FAQ How to

---

show

Changed

Visitor's book Site map pmwiki-2.3.32

• login

Website setup

How to set up a website using your wiki. Before you do this

1. setup your wiki.
2. document the current IP settings for your PC, eg take a screen image of the Internet Protocol Properties (Start | Control Panel | Network Connections | Local Area Network | General Tab | Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties) and save it in a document

Preparation

While you can test and operate your website simply using an IP address, eg http://203.118.185.95 it is much easier and more memorable to acquire a domain name. There are a number of domain name registrars. Registering a domain is done online, the hardest part is deciding on your domain name!.

Having registered and paid for a domain name you will receive an email from your registrar giving you a login to the registry. This login allows you to

• select your DNS server, normally your would leave your registrar to do this
• associate your domain name with your IP address

Ideally your ISP will have given you a fixed IP address. This will be the case if you have cable broadband, but less likely if you have an ADSL connection.

Security

If you are going to host a website it goes without saying that you should run a software firewall and antivirus software on the host computer. - see software for some free for personal use products. It is highly recommend that you make the small investment required to purchase a router, if you do not already have one, (see also home networking) for the significant extra security if provides.

Making the connection

The last step is to associate your domain name and external IP address with your web server. You may have to overcome the following obstacles

• enabling port 80 and 443 (or other port of you choice) in your router
• enabling port 80 and 443 or your web server though your firewall (this probably will work out of the box)
• modifying your server configuration to respond to your external IP address or domain name

Details to follow.

Router

Check your router vendor's website for setup instructions. The general idea is as follows. Your router will have a browser accessible configuration interface. Generally these are password protected and you are recommended to set a password. Access the router via your browser, perhaps at http://10.1.1.1/ for an ADSL router or http://192.168.2.1/.

• under a heading such as Firewall | Virtual server ensure that you have permitted HTTP protocol or port 80

After setup

Once you have a fully working configuration

• take a screen image of all PC and router setting and configuration pages and save them in a document

These will become very valuable if something stops working in the future.