Computer Hope

I have Web Server 2008 setup,  on a unit that we want too host a small site featuring the business that I work for.  I tried too find tutorials on it about setting it up but, no real luck.  I know that we have port the Server.  I was told that IIS needed updated from 6 too a newer version but, I don't know how.  I also, have test files too check once we have it running.  We want it too be external.  The site it's self isn't a top priority without the host too run it.

Is there a reason why your not just going with a web host vs hosting your own?

Its dangerous to have a system on the DMZ and not be knowledgeable on this subject as well as security having a web server. Hackers can gain control of this server and all systems within. If your not sure what your doing I'd really leave the hosting up to a web host service provider. They are inexpensive and if there is a hardware problem they have to eat the cost. Additionally if they get hacked its there problem and not yours, and most of them strive for 100% uptime so your website might only be down for 10 minutes or an hour while their fail over kicks in to get your site back up and running.

Well have more control over it and possible want too stream.

That makes no sense at all...if it's hosted you have control over everything...

NONE of his posts make any sense.

Quote from: DaveLembke on April 01, 2016, 01:43:02 PM
Is there a reason why your not just going with a web host vs hosting your own?

Its dangerous to have a system on the DMZ and not be knowledgeable on this subject as well as security having a web server. Hackers can gain control of this server and all systems within. If your not sure what your doing I'd really leave the hosting up to a web host service provider. They are inexpensive and if there is a hardware problem they have to eat the cost. Additionally if they get hacked its there problem and not yours, and most of them strive for 100% uptime so your website might only be down for 10 minutes or an hour while their fail over kicks in to get your site back up and running.

I was also, going too put a firewall in place for things like that if it should happen

Firewall may block all but some ports, BUT the ports open for the functionality of the server to host webpages on the web are an unlocked door for a hacker if your system is not hardened. Hardened as in patched and configured properly. Additionally depending on what your using for a website you can have even more troubles with injection attacks and more.

Everyone has to learn sometime I guess. If you continue to move forward with your own vs paying for another, best of luck. I would have someone who is a specialist look over your server before you expose it to the web or work with you to build it up as secure as possible.

Additionally for private web server hosting I feel the best ones are running with Linux OS way more secure! Years ago I use to host my own webserver with Apache running Linux Fedora Core 5 on a Celeron 500Mhz with 256MB RAM. It was secure and worked fine. I did it mainly because it was cool and it was mine. But I also was attending a college course at the time in Linux and so the professor pointed me to building it up secure. I later shut it down because it was cheaper to pay for a web host than it was electric bill for system to be running 24/7. I decommissioned the web server and then turned it into a honeypot for a while baiting hackers to learn their methods of attack and tools that they would plant etc. After it was hit by a hacker I'd Ghost image restore back to it fresh wide open for the next hacker with prior hackers work wiped clean.

bob1286, you say you  are a beginner.
Do you have any experience with hosted web site?
Here is what I have learned.
A.)The host site is one 24 hues a day and they pay for bandwidth and they have a high speed interface to the network. I can not afford a 24 hours high speed thing. So I let them do it for a fraction of the cost.
B.) I backup my intellectual property, my stuff, onto my local computer from time to time. If my site goes down, I can reconstruct it in a few hours. Of course, the holst also has a backup system.
C.) My domain registration is not with my web host. So if my host gets into a fight with me, I just tell the registrar to change the timeservers. Then when it is ready, I upload my stuff to a new web site space. That way they can not steal my domain names. (Which happened once.)
D.)What I pay per month for web space is less than what I would pay for  the electricity I would have to pay for having a commercial grade server in my home.

So there you have four reasons not to run a full web server from your home.