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MultiDomain web server..

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by arg cio 1 view

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running on Windows 98. I know the answer, and it took me months to find it. Here is the scenario;

I want to start a small business in my home (mostly for tax advantages). I have a PC at home with an ADSL internet connection(768K). I have a web site running on PWS that I want to keep running. I have a customer who wants to put up a few of small sites (three domains registered). One about their company, and others about their "feature" products. I want to maximize my profit, and want to continue to look as professional as possible. I want to be able to have more customers with their own domains, and maybe work my up to getting a T1 at home ( Please let me be this lucky! :) )

My Windows 98 machine is VERY stable, and I like to play games on it(HL with Direct3d & EAX sound, Soldier of Fortune, and a couple others). Windows 98 is the operating system, and WILL NOT CHANGE! I want 95%+ uptime, and I play games a lot, so the site must be available even when I am playing games!(Dual BOOT is NOT an option). I don't have much money, so the cheaper the option, the better! And a second machine is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!

Just to let you know, I found something that is 100% free, after looking for a product, that does this, for two months. I asked everyone I know (I have been in the IT field for 10+ years, at 4 different jobs=lots of contacts.) No one had any 100% workable ideas.

So what is the answer? working answers get partial credit. This is a contest to test MY RESEARCH, and TR Member's abilities. I know a lot of you have been in the trenches, but this one was one of the hardest I ever solved. BTW, if you have a problem like this, and need the solution ASAP, email me, and I'll give you the answer, but you won't be eligible for points!

23 replies

by jushan

Are you seriously supporting three domain names on your personal Win98 machine? Please tell me these people aren't paying you. Happy Gaming~!!!

by arg cio

I was, and yes they were paying me.. It has since stopped, and it was very simple html.. so it wasn't like it was a major burden on my machine or my bandwidth.. I also had a site counter loaded that would track visitors, and their site wasn't pulling that many hits. When it was ready to go full production, I was going to place it with a real hosting company. But for low cost, easy setup, and still keep my home PC the way I want it, it works..

by abu_danny

If you have a firewall, assuming you have a public IP adress for your firewall, since you are hosting doamins, using ONe 2 One NAT to redirect to a seperate Network card on your machine for each domain will be a very good solution, WPS will find a name related to an IP and so host multi sites.

by arg cio

Three network cards? or more if I want more domains? Not very realistic. good idea, but my ISP will DNS for me on my single public IP address, and yes, I have a software firewall (Free) as well, I have some other security in place for my PC. I'd be willing to give you 20 points for this answer, but I don't know how.. So I would say this would work, but not as easily, and cheaply as the solution I am looking for. I will post the answer soon, or contact me via email.. eric@argkeno.com

by mudd_dog2001

Yes I know the answer. I have a similar set up at my home. i have 4 computers set up on a dsl connection. each with their own domain.
and yes i play game on sevral computers at the same time. i basically use a product called proxy 2 from a site i got called analog X , and it works great. let me know if this is what you are looking for?

Mudd

by arg cio

Sorry, four computers is too expensive of an option. I would love to have four computers networked in my home, and now I am up to two, but one is my brother-in-laws (he is living in our basement). I am assuming you were running PWS on each of these. Still not the answer I was looking for, but nice try! I'd be willing to give you 20 points for this answer, but I don't know how.. So I would say this would work, but not as easily, and cheaply as the solution I am looking for. I will post the answer soon, or contact me via email.. eric@argkeno.com

by rich tech republic

Download Apache Webserver for Windows. This is a free websever that is very stable and very easy to setup. The problem with PWS is only one web site can be setup. I also believe there is a limitation on the number of concurrent connections ot a PWS site (?) I would setup Apache and move your PWS to this server. The only concerns I would have in your situation are:

1. How much ram do you have. You mention you like to play games on the same machine. I would recommend having at least 256MB RAM.

2. Your ADSL connection...ensure you have a permanent IP address and not an IP address that may be changed every once in a while. If you do have a permanent IP address assigned to you, then register a domain name for yourself as well.3. Get a second hard-drive to put your web server on. Put on own IDE port.

by aj

Although you have good intentions, don't mix gaming and business together. If you want anywhere near 95% uptime you will need an OS that is atlesat 99% crashproof. Adding to that, you need games that are 99% crashproof. Once you reach this panacia you are well on your way to hosting a web site.

Here is my suggestion:

Rebuid the machine to a windows 2000 Pro (server preffered)
Get the RAM to about 256MB
Install IIS services
Install a firewall (norton personal firewall will do)
Install DNS services.

And... Don't install games!

by shanghai sam

I am shooting from the hip but..
Not tried or tested would not MS Personel Web server work. Never having set it up I don't know the reliability of it but it "seems" as tho it should work.

yagar

by arg cio

PWS only allows ONE site to be hosted.. Apache for Win32 allows for multi domain hosting on a win32 platform that is stable, and even works with gaming..

by shanghai sam

Yeah, right...you figured out. Stop playing this dumb trick! you just want to trick some sucker to give you the solution.
Oh, btw, as an experienced techie you should know that once you put one game, any game, on a machine. That system is NEVER VERY stable. In fact i think it NEVER will be.
You've been in IT for 10 years and the days of PC being WAY TOO EXPENSIVE are over 5 years ago. Give me a break ! My niece got herself a killer machine from DELL with money she earned busing tables last summer.

by arg cio

Shut up and go home loser! Apache for win32 is FREE, and it is the answer. Check the install on my PC, it's been there for a year, I DID KNOW THE ANSWER. F$*)(ING A#@$%OLE!!!!

by shanghai sam

Well, I'll give my free advice...
since any upgrade nor hw buy will be considered, options are scarced.

-pws (limit of 10 concurrent users!) Apache/free and much better performance and it runs perfectly in win32

-gnat light firewall (free) but will need a separate (@ least 386) server. for this you could spend couple hundred $ if price is an issue.

-notepad: best html editor! and it comes free with windows.
- get serious, no games in your production machine! I can't believe people pays for that.
- I guess the only other free option is getting a few sites at geocities and have a forwarding page in your pws machine at home to the correct address of geocities. You don't need the big blue to do this.

by arg cio

Apache for Win32 is the correct answer, yes with a firewall (like ZoneAlarm) and I used frontpage express and Macromedia flash.

by shanghai sam

It say's this has been answered but I haven't seen this answer:

I would use OmniHTTPd. It is server for Windows 98/NT. It does everything you want it to do and it is FREE!

Goto www.omnicron.ab.ca to check it out.

by arg cio

Didn't know about this answer, but after checking your link, it looks like it would also be an option, so I'm giving you credit. Apache for Win32 is the answer I was looking for. Sets up just like Apache for unix, is VERY stable, and it too is free.

by arg cio

Don't know WHAT you are talking about.. went to URL and MS site says "Page connot be found".

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