How to Make your Computer (MAC) a Server and run a website from your Home

By installing a software and by doing small bits of configuration you will be able to start a Server and hosting your own website on it. This guide is for intermediate users who knows what is computer and how to open websites and download stuff. No great experience is required like making a website or blog. You can host anything on your server like photos, video, music files it just needs internet connection and you will be able to use all the stuff from anywhere.

so let’s start .. one golden rule “Follow the Steps”

How to configure a server on a home computer

  1. Go to xampp
  2. Download xampp for MAC
  3. Install xampp with all services when asked
  4. Open xampp control panel and start the server apache Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 11.23.26 AM
  5. Confirm by going http://localhost if its not opening you may have done something wrong.

Configuring your router – static IP users don’t require this step

  1. Open http://192.168.1.1
  2. Go to NAT Settings
  3. Open Virtual Servers Setup and add port and server IP address see image below Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 11.29.36 AM
  4. Server IP will be different as per you IP
  5. Save and reboot your modem/router

Making your Dynamic IP address into Static IP address

  1. Open DynDns website for converting you dynamic IP into static IP
  2. Create a account which is free.
  3. Log in to your account and go to Host Services Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 11.38.43 AM
  4. Add a name for your domain like shown in image below and press Use auto detected IP address. Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 11.41.03 AM
  5. Add it to cart, its free so don’t worry about cart or any payment.
  6. Now we to download DynDNS Update Clients for telling DynDns about our IP changing time to time
  7. Download it and configure it by entering your account details of DynDns website.
  8. Also add your host name you have made above
  9. Now you go to you internet browser and open your hostname that you have selected like mine is http://hiralove.homeip.net/
  10. now open your terminal and write “sudo nano /private/etc/hosts” for opening host file Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 11.56.47 AM
  11. write you Server IP like 192.168.1.6 and with a space in between write your domain name like hiralove.homeip.net
  12. Keep in mind 192.168.1.6 is your computer ip provided from your router automatically or you have manually settled it up.
  13. Now go to your htto://hiralove.homeip.net domain name see if its working or not.
  14. Place anything in application/xampp/htdocs and that will appear on the webpage like in image below. Screen shot 2009-11-27 at 12.48.19 PM

that’s it .. i have tried to make is as small as possible and i know it require more stuff to be written i will improve this article as i get responses and questions about it… so start asking in comments don’t hesitate.

19 Responses to “How to Make your Computer (MAC) a Server and run a website from your Home”

  1. cllow

    Jaspal, Thanks for the share!

    Reply
  2. helen

    Thank you! It`s really work=)

    Reply
  3. Pavan Somu

    Great Tutorial.. Thanks buddy
    .-= Read Pavan Somu¬¥s last article on his blog … Digg Blogger Template =-.

    Reply
  4. dustinwmr

    Today I learn how to make a server. great stuff.. :)

    Reply
  5. James

    thanks,Jaspal
    It’s very clearly, thanks for the details help article :)

    Reply
  6. Burt Hayes

    I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

    Reply
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    Awesome post

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    Thanks for the informative info – I enjoyed reading it! I always enjoy browsing this blog. :)

    Reply
  9. Molly Farrell

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    Reply
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    awesome post. I’m totally looking forward to seeing more!!!

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  14. Anyone

    “MAC” is the acronym for “Media Access Control address”, a unique identifier number assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards, which every computer has it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address

    On the other hand, “Mac” is related to Apple Inc.

    Well, it’s a common misspelling. Hope it helps.

    Reply
  15. Lorna T. Gregory

    Hi,At last some interesting information. Bookmarked this one for sure. See You

    Reply
  16. Arlie Kalt

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    Reply
  17. 192.168.2.1

    Sometimes it is possible that router will be located on 192.168.0.1 not on 192.168.1.1.

    Reply
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    This will save me a lot of time.

    Reply
  19. Umbrella

    Great advice will surely follow it. Thanks.Umbrella

    Reply

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