   Windows Webserver on the Cheap?
  So here's the deal. I just graduated from college and pretty soon I'm going to lose my university webspace. I want to migrate my existing web page somewhere. Of course, the easy solution is to pay for a hosting service. However, I've been thinking that this might be the perfect opprotunity to set up my own server. My main motivation for doing this would be that it would allow me to run some servers for my various game projects -- so it has to be a Windows box.Questions:1. I would love to use IIS to host my website because IIS is really easy to use. However, I think in XP Professional it limits the number of concurrent connections to something like 5 users? Is this the case?2. Otherwise I suppose I have to go Apache. Are there any other viable webservers out there for Windows (free)?3. What kind of machine do I need to host a webpage? I'm assuming anything with a couple hundred MBs of RAM and a Pentium will be fine.   
  PS - What versions of Windows come with an uncrippled version of IIS? Can I use Win 2003 Advanced Server?   ;  I dont know about web servers, but I know that if you want to run multiple servers  you might need a GB of RAM.   ;Quote:Original post by TelamonPS - What versions of Windows come with an uncrippled version of IIS? Can I use Win 2003 Advanced Server?Yes, in fact for IIS, I would explicitly recommend it. The version of IIS that is terribly crippled is only included with XP, IIRC.   ;  I think IIS 5.1 (Win XP Pro) only allows a maximum of 10 connections at once, because it's meant for testing a website before you upload it to a proper server. Windows Server 2003 has IIS 6.0 and allows significantly more connections, usually more than your system can handle.Also keep in mind that when you run your own server you have to get a static IP address from your ISP, which can cost quite a bit more than a dynamic IP address in some areas.   ;Quote:Original post by Telamon1. I would love to use IIS to host my website because IIS is really easy to use. However, I think in XP Professional it limits the number of concurrent connections to something like 5 users? Is this the case?Yes - as others have noted. It is crippled in at least two ways - maximum connections (10) and maximum virtual hosts (1)Quote:2. Otherwise I suppose I have to go Apache. Are there any other viable webservers out there for Windows (free)?Loads. It really depends what you want to do with it.Quote:3. What kind of machine do I need to host a webpage? I'm assuming anything with a couple hundred MBs of RAM and a Pentium will be fine.How long is a piece of string? If you're running a static, low traffic site, the minimum requirements for your OS will probably suffice. Quote:What versions of Windows come with an uncrippled version of IIS? Can I use Win 2003 Advanced Server?All versions of Windows Server come with an uncrippled IIS, as far as I am aware. I would hardly call Windows 2003 advanced server a "Cheap" option though; there are several much cheaper uncrippled versions of Windows Server.Read the Microsoft licencing stuff about this - they really do explain it (although they don't make it easy!)If you're running Windows Server, the minimum OS requirements are likely to be higher than the requirements to run your web site.If you're going to use an old, junk machine, don't buy hundreds of £ worth of software to run on it! Balance your software and hardware. If you're going to pay £600 or so for Windows Server Standard, then at least buy a decent machine.Mark   ;  I chose Windows 2003 Advanced Server because I have the CD for it. I was asking about other versions of Windows because I'm afriad I may not be able to find the CD key for WAS in my room (it's a real jungle). In any case, the CS department gives us free software, so that part costs nothing.I am not going to have a static IP - so I have been looking at ways to get around this. If I buy a domain name like mydomain.com and I write a script to change the IP it points to whenever my server boots up, how long will it take for the new IP to propagate to the world's DNS servers?   ;  Apache runs fine on an Pentium 90 running Windows 2000 Pro. IIS on the other hand, consumes more RAM and CPU.Personally, I'd pick Apache, but that's because I only used Apache, and Apache has a load of modules, many more than IIS has. For instance, my Apache server also functions as SVN server.Toolmaker   ;Quote:Original post by TelamonI chose Windows 2003 Advanced Server because I have the CD for it. I was asking about other versions of Windows because I'm afriad I may not be able to find the CD key for WAS in my room (it's a real jungle). In any case, the CS department gives us free software, so that part costs nothing.If you don't have a proper licence for it - PLEASE don't run it!Quote:I am not going to have a static IP - so I have been looking at ways to get around this. Getting a static IP is simply the Right way to do this. Quote:If I buy a domain name like mydomain.com and I write a script to change the IP it points to whenever my server boots up, how long will it take for the new IP to propagate to the world's DNS servers?There are ways of doing this fairly effectively, but it's much less good than having a static IP.Mark;dyndns.org is your solution to a non-static IP address. I use it for my (static) IP address aswell, since it's still easier than to remember an IP address.Your script to inject into the DNS servers: Bad plan. Everytime your IP changes, your website will be down for up to 48 hours. It takes up to 48 hours(Usually 24 tho) for the DNS update to propagate world wide.About your win2k3 license: It's illegal since it's a Academy License. When you leave school(Which you'll do soon), this licenses are void, and keeping the software, will be illegal(Making you a pirate, and you know what happens with pirates on GDNet).You could always go with some Linux flavor and install Apache on that...   