Maximum PC

is it possible for me to host my website on my home Internet connection and have my email set up with a separate hosting company, both using the same domain?

if it's possible, please do some minor explaining as to how it works, as i can't see how one domain can be used on 2 different IPs.

Yes. you can have any number of services run from multiple PCs/Servers/providers very easily. you just need to point the third-level domain to whomever is running that service for you...

ie...

yourmom.com is your domain and you wish to run mail at home. Just make a DNS entry for your third-level domain called mail.yourmom.com and point it to the IP address of the server running your mail. Same holds true for any service you wish to run... Here is a sample from a named config (IPs changed to protect the harmless):



make sense?

WOW! That is cool...though how would you set your own computer up as a web server, so that you could do it on your own without having to pay someone else for that.

I've wanted to do that for awhile, but wasn't sure if it was possible...seeing as how you have to register the domain and everything. I just have to small web sites I want to do, but want to do it own my own server/computer. I have 4 so I can easily give up one for that.

Please explain, I would be greatful.

Techgeek

well...first, go register your domain! I prefer GoDaddy. They will run DNS for you if you don't want to. Point your newly registered domain to the IP address of one of the machines you want to host the service.

If you are like most of us and have only one routable IP, point the domain to that (The routable IP given to you by your ISP) and then use the port-mapping feature you router most likely provides to point the port to the PC being used for the service you want to host...

ie..

port 80=HTTP (web) ----> TechGeek's web server PC
port 25=SMTP (mail) ----> TechGeek's mail server

...There are thousands, so I won't even try to list them all..wanna see? go HERE

anyway..port mapping is kinda cool, cuz you don't need to use third-level domains, you can pooint your whole domain to the WAN port of your router (the IP given to you by your provider) and then port map the service to whichever PC you want to host that service...Hiola!

NOTE: Most people in the cable-modem land (and cheap DSL) have IP's that expire . With that said, you would have to change the IP your domain points to everytime your provider releases/renews your IP address. Now with that said, I have Comcast, and have had the same IP for over two years now. BUT...if your IP DOES change frequently you can use some of the Dynamic DNS providers out there (google it). The Dlink router I just bought actually has a feature that will auto-update these providers if my IP changes (cool huh).

don't forget you will need to be running the services daemon for this to work (ie..Apache, Qmail, etc...). I'm not sure of the Windows equivilent, as I run all my stuff on Linux.

so it requires a subdomain basically? if so, then i understand.

i already have cigar3tte.com registered with GoDaddy. do i need to pay extras for subdomains?

my goal here is to run a webserver on my own and have a paid site (thinking 1and1) take care of the email hosting, since my home one is getting rejected by spam filters (don't have static IP).

You could, although I suspect you'd have to have the machine at home somehow listed at the hosting company.

I'm not sure a sub-domain is necessary. Essentially they would just steer mail packets towards your machine at home and http requests to the server there.

I think the main question you'd want to inquire with them would be hosting your own server at home, but with their services.

In all honesty, I'm not sure why you wouldn't go the other way around...hoesting the web at home, and the email there.

that is the plan, to have email with a remote hosting service and web server at home.

i've dropped an email to 1and1.com, see what they say.

At best, they'll Just need an account with admin privs on the box.

email is just to much of a hassle to maintain yourself IMO. At best it ends up being good practice, and worst you end up with an ulcer

eazy fosheezy.. If Godaddy is running DNS for you just have them point www.cigar3tte.com to your home PC. I am not sure what they charge (if anything at all) for domain aliases.

I have been running my own mail (and mail for friends/family) on about 10 domains for 3 years now. Its mostly hands-off once configured. I don't consider it a hastle at all, in fact I like it.

I use Qmail front-ended with vqadmin which gives my mail server a nifty web-based look and feel for point-and-click domain administration. I also use qmailadmin which allows each user to login to their domain on my mail server and do whatever they like with their domains (add/delete/modify mailboxes, etc...) This way I can run mail for a domain and never really have to deal with the admin headaches.

well ok...in that sense

if i'm not mistaken, those are Linux programs? are you running your server on static or dynamic IP?

I run on Linux in a dedicated hosting facility (colo)... I am VERY lucky!

but like I explained, you can do it with Windoze from a home connection with dynamic IPs.

i know, but my problem is that my dynamic IP is getting blacklisted by some spam filters. one of which is Earthlink, the ISP i'm using!!

Dude...drop some money then.

it's cheaper to pay for email hosting than to get a static IP. last i heard it's $15/month extra.

Wow! Sweet! Ok...I'm probably sounding a bit niave but I didn't realize you could do such much without being a company...and just by knowing the computer world...there are a few sites I've been wanting to build, but when it comes to paying anywhere from $20 too $100 or more a month to keep the site up with the hosting company. I didn't really know how it could be done...I assumed I could do it...but had no idea how.