Mods, Owners, T'internet junkies

whats required to host a forum like this, with this sort of useage? as in hardware, bandwidth etc?

just wondering

[quote author="lofi"]whats required to host a forum like this, with this sort of useage? as in hardware, bandwidth etc?

just wondering[/quote]

I keep mine on DSL. Unless you are ready to deal with frequent DNS updates you need at least one static IP address.
I run mine on Intel PC, CentOS5, Apache, phpBB3, MySQL 5.

Also, you have many other options, like to host your computer on ISP premises (for faster speed); you may host it on their computer, or even you may use their DBMS and forum software.

I've have a DIY web server running php/mysql for a few years now on a dynamic IP address (cable connection). It has never been a problem yet, using a service like Dyndns.

It's a Mac G4 400.. Surprised that it's not dead yet as it's in a bad (hot) enviroment, and I have not turned it off since, maybe a few re-boots when installing new stuff.

Just got a new Mac G4 400 duel processor (with gigabit) to replace it.

I don't get much traffic at all on it but it's pretty good for what I use it for.

If you expect a lot of traffic, you might want to find someone with a server colo, and leave the rest to the pro's.

My home web server is an ancient IBM PS/1 (486SX33). It handles a load of several GB a month through a 3Mb/768kb DSL line just fine... Only static files though - no fancy PHP/CGI stuff. To run a forum, get something like an Athlon, a fast PIII or a VIA system - a DSL line (with a static IP) is still fine.

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

> whats required to host a forum like this

What the others said. For modern PHP/MySQL you want something more than 486-33, but a P-133 or VIA-800 is plenty. And you can't find a hard drive too small... reliability is the issue, not size.

Traffic: HeadWize used to go down the 29th of the month because he did reach his traffic cap, but that was a couple years back and I think most hosts give you a lot more bandwidth now. I don't recall what his cap was (I may not have known). That was both Forum and an extensive Library, I dunno what the traffic ratio was.

For 0-20 users at the same time, home DSL would be fine, even with the cheezy uplink throttle such accounts have. However you don't get a Fixed IP, which means a little scramble every time your ISP breaks your line to force a new IP on you. This and the uplink throttle are designed to make you buy a Commercial DSL account. In fact Verizon's latest ToS bans all servers on home DSL.

The phpBB website has links to hosts who can get you professionally set-up on a managed server for some modest monthly fee. If you have to ask, this may be the safest bet.

> a Mac G4 400.. Surprised that it's not dead yet as it's in a bad (hot) enviroment

We had a Lab full of G4 400s go through a summer with no A/C under a thin tin roof under a blazing sun. The building got so bad, I just didn't want to go in and shut them down. That was 4 years ago, all machines still run fine, though only two still in active service.

I have no traffic problems with DSL, except when after some concert at my home ppl start getting mp3 chunks...
You may be my tenant for the beginning sharing some expenses. Can't give you more than 50 GB though, unless you add your HDD.
I can configure you a virtual Apache and one more phpBB with your stuff, just register a domain name for your site.

> You may be my tenant for the beginning sharing some expenses.

The going rate seems to be Free with an ad on each page, $5/month w/o ads, on a managed machine where somebody else does all the tedious work (including the many-many patches that phpBB and MySQL tend to need).

If you like phpBB (the software this forum uses), put "phpBB Free Forum Hosting" in Google and see what you find. When you find something, Google their name and see how many complaints you find.

It is hardly worth dealing with friends when you can get it from strangers. If things don't work out, no regrets.

What kind of bandwidth does your DSL give you? Is it symmetrical?

I have DSL at home and it's painfully slow. If I want to watch a youtube video, I have to open it in a new window and wait forever for it to buffer. It's something stupid like 128k. The service provider can't make it any faster because the house is too far away from somthing.

The cable connection I have my server on is 8mb down, and 768k up. I still wish that the upload speed was better .

~B

[quote author="sonicmook56"]What kind of bandwidth does your DSL give you? Is it symmetrical?

[/quote]

You may take some mp3 from my site to measure...

I'm confused, why are we talking about using your own machine for something like this...does it not make farrrrrr more sense to pick up a cheap hosting package and let someone else handle the BS?

[quote author="Ptownkid"]I'm confused, why are we talking about using your own machine for something like this...does it not make farrrrrr more sense to pick up a cheap hosting package and let someone else handle the BS?[/quote]

Working in San Francisco I used my car despite of BART available... :grin:

i am

[quote author="lofi"]whats required to host a forum like this, with this sort of useage? as in hardware, bandwidth etc?

just wondering[/quote]

Hi Ian,

I bought my domain(s) and webspace from UK2.net, and downloaded the free software from phpBB.com. Seems to work just fine although you have to keep up with the upgrades to fight the spam.

Can't recall the costs but you can check out their current prices. Or your current domain may even be able to host it.

Stewart

I'm with siteground.com, and it was all of $6 a month for a lot of space, bandwidth, and excellent customer service.

have a look at www.streamline.net

cheap, fast and reliable.

[quote author="rob_gould"]have a look at www.streamline.net

cheap, fast and reliable.[/quote]

...and they deal with such problems:

Address 76.76.15.121 maps to unknown.carohosting.net, but this does not map back to the address - POSSIBLE BREAK-IN ATTEMPT! : 343 time(s)

> if uk based, it must be fool proof ...

I don't see why it must be based any particular place. This forum may sit in the eastern US (I'm not sure it does) but gets hits from everywhere in the world. It's been a long time since I had to queue-up to get a telnet or UUCP link to Germany. If your community is 99% UK, it may be marginally snappier if hosted on UK wires; but the way hosting-companies buy each other out, your local ISP may move/merge operations to Washington USA next month. If you get a paid host, it may be nice to get billed in your own pence, true.

> (i liked a bit of carol in my thread)

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=27782

Too distracting. Keep your T'internet issues in your own thread.

spoil sport :grin:

your right about the uk based bit though, and billing doesnt matter.

Thanks for your help

Iain