Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Wait, according to your site there, it's possible to host a website without a domain name? How would people get to it? Type in an IP address? But if I'm behind a router don't I only have a local IP address? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

All domain names do is redirect you to a certain IP address. So the IP issue will be have to be resolved either way.

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Forward port 80 to your server, and typing in the WAN in a browser (from outsiede the LAN) will be directed to the server transparently. This is assuming that your ISP does not block port 80, of course. If that is the case, you will have to use a different port for your server.

You can uses a service like http://www.no-ip.com for dynamic DNS redirection to avoid registering a domain. It is how the SE4 tracker works: http://kazharii.no-ip.com:6969

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Neat! I'll have to get that network card, then... because that will really be the only expense involved!

And my new Internet service is through the cable company, so I shouldn't even need the dynamic DNS except to get a more interesting name for my site than my router's IP address, right?

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

A domain name makes your site "mobile" without losing any accumulated recgnition it might have built up.

And personally I think they are alot of fun. Consider that if you get something to put on the other side of the @ sign, then you are unlimited to what you can put before the @. And some combinations of the two can be alot of fun also. You could be just Ed@ if you snagged kolis.ca or kolis.biz or KolisWorld.com or KolisOnline.net and you could give personalized emails to your whole family. Not to mention guru@ or admin@ or TerranEmpire@

Its also fun to say "you can write me at kolis.ca" then make me@ actually work.

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

How hard would this be to setup if you have no experience with webservers?

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

If you have an old copy of Win 98, you can run the Personal Web Server by just following the directions in the help file.

IIS 5 is a little harder
IIS 6 is harder still
Apache is not to bad if you can drive nix
FreeBSD is rough but really solid.

Here's a list of Web Server Clients web server clients

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Thanks. Now, all I need is an old, unused computer... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Look up a nearby used computer store in the yellowpages.
You can probably get yourself a P2 for pocket change. Overkill for a simple server, but cheap.

Re: OT - Free web hosting recommendations?
 

Cheap PC

There you go.