In today’s era, everyone needs a website. Be it an entrepreneur or an artist, a website is imperative. And to run a website, you will need to have web hosting.
While there are numerous web hosting service providers available at your disposal, if you are someone who does not want to spend on web hosting services, this article is something you need to abide by.
In this guide, we will be talking about how you can create your server at home to host your website.
Sounds exciting. Let’s get right into it!
What Is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a service you need to subscribe to make your website accessible on the internet.
When you subscribe to a web hosting service, you rent a space on the server to store your website’s data and files.
The primary web hosting types that most web hosting service providers offer are:
- Shared Hosting
- Cloud Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- Dedicated Hosting
What Is A Home Server?
When one talks about a home server, one sometimes refers to fancy, massive enterprise-grade servers. A home server can also be a basic computing device for cloud storage, backups, saving media files, etc.
Not just that, many people also use a server to play media files on their television screens, play games, or store all of the files on multiple devices.
Let’s now look at the benefits of setting up a server at home.
Why Is Setting Up A Server At Home A Smart Idea?
Setting up your server might sound like an expensive affair requiring much technical knowledge. Isn’t it?
However, let us break this myth for you. Setting up a personal server is relatively cheap and does not require a lot of technical know-how.
Here are a couple of benefits of setting up a server at home:
1. Provides A Central Location To Store Your Files:
Everyone nowadays uses multiple devices, like a laptop, phone, or tablet. And all of these devices might have different kinds of media files.
Now, think of all the files stored in them and how much hassle it is to manage them.
A home media server could be perfect if you wish to free up your storage and have everything in one place.
Setting up a home server helps you keep your files in one place. Since everything will be stored in one place, it will be easier for anyone in the family to access the saved files.
2. Takes The Load Off The Main PC:
Playing movies or games online can consume a lot of space and processing power on your computer. And if you are worried that your computer might end up crashing, a home server can be your best bet as it makes it easier to multitask.
3. Automatic Data Backup:
One wrong click or system damage can cost you all your data. Having a backup of all your data is essential.
A personal backup server could be great for you as it helps keep your data safe and secure.
4. Web Serving:
If you are thinking of starting a website, want to manage on your own or wish to avoid paying for your website’s web hosting services, a home server is a thing for you.
It might only be able to handle a few users, but your computer can manage limited traffic.
5. Web Proxy:
Similar to web hosting, setting up a home server proxy is also easy. A proxy acts as a gateway between your device and the internet. However, unlike VPN, you do not get to relish the same security and privacy in a personal proxy.
6. Easy Home Automation:
A home automation server is a perfect solution to manage your smart home. Using a home server, you can efficiently operate the lights, air conditioners, and other IoT devices from a centralised server.
How To Build Your Server At Home For Website Hosting?
To build a savvy server on your own, here are the steps you need to adhere to:
Step 1: Pick A Hardware
The first and foremost step to creating a web server is picking the hardware you need. You can make the most of your old laptop or computer regarding file storage.
However, we recommend opting for a computer to build a home server, as additional cables and switches must be connected to the main computer.
You will also need to decide how many users will be using the server and configure it so that your server can accommodate the needs of all your users.
Also, our experts recommend opting for a faster and newer computer as it will help your server perform better and get better processing power. However, keep in mind that you need to keep it updated and secured with firewalls.
Yet again, keep in mind that when making a server, you need to get your hands on a computer with a hard drive of at least 60 GB and keep 25 GB of free space.
You will also need a dual-core processor with a minimum of 2 GHz and 2 GB RAM. And it would be wise to get your hands on a Linux operating server since it is better for server operation.
You will also need a stable and robust internet connection to deal with the web traffic. When picking an internet connection provider, ensure your plan has a good download and upload speed.
Step 2: Decide Which OS (Operating System) You Will Go For
The second step to building a home server is to pick the operating system. This step may not be as relevant as we make it sound. But, as we proceed, you will.
There are two main operating systems that we recommend: Linux and Windows.
Linux: Many people prefer a Linux OS running their servers as it is free and easy to customise. And since it is an open-source OS, it is a superior choice compared to Windows.
Pros of using Linux:
- Free
- Easy to customise
- Secure
Cons of using Linux:
- It might not work well with a few programs
Windows: You must buy a Windows license when making your server with Windows. A Windows license will ensure you get proper support for any problems.
Pros of using Windows:
- Auto updates
- Beginner friendly
- Supports a majority of applications
Cons of using Windows:
- Expensive
- Prone to malware
Step 3: Setting Up The VNC
VNC or Virtual Network Computing enables remote access to a computer in any corner of the world.
With remote access, the user can operate the computer in the same manner as they would operate the computer in front of them.
In case you are wondering how you can create a server and why Virtual Network Computing or a VNC is imperative, you need to know that a VNC helps in the following:
- Remotely accessing a work computer
- Providing remote tech support
- It helps in making your server function
To access a computer using VNC, you will need the IP address or the qualified domain of the computer along with the password from the VNC software.
And if you are worried about installing VNC at home, do not stress over it. The process of installing VNC at home is quite simple.
Firstly, you will need to install the vnc4server package and make configuration changes to the server to get started.
And then, you will be asked to create a password of your own that you can change anytime using the vncpasswd command.
Step 4: Install File Transfer Protocol or FTP
FTP or File Transfer Protocol is a communication protocol that transfers files from the server to the client on the computer network. And when it comes to creating a server, you will need an FTP server.
And when you have FTP, you are building a private cloud that is under your control and enables you to transfer multiple files at an impressive speed.
There are three kinds of FTP, they are:
- FTP: It is a basic, unencrypted FTP which is supported by a majority of web browsers.
- FTPS: It is an SSL/ TLS encrypted FTP used by many people through many web browsers that do not support it.
- FTPES: It is an upgraded version of FTPS and is firewall-friendly. While most browsers do not support it, it still is one of the most preferred ways to establish a connection.
Step 5: Ease Of Connection
If you are concerned about setting up a server with an FTP, let us tell you that it is a straightforward process.
Go to the Control Panel and then go to System and Security. Then, click on Administrative Tools and double-click on the Internet Information Services Manager Shortcut.
Later, you will be taken to the Connections pane, where you will see the Sites option, double-click on that and select the Add FTP Site option. In there, you will have to assign a server name and in the Content Directory, click on the Physical path and then on the folder in which you wish to store your files.
Step 6: User Configuration
Consider adding multiple users to the FTP server when creating a server. To do so, you must go to the Sites section and double-click on the Authorization Rules option.
Click on the Add Allow Rule and pick All Users or Specified Users. It will enable you to specify the number of users accessing your server.
Now that you have gone through all the above steps, you are ready to configure and activate it.
Step 7: Install HTTP
Now that we have taken care of your server’s hardware requirements let us look at the software part.
When you want your software to be completely operational, you must install the LAMP software stack – Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. These allow you to set up HTTP, use the server and store data.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server is a tool for production usage. It is easy to use for testing, learning and local development.
HHTP has four versions: HTTP/0.9, HTTP/1.0, HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.0.
When it comes to a home web server, you should pick a home web server that works well with the hardware and software of your system. And once you have your hands on the most suitable HTTP package, things will become much more manageable.
Step 7: Get A Domain Name
The hassle of setting up your server at home is finally done. Your home server is finally operational. However, our experts recommend getting your hands on a domain name to make it easier for you to locate your server quickly.
Note: This is an optional step.
Let’s finally go to the last step of setting up your server at home.
Step 8: Testing Your Server
The last step is to test your HTTP and FTP.
To test HTTP, here is what you need to do:
- Go to the browser, type http://<your no-ip domain>.com, and press Enter.
- If you are successful, you will see a message “It Works!” and if it does not, type http://<your Internet IP>.
- If both things do not work, type http://<your LOCAL IP>.
If nothing works, it implies that your server is not working, and you will need to start over.
To test FTP, here is what you need to do:
- Go to Windows Explorer and type ftp://<your no-ip domain>.com, and you will be taken to a page where you must type your FTP username and password.
- Once you are successfully logged in, you will see all the folders. To check that everything is working seamlessly, try uploading a file.
- If it does not work, start the process from scratch.
With that we have now come to an end to our guide on how to step up your own sever at home. We hope it helps you in the best manner possible. Anf for peole who found it a bit too overwhelming, we have some good news for you too. You can avoid the whole hassle and simply go to Fynd Platform to take care of all website-related needs.
