your file to the server. CoffeeCup again provide even a freebie. Well-known others include WS_FTP and CuteFTP. If you have Ontrack's (now Symantec) Powerdesk (explorer replacement), that has a built-in FTP function. I use that.

Thanks for the reply realblackstuff.
Monsterhosting.ca offers this deal
Web Hosting

Host Your Website
Package Includes
blahblahblah.com
24/7 Customer Service
500 MB Disk Space
20 GB Monthly Transfer Limit
100 POP, IMAP, Webmail
Unlimited Forwarders
Unlimited Autoresponders
Unlimited Mailing Lists
Spam and Virus Checker
Sub Domains
MySQL Databases
$19.95/month CAD
$14.95/month USD

Is this everything a need to make a graphical site like anyother site on the net? Maby with Macromedia Flash or so with pictures and whatnot. :confused:
Thanks in advance

Look at www.godaddy.com or www.395hosting.com or its parent/sister www.be-hosted.com
They are much cheaper. I use all three off them for various websites.

hey...
i think this offer isnt the right one and complete , coz u need the programing lang if u wanna build forums or msg board or maybe greetings card system , so u need the PHP and mysql for sure, and more this website isn't cheap yuo can try another webhosting ,like www.5gigs.com and coz ur new-b u can try at first the websites at www.5gigs.com coz they will give you all what u need for free and when u become familair with that then you can pay for pro website , and the difference between the windows OS and the uni, wil not affect that much on ur website coz i dont think it will be that biog one at first , like EG if you want to make mp3 website , when the abt 20 ppl try to download the same song you need to format ur widnows oparation system but unix will resist and will not cause any error, and more in unix os everything treated like the "passwrd" i mean between the uppercase and lowercase , like A.txt is not like a.txt meanwhile in windows u cant have those two files in the same directoy,
so i mean that if u wanna make a graphical website you need to be carefull abt ur host server, like if ur using ulead systems they will offer u the options to fix the files names to work with unix os ;)
thats all for now :)
i hope i didnt make the things worst coz i have weak english :$

Blah...
ALOUSH41, you English is great, but you just complicated the whole thing for me :confused: :zzz:
No prob, I am willing to learn.
I got soo much school nowadays and work that I need something such as building a site to keep me sane. I always wanted to create a .com site.
I have created websites using HTML, mabe a few really good ones in fact. But the point is, I want to create a personal site, not a business site like most web hosting companys are offering. Also, as I mentioned, I dont want no angelfire crap.
I am willing to learn some neat Macromedia FLASH or some other alternative to creating a site with that style of web building.
Ok... I need to ask you guys a few other questions since we are on a roll.
First off, if I buy out a package from a web hosting company, will I need to do anything to my PC, like make it into a dedicated server, get another ip and will I have to keep my PC turned on 24/7?
As you guys know, I am new to the professional web building, but I also dont want no beginner crap ether. I learn fast.
I am interested in making a site with FLASH or something in that category (any suggestions), second, on the site I wish to design, I will not have any downloads like ALOUSH41 suggested. Just pics I take with my camera, forums, guestbook, maby a BLOG, support for the most popular FLASH based programs.
So I must ask again, what am I looking for in terms for hosting such a site, and second, as I asked already, will I need another ip, computer, or will the hosting company simply host 100% of the site such as angelfire style :unch: , will they provide all the 101 stuff I need for building and hosting/maintaining this site?
Thanks again guys.

Realblackstuff.
I just checked out www.be-hosted.com and it looks good.
The "Developer" option for web-hosting looks like a great deal, lots of space "1GB" and lots of goodies.
Will this support the site I wish to build with all the bells and whistles?
Now, time to go to sleep, work tomorrow at 8:00am.
Will I be able to sleep?



Gotta build :hotbounce gotta build :hotbounce must build :hotbounce cant sleep :suspiciou

Thanks

Dear STURMTEK
no u dont need to maker ur pc as dedcated server for one reason , coz u know the hackers , they are so rude maybe if u turn ur pc into dedicated server , and they catched it , maybe they wont mess with ur website filres but maybe they will use ur bandwith and that will be great for them , so almost of the webhosting they will ask u to upload ur files to their webserver and for that u can use FTP programs like Cute FTP after that u finished ur website and tested it in ur local machine .
so u will upload ur files to the websever and they will give you the ability to move or delete or even edit file from ur web browser.
now i will explain to u abt the forum :
some web hosting offers you a new services called "1 min forum" that means that u dont need to be a pro so u just need to enter ur admin name and admin passwd and in less than 1 min they will build a forum for you , after u gave them the directory like here in this forum they are using VBULLETIN so the normal directory is www.domianname.com/VB . and the same things for the guest book and a lot of services, i think all what u need to build a personal website . now for flash u can use flashmx to build them but its hard for a new-b but i donno u can wish or flax and there is a lot of cool programs but the way here we buy the cd for 5$ like flash mx with the full package for 5$ not like ur countries.
anyway i will continue for u the main subject , after u buillld any flash movie or game or anything u can test it in ur own pc normal coz ur pc already able to read that lang . so its ok with flash
but if u need to build something with php language or ASP or mysql , and i think even in a personal website u will need them , u need to install some program to act like a webserver i mean that u will turn ur pc into a webserver to just test ur files and no one can able to connect to ur pc , i forget the program name but if u want it i can bring it to you , just ask ...
and when ur sure that ur website is working correctly u can upload ur files ,
and for advanced php scirpts i advice u to use thsi website http://www.hotscripts.com they offer for u all kinds ofo php scirpts u just unzip them and upload them then setup them ,( if u need any help with the setup , am ready ) .
sorry for being to long but there is something i need to mention it and promise i will finish ;)
you can find a profrsional flash tools like a flash program to just make a flash fotoalbum for u , or a program just to make a web menu for u .
they are usefull so i advice u to use them and to use the macromedia dreamweaver to design and ulead systems :)
coz they are easy and give u a good results :)

Stop thinking about your own PC. You use that only to develop your website-pages. When you like it, you "publish" it by FTP-ing it to your www.xxxx.com.
The website will have its own IP, which is of no interest at all to anyone.
The DNS-servers will be able to translate your website-name into the proper IP.
Bookmark this website, it has some useful tests: http://www.dnsstuff.com/

The likes of BE-HOSTED are great for whatever you want to do. The server there should support CGI and/or PHP, and MySQL if you want databases. ASP is an advanced language you should not try out (yet).
Give us some names of websites you have made so far (or PM me if you don't want to go "public" with that), so we/I can have a look.

Unless you want to play Host to your own website (not advisable, and some ISPs won't even allow it), any old PC will do.

...Unless you want to play Host to your own website (not advisable, and some ISPs won't even allow it), any old PC will do.

I realize this thread is a little old, but I am interested in hosting my own website. In fact I am hosting 1 right now (milkytech.homeftp.net:1024 (http://milkytech.homeftp.net:1024)). I am using Abyss Web Server (http://www.aprelium.com/) and it works fine on ports other than 80 or 8080, both blocked by my ISP...

Here's the thing: That domain name I'm using is one I got for free from DynDNS.com (http://www.dyndns.com). What I want to do is buy a domain name so I can have www.mydomain.com instead of that homeftp.net garbage, and have it resolved to my dynamic home ip address.
I called GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com) to ask them; If I buy the domain name, what do I need to do to resolve it to my home ip so I can host my own website? and I was told that I couldn't unless I had my own Domain Name Server.
I found a program called BIND which is free, open-source DNS software, but it is way too advanced for me. seems like its all command line stuff.
Is there a way around paying someone to host my website when all I really need are their DNS servers and a way to update my ip as it changes?

FYI, 2 weeks ago I bought some hosting space from www.dreamhost.com

I got a special deal using the code 777

1 year hosting $9.99
4800 Mb space
120Gb a month bandwidth
1 free domain name
600 email accounts
75 shell / ftp account <-- yes shell!
loads more

http://www.dreamhost.com/shared/comparison.html
Code only worked on Crazy Domain Insane 1 yr deal

I realize this thread is a little old, but I am interested in hosting my own website. In fact I am hosting 1 right now (milkytech.homeftp.net:1024 (http://milkytech.homeftp.net:1024)). I am using Abyss Web Server (http://www.aprelium.com/) and it works fine on ports other than 80 or 8080, both blocked by my ISP...

Here's the thing: That domain name I'm using is one I got for free from DynDNS.com (http://www.dyndns.com). What I want to do is buy a domain name so I can have www.mydomain.com instead of that homeftp.net garbage, and have it resolved to my dynamic home ip address.
I called GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com) to ask them; If I buy the domain name, what do I need to do to resolve it to my home ip so I can host my own website? and I was told that I couldn't unless I had my own Domain Name Server.
I found a program called BIND which is free, open-source DNS software, but it is way too advanced for me. seems like its all command line stuff.
Is there a way around paying someone to host my website when all I really need are their DNS servers and a way to update my ip as it changes?


Check out www.no-ip.com

They have a utility to check your home IP address and automatically update their DNS servers. Note that DNS propagation still takes up to 72 hours (not normally the case) but most ISP's dynamic IPs dont change for weeks - months.

Thank you for that. I checked it out, but no-ip.com and dyndns.com both charge $25/yr for DNS service.
Looks like I might as well have someone else host the site as well. I've seen a few sites offering hosting for $3.95/mo ($50/yr).

:suspiciou This seems like a bit of a scam to me in order to get people to pay for hosting. When you register a domain name, the registrar enters the new domain name into their name servers, but resolves it to a local ip address within the registrar's network where they usually have a temp web page "under construction" or "parked free courtesy of registrar.com".
If I'm already using their name server anyway, why not let me resolve the domain name to any ip address I give them??? :mad: It wouldn't cost them anything.

I can't figure out why dyndns.com and no-ip.com are basically offering free DNS service as long as you use one of their sub-domains (ie-milkytech.myftp.org), but if you own your own domain, Oh Well! $25 please!

FYI - no-ip.com seems to be better than dyndns.com in that they also offer free port-redirect if your ISP blocks port 80

:suspiciou This seems like a bit of a scam to me in order to get people to pay for hosting. When you register a domain name, the registrar enters the new domain name into their name servers, but resolves it to a local ip address within the registrar's network where they usually have a temp web page "under construction" or "parked free courtesy of registrar.com".

I'm not sure I understand where you think a scam is taking place. When you register a domain name, you have to give it a DNS server to point to so that your zone information can be served. Registering a domain (buying it so no one else can) and serving domain name resolutions are 2 seperate things. It makes sense they'd both be charged for use. Then hosting is yet its own service.

If you don't want to pay for DNS service or hosting service, you can setup your own DNS server and host through your connection, but you're going to want a static IP for these solutions.

I'm starting to understand it now. I was just under the impression that 'registering' a domain name would include entering both the name and an ip into the DNS database. I see now that half the value of the hosting service is the DNS service and static ip that comes with hosting. The other half being storage space and bandwidth.

I did go ahead and setup my own DNS; Installed BIND and TreeWalk DNS. Couldn't figure out for the life of me what to do with them after installing. Started looking through the site where I downloaded Treewalk for help and stumbled across this page (http://www.ntcanuck.com/support.htm). Using the tool 'DNS Resolver', I entered my newly purchased domain name (my ip was already entered) pressed <Enter> on the keyboard and PRESTO! Now my domain resolves to my home ip. I don't know how, but it works (I think).

Do me a favor and see if you can access my website and let me know if you were successful: http://milkytech.com:1024

works for me
watch out for cpu and bandwidth usage when using flash programs.

works for me as well. Would be good to see some more content.

You should really find a different access method to your server.
My firewall (Agnitum Outpost Pro) protests against addresses with a port (like com:1024).
I could choose to access once, create a new rule, or cancel.
Me being careful, I'd opt for cancel anytime in such cases.
I assume (and hope) that I am not alone in this...

You should really find a different access method to your server.
My firewall (Agnitum Outpost Pro) protests against addresses with a port (like com:1024).

Is there a way around the port without paying for hosting on a remote machine??

my isp blocks 80, 8080, 443, etc.

works for me as well. Would be good to see some more content.
there will be eventually. I still have to learn how to use flash, how to combline html and flash on the same page, maybe a little java...
basically, I still need to learn everything there is to know about websites puke:
I only know some basic html and 2 or 3 hours of fooling around with Flash 8.

It's all just curiosity for now. 'MilkyTech Enterprises' is not a real company. I'm not trying to make any money with the website. I just have a burning need to know everything! :hotouch:

Is there a way around the port without paying for hosting on a remote machine??

my isp blocks 80, 8080, 443, etc.

The only method is the one you're using.

You'll have to contact your ISP to remove the block or change ISP's to make your site more user friendly.

Transfer your domain name to, or register e.g. www.milky.name at www.godaddy.com
They currently give you free hosting space, albeit ad-supporting.

ok, so now my domain name is resolved to my home ip. the problem now is that I have no idea how I got it to work. I don't remember telling BIND or Treewalk my domain name or ip. what if my ip address changes? how do I update my DNS server with the new ip? and if it's as simple as telling the server that 'milkytech.com=24.45.246.83' then could I just tell the server that 'milkytech.com=24.45.246.83:1024' to get around port 80 being blocked???

Is there a database file somewhere on my computer full of domain names and ip addresses that I can edit?

maybe one of these files?
http://milkytech.homeftp.net:1024/images/bin.jpghttp://milkytech.homeftp.net:1024/images/etc.jpg

ok, so now my domain name is resolved to my home ip. the problem now is that I have no idea how I got it to work. I don't remember telling BIND or Treewalk my domain name or ip. what if my ip address changes? how do I update my DNS server with the new ip?
In all likelyhood when your IP changes, you'll have to manually update the A record for your domain. I've never used Treewalk so you may want to check their documentation for possible dynamic IP monitoring. The real problem you're going to face is when your IP changes, you'll need to update the "DNS" server IP listed by your Domain Registrar. This will have a propagation period of about 2 days to take effect each time. That is why I recommend getting a static IP when hosting through your own connection.


and if it's as simple as telling the server that 'milkytech.com=24.45.246.83' then could I just tell the server that 'milkytech.com=24.45.246.83:1024' to get around port 80 being blocked???


I don't believe this will work properly. Reason being that an internet browser attempts to connect on port 80 unless specifically told not to in the URL. If your domain name resolves to 24.45.246.83, then the browser automatically "appends" :80 . If the domain name resolves to 24.45.246.83:1024, it stands to reason that the browser will attempt to reach 24.45.246.83:1024:80 which shouldn't work.

That being said, I've never tried anything of that sort myself and it may work. I'd venture to guess however that if it does work, it'll only be for a select few browsers.

I've tried simulating the Name Resolution port redirect using my host file and found that name resolution actually fails. While this may not be the case for a BIND resolution, I'd venture to guess that it is.

Thank you for all your help (PanicX & RealBlackStuff). There is so much more I need to learn with no end in sight...

Hi SturmTek,

Here's a little background on web hosting in general and how to run your little website. I hope it'll help you out.

To get a website up, you need to do 3 basic things.
Register a Domain Name
Perform Web Design
Get Web Hosting

1) Register a Domain Name
In the Internet, every page is located in a 'domain'. You need to register a domain name before you're official placed in the cyberspace map.

Remember that domain name registration is not the same as web site hosting. Domain name registration is usually done once and renewed yearly. Web site hosting is usually chargable once each month, half-yearly or yearly, depending on the hosting company you choose.

How do you register a domain name? Well, you need to first check that the domain name you wish to have is free to use. I usually go to www.whois.com to check the availability of the domain name.

Once you confirm that the name is available, you can go to places like DirectNIC or Register.com to purchase your domain name. Many web hosting companies also do this for you if you buy a hosting plan from them.


2) Perform Web Design
What is web design? Well, it's the process of building your web pages so that people can view and get around your web site. How do we do this? Here are the options.

Build it yourself. If you're on a budget or wish to learn the process yourself, then try building the website on your own. You absolutely need to learn HTML. Its not difficult at all - there's no programming as such (unless you want a database driven, fancy website).

Although you can build it using nothing more than Notepad, you can use great tools like Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver. They give powerful tools and extremely flexibility in designing pages.

Engage a professional to make the web pages. The most expensive option is to get a web designer to build your web site. They will usually charge a high fee and perhaps recommend a web hosting plan to you. Usually the better web designers will interview you and find out your specific requirements before starting work.

Get a template - this approach is getting very popular indeed. Many companies now produce web templates which give you a standard web page design - but allowing you to customize many elements of the page. Think of it as partly 'getting a professional' and partly doing it yourself.


2) Get Web Hosting
Let's consider the definition of web hosting. What is web hosting, anyway? Well, loosely defined, you can think of it as renting online space as well as online bandwidth from a company. The purpose of doing that is to publish your own web site in cyberspace so that others can see your virtual 'home'.

In general, I believe there are two main types of hosting available. Free web hosting allows you to rent online space for free - but you have to deal with advertisements like banners and such. Paid hosting is much better - there are no ads and you have better control over your site. But you do have to pay a certain fee (usually each month) to keep your site going.

There are many types of web hosting - virtual hosting, dedicated, and colocated. Don't bother about dedicated and colocated unless you are a huge business user. Usually the average person will go for virtual hosting. Your web site will be hosted along with other web sites on the web hosting companies machines.


Ok, now to answer some of your questions.

1) But my real question is, whats the difference between the "Windows Hosting" va "Unix Hosting"?

Choosing between Windows hosting and UNIX hosting depends on your needs.

If you like to go with Microsoft products and Microsoft web programming (think of Microsoft Internet Information Server, VBScript, ASP), then Windows hosting will be the one for you.

Do take note that just because your home PC is based on the Windows OS, it does not mean you should choose Windows hosting. This is a popular misconception. Remember that your web site (if virtually hosted) is on the web hosting companies server - which means you can have a Windows based home PC and a UNIX hosting package.

If you prefer UNIX or Linux, then UNIX hosting is good. It is in fact very popular with web hosting companies because it is insanely stable, free and easy to maintain (some Windows fans may beg to differ). Another point to note is that Linux hosting is usually less epxensive than Windows hosting.

2) Another thing I wish to know, if I register both a domain name and a domain hosting service, is there anything ealse I should be aware of? such as do I need a PC, or does the web hosting service provide that, the website IP and all other necessities.

If you choose virtual hosting, the web hosting company provides the PC, the IP and (nowadays) even the domain name registration. You don't need to get any hardware on your side - typically you only need a home PC with a web browser to access and maintain your website through the Internet.


Since I'm on the topic, I thought I should also highlight to you some web hosting scams which are very popular on the Net these days. You need to understand some of the tricks that web hosting companies use to get business.

1. Unlimited bandwidth or disk space - don't be fooled by this one. There's no such thing as unlimited.

2. Make sure you can the web hosting company. Some 'web hosting companies' don't like to be contacted, especially when things go wrong. Make sure you get an email address that you can use to contact the company. The better ones even have a 'ticketing' system to handle enquiries.

3. Watch out for long term contracts - many, many web hosts sell you an insanely cheap web hosting rate but force you to be tied to them for a full 12 months. Remember, if you rather get 3 months of web hosting, then you don't need to sign up for a full year, even if its cheaper.

4. Money Back Guarantee is also important - a good web hosting company will not hesitate to refund your money if you're not satisfied. You should also be able to cancel your subscription at any time.

Whew! Long post. Anyway, I do hope it helps you out, SturmTek. Do feel free to let me know if you need any more advice. :slurp:

Dude, Gary, I hope you didn't spend too much time on that. Sturmtek asked those questions over a year ago. I recently added on to an old thread because I was researching for answers to my questions before posting a new thread (like a good boy) when I came across this thread which was a similar topic but didn't answer my questions, so I decided to post here.

So, if you read on in the thread you will see that I was well taken care of by my boys PanicX and RealBlackStuff

Website is up and running on my home pc. The solution was so simple. We all overthought the whole thing.
I used the website forwarding feature of my godaddy account and forwarded milkytech.com to milkytech.homeftp.net:1024, then set it to be masked so you don't really know its forwarded.
Very simple way around port 80 block.