Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Connecting the domain name and your static IP address for your website

So, I got a static IP address from my ISP. Here are the main steps to follow in order for users to find your website using your domain name.

1. Assign the IP address to your modem-router. Set up port forwarding in the modem-router to point to the webserver machine. Here I assume the modem-router is also the DHCP server. Port forwarding is easy if the modem-router is in the same subnet as the webserver. It is a simple one-step port forwarding.

2. Secure your modem. This is extremely important because there are always hackers trying to find easy entry into systems. Change the default modem-router password. Block all ports except the ports you want to expose (i.e., port 80 and 443). Enable the system log for monitoring. You really need to be paranoid about this. You can use tools such as open source nmap to find security holes.

3. If there is another router between the modem-router and your server, there will be additional complications. Multi-router port forwarding can be complex but this depends on the kind of router you have. You may need to turn 2nd router into an access point.

4. Change the DNS records.  Change the old "A" entries to use your new IP address.

Within a hour, users can get to your website via the domain name into your webserver.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Welcome

This is a blog about all things technical.