Running a Public Website

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Silvers24

Gawd
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
514
I find it more easier to use Windows 7 or earlier then Windows Server 2008 to do this.

But anyway, I been messing with Windows Server 2008 and been trying to get the web site services public, but so far this has been a pain. Unless it has something to do with my ISP which is AT&T then this should not be so hard.

But I would like to have a good explanation on how to make it public so people can access what I host.
I have the ports forwarded, I have static IP set, the web services are installed, but alas I can only access it via my internal IP. Also, how does one go about setting the DNS and Domains up so I can have people go to say myserver.com that I created on the ADDS.


Thank you to anyone able to help.
 
When you say you have a static IP do you mean internally?
When you go to whatsmyip.org what is your IP address? That is going to be your server's outward facing IP.
Your going to need to get some sort of Dynamic DNS account, unless you have a static IP from AT&T.

Some routers support a few of the Dynamic DNS services out of the box.
 
If the ports are forwarded, make sure your ISP isn't blocking them at their level. Try using something like 8080 instead. For the domain, just set up an A record pointing to your IP at the registrar.
 
have you tried accessing it with your public IP from outside of your network?
some routers have an option that disables the ability to access the external address from inside the network. Can't remember the name of that option off the top of my head.
 
type your external ip into your browser what do you see ? try it on your phone too ..

did you port forward 80 to the servers ip ? Make sure your server has a static internal ip, you don't want it to reboot and get a different ip.
 
A slight detour, but I believe Win 7 IIS has a 10 connection limit. Usiing IIS on XP is quite irresponsible and you may just live to regret it.
On topic- You can use http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ to check access to your external site as well.
You'll need a static public IP address if you'll be using DNS on a domain name you own.
If you have a dynamic public address (if you don't know, it is probably this), you'll need a dynamic dns service provider- I use DynDNS and No-IP. Either site will give you good information on why there service is what you need.
 
RocketTech said:
A slight detour, but I believe Win 7 IIS has a 10 connection limit. Usiing IIS on XP is quite irresponsible and you may just live to regret it.
On topic- You can use http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ to check access to your external site as well.
You'll need a static public IP address if you'll be using DNS on a domain name you own.
If you have a dynamic public address (if you don't know, it is probably this), you'll need a dynamic dns service provider- I use DynDNS and No-IP. Either site will give you good information on why there service is what you need.
Click to expand...

You can also use the free name servers along with the update utility at http://freedns.afraid.org/ to make any domain name work with a dynamic IP.
 
Static IP, yes I mean Internally, so the computer does not get reassigned. Which has happened to me in the past.

I currently Use DlinkDDNS since DynDNS is no longer free (And I use to use this a lot)
My Router is a Dlink DGL 4500, and currently I have all the ports forwarded for my server. I just recently added 8080 to see what happens.

I know how to get the domains (Through these services, or any domain name company) to work. However, is there no way for me to make my own Domain since Windows Server 2008 allows you to create them? As I am not sure how all that works, but there has to be a way for a user to make their own without going through a domain company?


Now as far as making it public, and doing all the requirements for forwarding and setting up an outside domain, do I need to edit the file in Windows/system32/drivers/etc which is the hosts file?
I may have to contact my ISP afterall...as it may just be them blocking it.
 
Silvers24 said:
However, is there no way for me to make my own Domain since Windows Server 2008 allows you to create them? As I am not sure how all that works, but there has to be a way for a user to make their own without going through a domain company?
Click to expand...

Sure you can setup an AD domain, but Active Directory domains are not designed to be publically accessible.
Also, best practice for AD domain naming is to not use a TLD (ie .com, .net, etc) because that can cause issues that require workarounds.
 
Alright then i'll use them again, otherwise I am not sure if this dlinkddns is working.
 
But uh, besides for the fact that my ISP is not blocking anything (other then the port 25, but I have no use for it) I can't figure out what I am doing wrong, guess maybe dyndns will help. Won't know until I find my credit card.
 
If properly configured, your server will respond to whatever is forwarded to it through the router. Microsofts internal domain coulld be apple.local for all the effect it has on external traffic. I believe it is best practice to not join public web servers to a domain as well.
Try pinging your public domain name from an online tool such as network-tools.com- it should go through and resolve to your public IP address.
Your dynamic DNS service should also show your public IP address in their control panel.
 
Do you have u-verse? I found a couple links that you might want to check out, but i'm not sure they apply to your issue-
http://forums.att.com/t5/Features-and-How-To/web-server-won-t-work-after-Uverse-install/td-p/2335005
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r25764109-Hosting-web-server

I ran tracert from my machine and it looks pretty borked. It almost seems like they are doing packet inspection, as I assume you are able to surf normally.
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>tracert 99.46.18.100

Tracing route to 99-46-18-100.lightspeed.bcvloh.sbcglobal.net [99.46.18.100]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms rocketrouter.rockettech.us [10.0.0.1]
2 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.61.254
3 18 ms 11 ms 10 ms 108-216-76-3.lightspeed.wchtks.sbcglobal.net [10
8.216.76.3]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 16 ms 10 ms 10 ms 76.196.191.33
6 10 ms 10 ms 10 ms 12.83.77.13
7 45 ms 46 ms 43 ms cl2oh01jt.ip.att.net [12.123.151.45]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 52 ms 44 ms 45 ms 75.25.192.17
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.

Trace complete.
 
so what's the issue?
I get a page titled "Die, Mothat Fucka, Die"
Game Zone
user login

looks to be working to me.
 
When using my IP, or someone going to it, or the hostname I had does not seem to work, as dashpuppy said.
And yet, some of you have been able to see it. As that is my temporary page, hence no working links and the vulgarness lol

I can only access the page via my internal IP, not my external IP, or by localhost or the loopback.
 
if you really want to host a website, do it properly, pending on the traffic you plan to get..

as soon as your site goes down, people will leave and not come back

server 2008 is as easy as windows 7 for setting up IIS, it is all the same, period.
 
I know, but I just never ran into these problems before. But if certain people are able to access it, then I did it right, I just want to know why I nor anyone I have sent my IP/Hostname to can't. As I say, I can access it locally, but so far besides some, no one can otherwise connect to it.

Also, I do not wish for it to be massive, it is mainly for those who i wish to send the link to, or keep up as I wish, especially for gaming, as a webserver is only something else I want. The last time I ever had a web server was on Windows 7, before that was with Linux (Before this was Vista). But I was using Time warner as my ISP. Seems as though ATT is a hit or miss?
i But yes, I use U-Verse, before was RoadRunner. And that is why I am confused as it times out on me, google, IE, nor firefox will load the website unless I type in the local IP
 
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LOL- I never bothered just entering the IP in a browser- goes to show, don't forget the simple tests. Works for me here at work, although still losing it at cl2oh01jt.ip.att.net when I tracert.
 
I would not be surprised at all if your ISP is blocking the traffic. Most home internet terms of service do not allow web hosting and most ISP's will block the necessary traffic for the A-record to work.

On a side note, I give it 2 weeks before a win7 web server is hacked and used for spamming. Good luck. :rolleyes:
 
Yeah, although from what I have read ATT shouldn't be.

I won't worry, as I say it's not going to be used for anything major. Which is why I am not worried about getting hacked (If I was going to use it and have the link advertised, I would obviously put a lot of work into keeping it secure). Plus I am using Windows "Server" 2008, not Win7. I have used Win7 before. Which is why I am asking as the networking book I own didn't tell me much on how to make it public, more based for in class learning with a system already made for the network group.
 
schnell said:
IOn a side note, I give it 2 weeks before a win7 web server is hacked and used for spamming. Good luck. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You willing to put some money down on that? I've seen Apache exploits in the news alot more lately than IIS
 
schnell said:
I would not be surprised at all if your ISP is blocking the traffic. Most home internet terms of service do not allow web hosting and most ISP's will block the necessary traffic for the A-record to work.

On a side note, I give it 2 weeks before a win7 web server is hacked and used for spamming. Good luck. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

2weeks ? thats it ? c'mon i was going for 1 week.
 
Silvers24 said:
Yeah, although from what I have read ATT shouldn't be.

I won't worry, as I say it's not going to be used for anything major. Which is why I am not worried about getting hacked (If I was going to use it and have the link advertised, I would obviously put a lot of work into keeping it secure). Plus I am using Windows "Server" 2008, not Win7. I have used Win7 before. Which is why I am asking as the networking book I own didn't tell me much on how to make it public, more based for in class learning with a system already made for the network group.
Click to expand...

is that a legit copy that's updated to sp1,, sure hope so.
 
Legit, from when I went to college for Computer Information Systems, completely updated and activated.
 
Silvers24 said:
Legit, from when I went to college for Computer Information Systems, completely updated and activated.
Click to expand...

If it is from an educational MSDN it is not legit. They are for testing only and are not supposed to be used after graduation.
 
From what I know, and from what I have asked (Unless my teacher was wrong and the students just assumed.), once you obtain the software, it is yours to keep. Hence why I can still login to my MSDN and can always redownload the software if I lose it.

Nothing about these are tampered, or otherwise edited to be "educational" only. Fully legit. Or else i'd have some serious problems using them and the ones that require no key at all, I shouldn't be able to use. (Such as Microsoft Expressions 3)

I need to ask however, how my thread got changed into the subject of if my software is legit or not. I appreciate those who have helped, and yet it confuses me why some people are not able to access the server where others can.
I will continue on my own if I must to figure it out, or let it go and screw around with Linux again. Though I must admit, it is fun using MS2008.
 
Silvers24 said:
From what I know, and from what I have asked (Unless my teacher was wrong and the students just assumed.), once you obtain the software, it is yours to keep. Hence why I can still login to my MSDN and can always redownload the software if I lose it.

Nothing about these are tampered, or otherwise edited to be "educational" only. Fully legit. Or else i'd have some serious problems using them and the ones that require no key at all, I shouldn't be able to use. (Such as Microsoft Expressions 3)

I need to ask however, how my thread got changed into the subject of if my software is legit or not. I appreciate those who have helped, and yet it confuses me why some people are not able to access the server where others can.
I will continue on my own if I must to figure it out, or let it go and screw around with Linux again. Though I must admit, it is fun using MS2008.
Click to expand...

Don't know but i can see it perfectly fine. shitty website by the way.

So now that it's working whats next to get working ?
 
burst.net has a $6 a month unmanaged linux vps with decent specs for hosting one or two sites on.
 
dashpuppy said:
Don't know but i can see it perfectly fine. shitty website by the way.

So now that it's working whats next to get working ?
Click to expand...

Gonna try Linux for a bit, as I wanted to triple boot Windows Vista, Server 2008 and Linux, although not sure how well that will treat me. (And as of now, not to well. Might just have Linux take over 2008 and dual boot Vista and Fedora 17)O
\
I do plan on having a better website, as it was meant to be temporary and sent to my friends, not via here, but figured it could be worse? haha.

Otherwise I haven't a clue. As I know there is many things I can do with this server. So I shall slowly see what all is possible.

I was working on a VPN, but I believe I am lost on how to properly set it up, as I would love that to be only local. But the DNS and ADDS, or DC stuff confuses me. As I would like it for the private "security" and such. Anonymous as I shall say when browsing the internet.
 
I liked the website </shrug> Palying around with different ways to get the job done is a good idea.

Hosting your own pulic DNS will not meaningfully increase your security- probably the opposite without alot of upkeep. Edge DC is not the best idea because an attacker able to authenticate on the edge would be able to access your entire organization. You may be able to get more specific information from other sources.

My suggestion is to list what you want, and work in small pieces to achieve that goal. Running from one enigmatic piece to another is not a good way learn a trade.
DC is awesome, but my advice is to leave web and DC separate until you have a better understanding of both.
OP- if it helps you out, I'll host your site for a negotiablel fee- would allow you to concentrate on experimenting while your site is up and running. PM me if interested.
 
have you thought about spending like $2-$3 a month to get some cheap webhosting? may be worth it in the end..

You do not need to host your own DNS, more headaches than it is worth, period, even for companies these days it is not worth it to host external DNS servers.
 
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