[TriLUG] Hosting web site on old machine at home??

[Phillip Rhodes]

Chad Thomsen wrote:

> So you have your box running httpd and DNS?  Kewl.  RR really accepts zone
> transfers from its non-business accout home user customers?  I did not think
> they would but have never tried.  I will have to give it a try as it sounds
> cool.  So the ony cost you have is the cost of your registered domain name
> (unless you count the cost of your hardware/software/broadband).  I suppose
> you would not have to pay for that unless its either taken already or you
> were afraid of somebody else taking it away from you.
> 
> Can you set up a Linux DNS to do zone transers at a given interval incase
> the IP addy would change and you no realize it?


Not exactly.  RR isn't going to update their DNS servers to 
reflect your DNS info, but that's OK.  Most domain 
registrars (maybe all) run DNS servers, and they usually 
provide a way for you to manage the DNS info for your 
domain.  I've used both Register.com and GoDaddy, and both 
allow you to manage the IP that your domain points to,
using their DNS servers.

  I think Dave's point was, their IPs don't change very 
often, despite the fact that they are DHCP assigned.  So you 
can manually keep it updated, as opposed to going to the
bother of setting up a dynamic DNS client.  Personally I 
find that it's not that much trouble get get dynamic DNS 
working.  Zoneedit provides free dyndns service for up to
5 domains, and the ddclient program that ships with 
(many|most|all) linux distros is compatible with their 
service, and very easy to configure.

Oh, and one other point.. you don't - strictly speaking - 
have to own a domain.  Services like no-ip.org, etc. will 
usually allow you to use a subdomain within their domain. 
So if you don't own a domain, you select something like

myimaginarydomain.no-ip.org

and configure the dynamic dns client to update your 
no-ip.org account whenever your IP changes.  It's the same 
principle either way, but the advantage of a service like 
zoneedit is that you can use your own "real" domain if you 
happen to own one.


TTYL,


Phil
-- 
North Carolina - First In Freedom

Free America - Vote Libertarian
www.lp.org