Sick of Hostgator! Today I build my OWN server!

by greenovni

Posted: 15 years ago 33 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Last week I came across a script that I wanted to install in my hosting account and because it was PHP I thought it would be easy to do as I have performed php installations 100s of times on hostgator.

Reading the documentation I noticed that the script needed the PHP_Ming extensions enabled and since hostgator just upgraded to PHP 5 not too long ago I figured it would be installed as the ming extension is an OLD one.

Mings allows you to manipulate flash within php for those who wonder what it does.

So I call hostgator to see if they have ming installed and of course they tell me no.

Now, get this... ming has been around for a loooong time and the regular 'servers' do not have it enabled on them...

But if I get a 'dedicated' server it will have php_ming enabled. For $174 a month!

So I got my hands dirty today and installed the same exact server software that hostgator uses (Centos 5.4) and instead of cpanel I used ISPConfig from ISPConfig - OpenSource ISP management and Hosting Control Panel giving me complete control of my hosting, a new server installed and configured by me with all the bells and wistles!

Total Cost=$0 Monthly Fees=$0

The power of Open Source Software

The best thing is that anyone can do it by following the step by step tutorials that the open source community produces like The Perfect Server - CentOS 5.3 i386 [ISPConfig 2] | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

Hope this helps those that are upset with their hosting accounts.

#build #hostgator #server #sick #today

Jesus Perez 15 years ago

How are you hosting? From home? Colo?

How are you handling DNS? noip.com? DynDns?
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greenovni

15 years ago

Hey blue squares long time no see. Right now DynDNS.com: Free DNS Hosting, E-mail Delivery, and VPS Hosting since I just finished it this evening.

The router allows me to set the server on DMZ so it is pretty cool. Until I read the docs about the dns servers that I installed today on the server itself.

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Jesus Perez

15 years ago

Been busy!

I tried doing this a long time ago. I eventually gave up on it because the pages loaded way too slowly (I had 3mb down and 1mb up back then). Also, the cost of the dynamic dns eventually grew larger than the cost of a VPS server! lol...

Good luck. It's very gratifying to do this on your own.

For others that don't have a firm handle on Firewalls, Networking and Linux....be wary. This is not as easy as it seems.

Originally Posted by greenovni

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AverageGuy 15 years ago

how to get the server online? does it cost $?

it will be a pain to keep the server running at your home. good luck.

david
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greenovni 15 years ago

The server is connected to my router and online @ all times (from now on) just like the rest of my pcs.

I have a cable connections @ 10 million bits per second and 1mbps upload so right now I have plenty of room and bandwidth

Total cost besides my time

1 PC that I wasn't using 2.3ghz & 1 gig ram = 0
internet connection 0 since it is part of the same cable connection I currently use
Not being tied down by massive corporations and their stupid rules... priceless (so far)
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- GeorgR. 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by greenovni
  
  I have a cable connections @ 10 million bits per second and 1mbps upload so right now I have plenty of room and bandwidth
  
  I have 16Mbit and 1MB upload and i would NEVER even remotely think its enough bandwidth for hosting a SERVER.... ;/
  
  I got me a VPS which cost $50/month from solarvps...there is this forum webmastertalk where hosting companies have VERY good deals on VPS or dedicated servers.
  
  I grew out of shared hosting a while ago - i ALWAYS ran into problems with plugins/scripts and wordpress...CPU usage, things like that.
  
  A VPS is worth gold, really.
  
  Even hostnine.com with their reseller hsoting causes me problems - if there is ONE script causing trouble and some CPU spikes - it can happen such mainstream/shared hosters suspend you from one day to the other. I depend on my sites, so this is a 100% no-no, really.
  
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GFox 15 years ago

Hmmm. This sounds very intriguing, indeed. Thanks for the info, I will look into it some more.
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greenovni 15 years ago

following the tutorials, u cant miss
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The Pension Guy 15 years ago

That's a good solution for hobby websites but if you have serious traffic and downloads (when selling digital products)... your ISP will shut you down in no time.
No matter what their "salespage" says about speed, bandwidth etc. the home internet connections are not designed to handle the traffic of a popular website.
So, have a plan B!
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greenovni 15 years ago

nailzer01: Welcome to the warrior forums

Total cost to build your server

1. Same software that the big boys use (like hostgator) = $0
UnixTutorials - Search results for: How to set up a home web server

2. Control Panel like Cpanel called Ispconfig = $0
http://www.ispconfig.org/

3. Old computer I had laying around 2.3ghz processor 1GB ram =$0

4. All programs / modules that servers need =$0

5. High speed Internet connection = whatever you're paying now.
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greenovni 15 years ago

The Pension Guy: Yes, always have a plan b
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Peter Ramos 15 years ago

You make it sound very easy, but since I don't
know anything about making my own server
and stuff I'll keep away from it.

I just have a question, how come I don't hear
it often...that they are using their own server.
Is it because it doesn't work with par to getting
a hosting account, lets say hostgator?

Peter
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greenovni 15 years ago

Hola peter: It is easier to pay for your hosting. The server I just built has all the software as the big boys eg. hostgator with all of the same if not more installed and running options.

Was it easy? No. But it is not extremely hard either.

1,000s of people have their own servers, it is very seldom that an IM guy like us has one.
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dawnpeterson 15 years ago

I had hostgator and hostmonster, both of them are fine to get started, but if you really need security and flexibility, I recommend you get a dedicated server. I found Liquid Web to be the best.

Dawn.
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zoobie 15 years ago

My opinion, you never use home server for business since if you don't have cooling system and a backup for your server. If something bad happens, can you get back your site online in few seconds? and if something wrong with your ISP, do you have a contingency?

If you host in datacenter, at least you have the company to look after for security, back up, connection outage etc...

Don't under estimate how disaster strikes. and you have only one person instead of a team.
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greenovni 15 years ago

This particular server I built is for a particular script that I need and is going solo there, paying $174 a month for an old php extension is highway robery.
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Kevin Hoeffer Banned 15 years ago

What happens when the power goes out? What happens when your ISP goes down? I wouldn't even put hobby websites on a home made server. You need to get a dedicated server if you're even a tiny bit serious about making monies online.

Good luck bro
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LB 15 years ago

Besides all the practical concerns like bandwidth and backups...I would bet that your ISP has specific language in their TOS that prohibits you from running a server like that on your account.

It will be real hard to run a business when you lose your internet connection.
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mywebwork 15 years ago

I envy your bandwidth, my so-called "broadband" here is about a tenth of that.

Does your ISP actually allow you to run a commercial server on their network? My ISP won't permit this unless I move up to their business package, which costs more that the price you quoted for a Hostgator dedicated server. We actually do this in my office but we are also using the business account for a VPN and some other services so it justifies the cost.

I run an Ubuntu server in my home office that I use for development. I do have the router setup to forward to it and use DynDNS, but I only use it outside the network occasionally. This doesn't seem to bother my ISP, at least it hasn't yet (and I've been running a web server of some sort on their network for 8 years now).

I'm also dissillusioned with shared hosting, I've been considering moving to one of the cloud computing platforms. Seems like the best compromise, at least for me.

Bill
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Gary McCaffrey 15 years ago

So your upload is 1mbps?

I looked at your twitter and took a random page you had linked to on it:
An invention that could change the internet for ever - News, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent

That webpage is 256kb in size.

If you were to host that webpage, and any more than 3 people tried to view it at the same time, your connection couldn't handle it.

Is that correct?
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- marketing09 Banned 15 years ago
  
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  karunnt 15 years ago
  
  Totally ridiculous.
  
  I wouldn't even recommend this if you were a Linux guru.
  
  If shared hosting is not good enough, you can get a VPS starting from $30/month and you can have total control just like a dedicated server. There are LOTS of VPS options available.
  
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TheGodfather 15 years ago

I don't know why are you making such a big deal out of this case? The guy has set up a server to have it in his own home thus saving thousands of dollars in expenses, if he were only to spend half of the money that he would on the paid server option he could buy a decent UPS that can handle a power outage, also he could put a backup of his page, on some free hosting account, and make a CMS that would put all content that he puts on the home-server also on the backup server. And just set up the server to redirect if the IP of his server is unavailable...

It WILL take some work and effort but eventually he would save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year, and guess what: he would raise his profits by the same amount, while everybody else has expenses that he doesn't (hosting etc...)

Good job greenovni.

I once tried to set up a server here at home but i had some trouble in setting it up since my stupid ISP provides me with a 256kbs upload...

a side note: Try to see if any companies around your area are throwing away some UPS-es I recently found 2 here in my own town that were thrown away, and they work perfectly. One just has one light burned out so it doesn't show it's turned on but it works.
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derekwong28 15 years ago

Best of luck greenovi, you are very brave. You should be aware that sooner or later, you will be subject to attempted hacking, spamming and DDOS attacks. This is why I would never think of trying this. The $174 hostgator is very goo value considering that it is more powerful than the $259 server that I am using.
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- Wakunahum 15 years ago
  
  I understand the open source software is good, but what you are generally paying for in the monthly fee is the service and support.
  
  A couple things I would like to point out...
  
  Can you run a server off your router according to the agreement with your ISP? I know I can't in my TOS.
  
  What about power outages and such? During an ice storm, tornado, or heavy thunderstorms I have more electrical downtime in one year than a service like hostgator does. You lose a few sells then all that saved money doesn't make much sense.
  
  Why not just get one of those really cheap servers that you manage yourself? I have seen some for like $10 a month just takes a little work on your part and you avoid any ISP or downtime issues at home.
  
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AverageGuy 15 years ago

frankly, I wish all my competitors host their own server at home. Because I know, if they did so, 100% for sure, very quickly, I will get much less competition.

again, good luck

david
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OnlineMarketingSys 15 years ago

I would also not be shocked when you cable company shuts down your service or requires you to move to a business plan. Generally if the cable company see's constant upload traffic they are going to suspect something is up. I have heard of a couple people having their connections shutoff or the cable co's requiring them to move over to the costlier business plans.
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Jay-3 15 years ago

Greenovni,

The best part of all of this is you've learned something new. I remember when I got so frustrated that store machines didn't come with what I actually wanted that I finally bought all the "pieces" and, as you said, read all the docs, and built my first computer from scratch. I've never bought another pre-built since. A true money saver.

I would guess that the learning of server building will also lead you into the learning of server usage and stability which will come with time. But again, it's all about learning, which you had the time to do. Time well invested, too, I'd bet.
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worlok 15 years ago

I have been an IT guy for 15+ years, and I have installed plenty of UNIX and Linux servers. (various Linux flavors, BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, SINIX, Dynix, Sco UNIX, Digital UNIX, True64 Unix, IRIX, etc)

I actually have an old Sun Solaris machine (Sun Ultra 5 workstation) at home that I can use for something like this. At one time I had it set up similarly for personal stuff. I wouldn't use a home setup for anything but personal stuff due to cracking (esp Chinese crackers), bandwidth and other issues.

If it works for you, go for it. I feel your pain when a hosting provider is uncooperative. So far I like Hostgator, and use the Aluminum reseller package until things get going. After that I will just upgrade to a higher package.

The only way other than personal that *I* would do that is for a special project where I really wanted to use that PHP plugin thing you were talking about. I wouldn't put all of my eggs into that one basket though.
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TycoonRob

15 years ago

My $0.02: I tried HostGator for about a week. Then I cancelled. I feel your pain on the server extension, but even just some basic stuff was not nearly as good as other hosters I've been with. And I HATE anything but WHM to install new domains. I'll never go back. Plenty of other hosters out there.

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jpaduchak Banned 15 years ago

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- Wade Watson 15 years ago
  
  It's a great experience to operate your own server, if you don't mind being your own 24/7 tech support. As soon as possible, I'd suggest setting up some redundant systems and a sizable power backup system in case of problems.
  
  Personally, I prefer to diversify over multiple shared hosting services so I can devote my time entirely to my primary work. Hosts like Host Gator and Dreamhost may have their issues, but I can generally depend on them to be there working for me even if my lights go out or something.
  
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worlok

15 years ago

Originally Posted by razztek

Hostgator has WHM and Cpanel.

I have bought and had a domain up on the Net in mere minutes. I used to suffer with the cheaper packages, now I am hooked on this reseller thing where you have more control.

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Daniel Brock 15 years ago

Just wait until you get some real amount of traffic...you are screwed.

Im assuming you are on a cable or DSL line - these typically cant handle any real load at all.

Now add in the cost of running your server 24/7 off your home power - +$20/m

What are you going to do when you need new IPs?
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seasoned 15 years ago

Most ISPs will NOT allow you to do this AT ALL! The IPs will change! MOST have leases that last a week or LESS! They THROTTLE! They LIMIT! They limit SERVICES! They limit PORTS! etc.... BTW if a host used ALL modules, there would be little space, and it would run like a DOG with arthritis and two broken legs! Maybe the module has a better competitor, is useless, or is too resource intensive. ALSO, some old modules DON'T work with new versions. Some aren't supported anymore.

Steve
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Sick of Hostgator! Today I build my OWN server!

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