i am a little of a n00b when it comes to serving, so bear with me please. I just installed Windows Server 2003 RTM, and im looking to host a wab page. I need some help, as I have tried to set one up, but only I can access it on my computer. I would like it to be viewable by anyone who enters the address (I want a domain, www.(my address).com) Is there an easy goide for this or can someone walk me through the steps please???

Have you purchased/registered a Domain name yet? That is step 1.

no, i have not purchased the domain yet, but the one i am thinking of, no one has claimed yet. Is there a way i can claim this domain without paying anything for it? if not I will but the Domain within the next few dats. is there a guide to tell me what to do after that??

domaindirect.com is a good place for registering a domain name, you only need a domain parking account (cheaper...). There is a good FAQ there also

do I need to buy a domain, or is here a way around paying anything if nobody has claimed what I want??

as phonics said, you can get the parking account which reserves the domain for a lesser cost. but you will still have to pay for it eventually. you could just buy hosting somewhere... www.dreamhost.com has good hosting and will give you a free domain registration with purchase.

No, domain names are not free. You need to register with the naming authority. Then you can park it at a host untill you get your own server ready to go then transfer the IP to your DNS. Read the FAQs at the site PM posted.

You can get them for free... what was that one that had free for a year but always had a banner? I cant remember now, but they are out there. They just suck Just register your domain, its extremely cheap. I think i got mine for like $30 for 2 years.

you could go the no-ip route or the dyndns.org route and use your IP as your website address. Host the web server like that.. AFAIK that is free.

SO you register a name like http://www.iexbeta.no-ip.com and whenever people type in that address, (if you have a dynamic IP, you'd run their software on the hosting machine) and it will send them to your site...

But I would register a domain if I were you..

http://www.shorturl.com/

its pretty good for free.
I registered aig.filetap.com

the part after aig is fixed, but you can chose from shorturl, filetap, 2ya...and some others ones as well.
I guess its good you register with them first since its your first time setting up your webserver.

lets say that i wanted to host a site for a company named HotDogg. they would like www.hotdogg.com as their name. i can use my ip like you said, and it works from any computer, but is there a way i could use something similar to dydns or no-ip to get it using my ip (That no-ip service is good but i would like http://www.hotdogg.com instead of http://www.hotdogg.no-ip.com) ???????

what you can do, is use the no-ip.com domain, then use a free redirector service.

www.dot.tk is a great one.

That lets you link
www.hotdogg.tk
to your
www.hotdogg.no-ip.com website

But you have to remember there will be a split second slow down for the redirect.. but it is not nearly noticeable.

have a look at my site.

I have a crappy tripod free account...
the address is long as hell
abababa.tripod.com
so I made it
http://bigbooger.tk

Sorry, but that site is usually busy, and is down quite often because of bandwidth limits.. but you get the picture.

The only other way that I know of, that you are going to get a simple domain name, is to purchase it

BUt if you go the .tk route, it should be good for a while, until you can figure out if your site is going to get popular, if so then you might consider say purchasing a domain name.

What I suggested is great for testing and for really small sites.

I was wondering about your warez signature where the hell did you get that server 2003 RTM from if you dont do warez?????

i was an OFFICIAL tester my copy is LEGAL

you know not everyone is a pirator like you, some people actually get a legit copy before it comes out, like me

ehh? You ever heard of MSDN subscriptions for students?

Its also importnat to note that there is a high chance all of us here have engaged in a form of piracy...i would be willing to bet it all.

if you have downloaded a single Mp3 in your life then you're a pirater...

Anyhow, you can do the whole www.dyndns.org which is a royal pain in the ass

or you could park your account as others have said, or just buy a domain... I am sure that there are several cheap ones in your area that are reliable...

come to think of it, his signature does not say he does not warez...its actually a mockery towards those who claim warez is really a big crime.

the sig states



Pick up the sarcastic tone here: don't do warez, and the world will be better...Little kids can play on the streets, and old people can sit in their chairs without fear of being mugged or burgled."

@acidburst
Granted I may just be getting old, ...But when did warez become a verb?

Not picking on ya man, I'm just curious.

To remain off-topic together with Phonics:

If you downloaded an MP3 song you also bought on CD, it's NOT illegal, at least not in my country (don't know the US regulations)

In the US, you have a right to one(?) backup copy of any copyrighted material which you are in legal posession of. When the original copyrighted material is somehow protected then the backup copy must be identical to the original, so if you own a protected audio CD for instance then anything other than a bit-for-bit copy is illegal. That means MP3s of such material are illegal. That's the DCMA slant on the usual US copyright laws.

In the UK, you aren't automatically entitled to any back-up copies.

Well, I recently had a discussion with a friend: I have made CD copies from some CD's I own, to play in my car.

First, if they would steal my CD's out of my car I simply make new copies, and second, since CD's skip more on the road then at home (because of the bumps), I have put it in my head that it is very bad for my cd's (even don't know whether this is correct).

He claims that what I'm doing is illegal, I say it's not. Of course I'm using my "backups" all the time, but I never use my original/backp at the SAME time.

All these different laws... when we still taped cassettes, life was so much easier

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