Host a website with LAMP and Dyn DNS?

Question

This is what I accomplished so far...

- Installed LAMP, properly.
- Signed up for a Dyn DNS account and got a host name that is connected to my public IP.
- Installed the Dyn Updater
- Port forwarded so I can access local host on my LAN IP (192.168.x.x)
- Synced my Dynamic DNS account to my router

Now, when I try to go to my host name or public IP it times out.

What should I do next?

Answer 1

You can check your sitename in DNS with "host www.example.com" (using your default DNS) or "host www.example.com 8.8.8.8." (using google's DNS)

As others said, it takes a while for changes to propagate across the internet, but I assume DynDNS use short expiry times. Also, that's only for changes - the negative cache is shorter, so from no address to some address is much quicker than from one address to a different one, and if you haven't asked before, it should be instantaneous.



IP access to a website will work - it will answer, it just may not give the page you expected unless you set up a virtual host for a numeric hostname



If you can't ping your public IP address or access port 80 from the internet e.g. your phone on 3G or via SSH from a computer somewhere else, something is wrong in your config or your firewall or some other filter along the way.You can run tcpdump and look for incoming connections. E.g. if you use "tcpdump port 8080" and elsewhere access http://www.example.com:8080 you should see some packets, if you have forwarded port 8080 correctly. Or you can use netcat (nc) in listen mode one end and send mode the other to check port forwarding/filtering



Safe ? If you are hosting a busy commercial service, your ISP may get you. If you are hosting child porn, the cops will get you. Otherwise I don't know what you mean.

Answer 2

Accessing a web server (assuming you have one built, even a simple one page), would be by URL (DNS name) usually, not by IP. If you have defined multiple web sites on the server, IP access will not work - only by URL.

Otherwise, it should work after 24 hours. You have to wait for the DNS to update world wide. (includes your ISP's DNS server). If not, then there is something wrong with the LAMP setup I would think.

Make sure the Apache service is running, along with the other components (MySQL, PHP, etc). Can you connect to the web server locally? If not, then it is definitely a LAMP issue, not DynDnS.



I would suggest looking into site management tools on a full blown Linux installation. I've used these sites to build a Linux server (for web sites), then used a CMS tool to manage and create multiple web sites on the one machine. You can still use the tool to manage just one web site, since it controls users, quotas, email, etc...

http://www.howtoforge.com/howtos/linux

and search for "Perfect Server". There are many various Linux distros they use, pick one.



http://www.ispconfig.org/

is the management tool I use. It is written by the same fellows that run the "How to" web site.



All are free...

Answer 3

Internet DNS updates are not instantaneous. It could be several hours before your IP propogates. Wait awhile.

Answer 4

Congratz on your progress!



But, Here are important thing to consider:

****Does your ISP provider allows port 80 as your on a home account ....

(you can use another port... but its tricky).