Can I create server for testing at my home ?

[johndoe77]

Hi, I want to create a server at home just for testing and getting some experience with servers and configs because I want to get a VPS or even a Dedicated server soon for my websites and I want to make my own stuff, its also cheaper.

Now I have a spare PC at home on wich I want to install Cent OS 5.1 and all additional services according to this tutorial http://www.howtoforge.com/centos-5.1...-ftp-ispconfig but I don't know how to setup the Ip adresses and host name at my home network, is that even possible ?
I have a small LAN connected to a ADSL WiFI router with DHCP and 192.168.x.x range of IPs.
How should I configure the IPs and hostnames ? Can I go live with my server if I have some domains ?

Thank You

[falko]

Yes, you can do that. You can use one of your unused private IPs, and you can get a hostname from dyndns.org that you can use for your server. If you want the services to be accessible from outside your LAN, you must configure your server to forward all necessary ports (e.g. 80 for HTTP) to your server.

[johndoe77]

Ok so let me know if I got it right !

I connect the box to my LAN, the router gives the box an IP, lets say 192.168.1.7.

I go to dyndns and create a free host name that point to my router internet adress right ? Not the internal one but the Internet one !

I install CentOs and here http://images.howtoforge.com/images/...tos_5.1/10.png I put 192.168.1.7, the internal IP adress given by the router via DHCP to server, and 255.255.255.0, the netmask of my LAN then here http://images.howtoforge.com/images/...tos_5.1/11.png I put the dyndns hostname, and in Gateway I put the router's adress, that 192.168.1.254 but what do I put in Primary and Secondary DNS fields ? The DNS IPs used by the router ?

Thank You

[falko]

Originally Posted by johndoe77

I go to dyndns and create a free host name that point to my router internet adress right ? Not the internal one but the Internet one !

Right.

Originally Posted by johndoe77

I install CentOs and here http://images.howtoforge.com/images/...tos_5.1/10.png I put 192.168.1.7, the internal IP adress given by the router via DHCP to server, and 255.255.255.0, the netmask of my LAN

If the server gets its IP via DHCP, you should select "Dynamic IP Configuration (DHCP)". But it would be better to assign a static IP from outside your DHCP range to it.

Originally Posted by johndoe77

what do I put in Primary and Secondary DNS fields ? The DNS IPs used by the router ?

These should work, or you use the IPs that I use in the tutorial (e.g. 145.253.2.75).

[johndoe77]

If the server gets its IP via DHCP, you should select "Dynamic IP Configuration (DHCP)". But it would be better to assign a static IP from outside your DHCP range to it.

I don't have this option in my router but what I have is an option that allows me to make the router always assing the same IP Adress generated by DHCP to a computer in my LAN so I can assign for example 192.168.1.77 to the server and it will always have that IP in my LAN.

That should work isn't it ?

[falko]

Yes, that's ok.