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Do you host a web server at home?

11 points| cantbecool | 14 years ago | reply

I'm considering hosting from home and interested in HN community's thoughts.

24 comments

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[+] mmx|14 years ago|reply
I currently run an entire startup in my garage, this includes routers, webserver, database servers, UPS's, etc, all hand built by the way. I work on it with 3 other guys who live 45 minutes to 4 hours away. We've bootstrapped this thing in a way that I'll have to write about once we're funded. I'm currently located in Virginia, and there is a mountain behind my house thats on fire about two miles away. I've been battling smoke for the last 48 hours. Operating out of your own house is amazingly convenient and a large undertaking at the same time. I both love and hate it, but most of all I've learned from it. Also, I'm running everything off of a Comcast Business Class connection, which was able to handle a LifeHacker post (10K visits in about 5 hours), so if Comcast frowns on my setup they haven't mentioned anything yet.
[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
Awesome, I'm going to run it off of Comcast's network as well. I hope the fire shortly stops, mmx. Sounds like you're in a rock and a hard place right now. We just need Mother Nature's intervention.
[+] runjake|14 years ago|reply
I did. Just save yourself the heartache and buy a cheap VPS from prgmr.com or similar (linode? slicehost? arpnetworks?)
[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
I might do that if my homemade web server was handling 20+ simultaneous connections.
[+] jameswyse|14 years ago|reply
I do, but just for web development and in-house apps.

It's possible to run a website from your home but there is a lot to consider..

- Does your ISP allow this? - Do you have enough upload bandwidth to deal with your expected load? - Do you have a static IP address (otherwise you can host your DNS elsewhere and use a Dynamic DNS program to update it)

So it's possible but unless it's something that's not that important, I wouldn't bother. You miss out on a lot of the standard features of dedicated hosting providers such as redundant power, multiple redundant uplinks and hardware support.

[+] jff|14 years ago|reply
I do. I've run FreeBSD on a SunFire and on an old Thinkpad, and I currently run a Go web server under Plan 9 on that old Thinkpad. It's easy, just start the server and point your domain name at it. Since I've got a dynamic IP, I have a cron job to update it every day--it's just a personal page, so it doesn't really matter if it's unavailable for a little while every few months.
[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
Nice, I'm thinking about running it off an old laptop too. I was going to set up a cron job also to fix that whole dynamic ip issue.
[+] mafro|14 years ago|reply
I've run a server at home for years. Mostly for SSH access to my old catalogue of email and to do some remote coding when at work. It also served as a website host for small scripts.. Which is about all you can do on a home connection.

For the handful of hosted sites that I manage and a version of Roundcube that connects to my mail provider - I use a VPS. Gandi is good.

[+] codeonfire|14 years ago|reply
For development, yes. For paying customers or a business, no way.
[+] dirkdeman|14 years ago|reply
I used to, but shared hosting is less than 20 euros a year, a Decent VPS is use costs a little more: about 60 euros a year. For this kind of pocket change I can worry about other things than setting up and maintaining a web server. Doing it myself was a fun and good learning experience, though!
[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
That's exactly what I was thinking. At work I'll set up production servers all the time, but I'd enjoy knowing I have a personal web server running in my closet.
[+] akr|14 years ago|reply
I host my Blog on a SheevaPlug from home. Additionally it runs an IMAP Server and some development stuff. In combination with the ARM Port of Archlinux it works pretty well - even with the small uplink my 2Mbit connection offers.
[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
Awesome, I'm getting pretty reasonable response times from your blog too, and I found out about Conky from your last blog post.
[+] allanscu|14 years ago|reply
I used to do it. I've played with both static IP and dynamic DNS. Hosting from home works fine for a web server that doesn't expect a lot of traffic. Otherwise, save yourself the headache and fire up a VPS in a few minutes.
[+] llaxsll|14 years ago|reply
I have a low-key server at home. Ubuntu + dyndns. I even host some of my low-key sites on it. I've found it is a pretty good combo. It has come to be a very useful tool over the months.
[+] pastaking|14 years ago|reply
I'd be interested to find out how to host from home. All these VPSs are getting expensive and I've noticed most of my side projects don't need all that.
[+] dholowiski|14 years ago|reply
It's easy. Find an old laptop with 512mb ram or more (you should be able to obtain one for free). Install a Linux OS (I like CentOS) Fire up apache/mysql or your server software of choice Point your domain name at your IP address.

I have a business internet connection at home. Even though it's mostly for personal use, it's a couple of extra dollars a month (not much) and I get 2 static IP addresses, and I'm explicitly allowed to run servers.

It's an excellent learning experience. But if it's for business, pay the money for a VPS!

[+] cantbecool|14 years ago|reply
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking too. A coworker set up a home web server on an old C2D Dell machine, and when I ping it, it's responding quicker than the host I'm using.
[+] debacle|14 years ago|reply
It's so cheap to get a VPS from a good company (I use linode). Gone are the days that hosting from home is really necessary.
[+] octopus|14 years ago|reply
Have you considered the cost of a fixed IP ? Depending on were you live this could vary from 10$/month to 100$/month.