Is it possible to make my computer both a server and a client in a LAN? Some of the projects I'm working on are internet based, and opening pages and scripts from disk doesn't have quite the same results as accessing it from a network; biggest difference is with Flash objects with javascript interfaces, they just don't work unless the page is online.

So, would it be possible (by any means), to open my computer, type some kind of path, and open up a page on my pc as if the folder it was in was a website; or even create pretend "domains" on my hard-disk? The protocols I'd like to simulate are HTTP and FTP.

Reason is, my internet connection isn't the most reliable; it takes a while to wait for a working window, and that may be the only time I can bugtest, also, I can end up in places without Internet and only my laptop, and have to sideline certain projects.

Yes any PC can be Client AND Server.

Sounds like you want a web server on your pc, depending on your setup you have several choices.

If you are running WindowsXP home I can recommend xampp it installs Apache 2 for windows and is very easy to use.

If you have Windows XP Professional you can use IIS, in Control Panel go to Add/Remove programs and clcik the Windows Components button, choose to install IIS (you may need your XP CD handy as windows will probably ask for the disk)


Either way once you have chosen and installed a web server you will have;

For IIS a directory C:\inetpub\wwwroot

for Apache (depending on instal) something like C:\program Files\xampp\htdocs

Stick your web folder in one of these directories and you should be able to browse it from:

http://localhost/webfoldername

where webfolder name is the name of your folder containing all your web pages. Or if you don;t want to move your web pages, in Administrative Tools on windows (if you went the IIS route) you can use IIS Administrative Console to create a Virtual Directory and point that at your folder containing your pages.

thats alot; that (xampp) is exactly what i was looking for.