using windows to host website

[andydeans]

hi,

i have installed xammp on my win 7 pc, i have a static ip address and wondered if i could use this to host my website?

is there any disadvatanges of using a win 7 pc rather than linux server to host it?

should i use windows server to run php/mysql or is a standard windows pc suffice to do this?

if so can anyone tell mw how i would create sub domains using xammp or do i create them in my domain management with registrar?

any help/advice greatly appreciated.

many thanks

[Kieran Y5]

Hi,

The main advantages for using Windows to host a website is that folders/files are not case-sensitive. On a Linux server, folder names and file namesare usualy case-sensitive which *could* cause problems.

The main disadvatnages for using windows is that not all PHP functions fully support it.

You don't need to use windows server to host a website. Windows server is used mainly for businesses that have multiply computers on the same network.

I've never hosted a proper site on my own computer so I don't know host to create sub-domains or how to register a domain and use it on my computer. I only use my computer as a web-server when I am testing new scripts.

I hope this is enough information for you ;)

Kieran

[andydeans]

Hi,

thanks for the reply. yeah i normally have used windows for testing only bust would like to hear back from anyone who has ever hosted an actual site on their pc?

does it have to be win server or win 7 fine and just assign static ip address to this?

any other help appreciate but thanks for the info kieran re the pros and cons.

cheers

[svilla]

I am assuming that this PC is at your house and that you have a high-speed network.

1. You need to get your ISP to assign you a static IP. Most ISP's use DHCP so you cannot be guaranteed a consistent IP address otherwise
2. You should assign a static IP address to your PC. Either turn off DHCP on your router or assign an IP address outside of your router's range.
3. Next you are going to have to enter a pass through route for incoming requests on port 80 to be directed to port 80 on your PC.
4. After all of this you will only be able to hit your website using the ip address of yuor router. You will not have the proper DNS servers in place.

This is just the simple view. I am no expert on setting up and I probably missed a step or two.

Look at GoDaddy, they have Linux and Windows hosting available.

[andydeans]

thanks i know these steps as i have hosted a mail server in my office before but never a website. thanks for the info though but really just needing to know is it fine to run a win 7 pc as a php/mysql website hotsted or should it be server technology?

also how would you manage sub domains?

many thanks

[Kieran Y5]

You don't need server technology, windows 7 is just fine

[chrishea]

Uniform Server is recommeneded over WAMP and Xampp because it has better security.

If you still want to use XAMPP here is some more info on that:
http://www.astahost.com/info.php/xampp-wampp-questions_t18396.html

http://textpattern.net/wiki/index.php?title=Using_XAMPP_(Apache-MySQL-PHP-Perl)_for_Windows

[andydeans]

thanks for the help guys.

only thing i have an issue with is setting up sub domains simply through an interface?

any recommendations?

cheers