How to Host a Dedicated Online Server

A dedicated online server is a computer system that is used exclusively for serving some form of content or providing some resource over the Internet. This could be a Web server, file server, online game host, streaming media or any other shared resource available over the Internet. By properly configuring an ordinary computer with an Internet connection, it is transformed into a dedicated online server to provide resources to client computers that also have an Internet connection.

• 1

  Obtain an Internet connection that provides your customer premises equipment, or CPE, such as a network card or router, with a public IP address. Depending on your needs, this can be an ordinary home cable or DSL connection or a business dedicated, leased line.

• 2

  Connect the computer destined to be the dedicated online server either directly to the Internet connection or to a NAT router that is directly connected to the Internet connection.

• 3

  Select and configure the desired services to be hosted online. For example, if the dedicated online server is going to be used to stream media, configure the streaming media server software as necessary to provide the media desired.

• 4

  Open the appropriate ports in the dedicated online server's internal firewall for the types of services being provided. For example, if the dedicated online server is going to be hosting FTP services, ports 20 and 21 must be opened. If the computer is connected to a NAT router, the appropriate ports must be forwarded in the router's configuration.

• 5

  Test the provided services from a client computer. Connect to the dedicated online server's IP address with the appropriate software from the client computer. For example, if the dedicated online server is providing Web services, open a Web browser and enter the server's IP address in the address bar to test connectivity.