setting up my home pc to be a web server

[haggis]

Folks,

How can I setup my home PC as a web server and have it host filemaker databases.

I want to create a web business idea and gauge its success before splashing out cash on hardware or hosting.

I have an ISDN modem/link, filemaker 5 unliimited, windows 98se.

Thanks

[LiveOak]

ISDN is a problem. You can't practically operate a web server without one (or more) static IP addresses. Dial-up connections don't provide for this. You will also need to set up or purchase domain name services, i.e. have you own domain name server or use someone elses. And, of course, a registered domain name.

If you aren't going to own your own server and connection, PHP/My SQL is a lot cheaper solution. It is supported at a low cost by most hosting companies. (Yeah, I know this is a FileMaker site, but even FM Forums runs on PHP/MySQL)

-bd

[Anatoli]

Every small time hacker will hack your W98 computer connected to Internet. Every FM hacker will be able to hack your FM data or everything in FM.

[Steve T.]

Hi, haggis! You're just testing at this stage, right? FMP-u is a lot of cash but since you have it, you should be ok. Even regular old out-of-the-box FMP would do for testing, though. For business, you're probably going to want to use Custom Web Publishing... but that takes a little investment in time and some web skills. Keep Live Oak and Anatoli's info in mind...

(1) open your db in FMP-u and make sure Web Companion plug-in is active and configured and that the db is shared using Web Companion; Custom Web Publishing should be on as soon as WC is enabled -- use Instant Web Publishing if you don't have any pages/code ready (you can even use both for now if you want)

(2) find out your IP address

(3) type your IP address into the browser URL line

There should be more detailed info in the posts but that's a quickie version that should do if you're already familiar w/FMP and web stuff.

Good luck --ST

[Johds]

As LiveOak said, the ISDN connection really isn't suited for that, but for testing purpose you could get by, with using it.

The problem is the lack of a static IP, as LiveOak stated. What you should do in this case, is use one of the dynamic dns forwarding services, such as dyndns.

In the case of using that, also get hold of the program DirectUpdate which automaticaly updates your dynamic DNS entry with the correct IP that your ISP has allocated your IDSN link, upon connection to the internet.

Thereby people can connect to your site with www.yourtestsitename.dyndns.org, instead of the ip address.

B. Rgds

Johds