How to Host a Dedicated Server
There are many reasons a person might be interested in hosting their own dedicated server. A dedicated server can be used to host your own web site, provide online gaming services, and allow remote access to files stored locally on the server. Hosting the server yourself rather than renting from a provider allows you maximum control over the server environment, so that you can be sure you're getting the security and performance you require.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- PC or server hardware
- Operating system
- Web server software
- Database server software
- Web scripting language
- Firewall software
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide what operating system your server will use. A Linux distribution offers an extensive software library, regular updates, and many can be used free of charge. Linux-based distributions commonly used for server hosting include Ubuntu Server Edition, CentOS, and Debian. You also have the option of using Windows Server, which offers the benefit of a familiar operating environment, but carries a hefty price tag.
-
2
Install all of the updates available for your operating system. Operating system updates regularly contain important security patches, bug fixes, and performance enhancements. It is imperative to keep your system up-to-date for the life of the server, ensuring that all known vulnerabilities have been patched. An outdated system is also more likely to encounter software compatibility issues.
-
-
3
Install your choice of server software. The most common configuration is called a LAMP stack (or WAMP stack if you chose to use Windows Server). A LAMP stack consists of Linux (or Windows), Apache HTTP Server, MySQL, and PHP. Apache provides your web services allowing access to your server through HTTP. It can be used on Windows Server as well as Linux, but Windows Server includes Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft's own web server by default. MySQL is a commonly used database server allowing data storage, management and user data logging. PHP is a popular server scripting language, which provides the ability to execute applications and display data on your server. Alternatives include Python and Perl.
-
4
Install and configure a firewall. This allows you to open and close ports as appropriate, and will prevent unauthorized access to most of your server. In most cases you'll want to close all ports except for port 80, which allows HTTP access, and port 22 which allows access through SSH, or Secure Shell. This will be necessary later.
-
5
Test your server. To test access to your server, use the web browser on another PC to visit the IP address of your server. If you decided to use the LAMP stack described above, you should see the default "It works!" message present in Apache.
-
6
Add content. Use an SFTP capable client to log in to your server. FileZilla is a free multi-platform SFTP capable client that can be used to add and manage content on your server, regardless of the operating system you chose. SFTP, or SSH File Transfer Protocol, uses port 22 to provide file transfer functionality.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
When choosing passwords for your server and software, it's strongly recommended that you use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a password at least seven characters in length. Do not use the same password for multiple systems or services.
