How to Set Up a Home-Based Web Server

With a home-based Web server, you can host your own Web site, file server or blog on your own terms. Follow these steps to set up your server.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Multi-core processor
• HTTP server software
• RAM
• Internet connection
• Computer
• Hard drive
• Router

1. Make a list of the hardware you'll need to buy your home server. An older computer is the ideal centerpiece for this type of project. You will also want a multi-core processor, as much RAM as you can afford, a router and a high-capacity/high-speed hard drive.
2. Decide whether your current Internet service can provide enough bandwidth to suit your needs. Keep in mind that many ISP services have limits on the amount of traffic you are allowed each month.
3. Decide which operating system you are going to use for your home Web server. Windows 2000, NT or XP will suffice for most home Web servers.
4. Shut down any software firewalls you have running and install an HTTP server program such as Apache HTTP Server.
5. Configure your HTTP server software to share documents or applications from the correct folder on the computer. To do this, you will have to edit the following file: C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf
6. Locate and edit the httpd.conf file as follows (example given would share your music folder)
   #DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs"
   DocumentRoot "C:/Larry/My Music"
   And
   #
   
   
7. Locate the command line "AllowOverride None" and change it to: "AllowOverride All." Save the httpd.conf file.
8. Create a password to protect your Web server.

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