Hosting a website from home

[garp]

Hey all

Myself and my friend are trying to host a website from home... We have already managed to do this using a free dydns account, but have now bought our own domain name. lets call it http://www.example.co.za. The domain is registered, but we not sure how to go about linking this to the web server on the home network. (behind an IPCop firewall)

Soooo. Can you guys point me in the right direction. thanks

[Ron2K]

Using a CNAME DNS record should do it.

[garp]

Okay awesome. So. whats a CNAME DNS record

haha thanks for the help so far. I openly admit this is the first time I have tried to do this, and thus am a total noob. I tried to google that, but it just goes to more confusing stuff.

[Ron2K]

CNAME == Canonical Name (or "alias" for the linguistically challenged).

So, in the DNS records for the domain "example.tld", you would create a CNAME record for the host "www", the value of the record being your DynDNS address. The rest is easy.

You will have DNS servers that are authoritative for the "example.tld" domain already; it's a requirement when registering the domain. I can't tell you how to configure your DNS servers though, it depends on who's providing them.

[garp]

Shweet, thanks dude. I'll give this a shot later, and see if i can make anything of it.

[garp]

Eish I'm still scratching my head here. (sorry about the noobness)

Ok, so lets we wanting to make our domain name link straight to our IP Address. I'm assuming this won't work because our IP is dynamic? thats why we would need to use the DynDns address.

so you say....

So, in the DNS records for the domain "example.tld", you would create a CNAME record for the host "www", the value of the record being your DynDNS address.

How do you do this? What you saying makes sense, but I don't know how to do that. from what I can understand... doing this basically masks your dyndns address with that Domain name?

ok. so lets break this down.

Dyndns address is http://www.ourserver.dyndns.org
Domain name is http://www.example.co.za

We change this DNS record thing... to http://www.ourserver.dyndns.org, and then.. when you try access http://www.example.co.za, it will actually go to http://www.ourserver.dyndns.org

only thing is now I don't know how to change that...

Please tell me if I have got something wrong.... highly likely...

Again... apologies for all the probably stupid questions, but I'm trying to understand.

[Nuke]

Where have you brought your domain?

Ok, so lets we wanting to make our domain name link straight to our IP Address. I'm assuming this won't work because our IP is dynamic? thats why we would need to use the DynDns address.

Correct.

To update DNS directly you need 2 DNS servers of your own(on static IPs) that will update the DNS records on the co.za domain servers, that will in turn update the root servers(not sure how co.za domains work, but I know of za.net, lets presume its the same). Thats why you go through a reseller usually. They already have DNS servers, and you gain access to it via a web login.

[garp]

Where have you brought your domain?

Ok, so lets we wanting to make our domain name link straight to our IP Address. I'm assuming this won't work because our IP is dynamic? thats why we would need to use the DynDns address.

Correct.

To update DNS directly you need 2 DNS servers of your own(on static IPs) that will update the DNS records on the co.za domain servers, that will in turn update the root servers(not sure how co.za domains work, but I know of za.net, lets presume its the same). Thats why you go through a reseller usually. They already have DNS servers, and you gain access to it via a web login.

Umm. We brought it from http://www.sadomain.co.za/ if you try access the newly created domain, it just routes back to their homepage (not quite their homepage, but their site..) with Our domain name in the address bar.

[Nuke]

Ok good, it means they controle your DNS. Drop them an email and ask them how you can admin it.

[garp]

Ok good, it means they controle your DNS. Drop them an email and ask them how you can admin it.

Thanks! you guys rock

[SBSP]

I didn't even know you can have a fixed domain name linked to a dynamic IP address.

This might sound a bit corkey!
But If you dont come right. Find the most cheapest hosting service you can.
Like http://www.imaginet.co.za/product/hosting its R19 a month (Pay them in advance if you like)
And assign your domain name to the cheap hosting.

Then just have the index.htm page redirect to your http://www.ourserver.dyndns.org.

Code: Select all

<html>
<body>

<meta http-equiv="Refresh" content="5; url=http://www.ourserver.dyndns.org"> 


</body>
</html>