How to make my desktop a server?

Question

I've got staticIP and heard that i can use my desktop as a server.

1) I've FTP client(CuteFTP), how can i connect to the system having static IP

2) I've installed Apache Web Server, How can i make this public so that anyone who gives my staticIp in the url can be able to access my site which i'll be designed

3) Do i need to install Linux/Windows server 2003 for the above specification ?

As of now i'm using Windows7 RC

Thanx for the help

Answer 1

I would suggest that you first familiarise yourself with the security aspects of server hosting. Otherwise, you will just be adding another zombie machine onto the network. Setting up software such as web-servers is actually quite easy today. Unfortunately, defending your network against outside attack is not so easy.

For one, avoid using FTP and consider using SFTP instead as it is more secure. Another thing you can consider doing is running a VM and exposing that VM to the outside world instead of your real machine. That way, any security breach can be contained do just the VM. You can even run a different OS on the VM.

Answer 2

Please try not to feed botnets... Download Sun Virtualbox or VMware Server (both free), setup some systems as VMs and play with it inside your network. Then, when you know what's going on on these machines and how to set up FTP servers (shudder!) and Apache securely, cut some holes into your NAT router an let the world play with it...

Answer 3

You mean you want to use it as a web server? It will also depend on what your upload speed, since most of the services offered to the general public do not have enough bandwidth for that.

1. You need to set up an ftp server to be able to do it, ie filezilla server or try ssh on windows it has sftp which is more safe, here's a link for that http://www.digitalmediaminute.com/article/1487/setting-up-a-sftp-server-on-windows

2. If you have a router, you will need to forward the 80 port to your computer. And check the apache settings to see if you are not denying everyone.

3. No, you don't need any kind of "server" operating system, if you can install apache, you can run it, however I don't know if windows 7 has any quirks with it.