Web hosting on Mac Server!

[jdaco6]

Hello, just wondering if any of you guys have any experience with Mac OSX Server and Web Hosting?

I am looking to host some Iweb sites which I currently host on Mobileme on my new Snow Leopard server instead. I have tried entering the address in the sites section of the server control panel but the dot never goes green and it just does not seem to work.

If you have any tips on this that would be great!

Also if any of you know if it is possible to change the Server's DNS address without re-installing the server that would also be amazing!

Thanks, hope you can help! Jdaco6

 

[calderone]

The status light does not turn green on its own, you have to start the service.

DNS is handled through Server Admin. You can modify, add or remove DNS records there.

May I suggest you read up on OS X Server? You can find documentation here:
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/resources/documentation.html

DNS information can be found in Network Services Administration

And the Web Server information can be in Web Services Administration

The basic steps are:

1. Add the site, define the host name, IP, port and location of the site folder
2. Start the Web service
3. Add a DNS record for the host name

 

[jdaco6]

The status light does not turn green on its own, you have to start the service.

DNS is handled through Server Admin. You can modify, add or remove DNS records there.

May I suggest you read up on OS X Server? You can find documentation here:
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/resources/documentation.html

DNS information can be found in Network Services Administration

And the Web Server information can be in Web Services Administration

The basic steps are:

1. Add the site, define the host name, IP, port and location of the site folder
2. Start the Web service
3. Add a DNS record for the host name

Thanks so much for this. I have now got the website hosting up and running, but I have not managed to find out how to change the physical address of the server e.g. the address where you get the mac osx server page.

If you know how to do this I would be so grateful. Jdaco6

 

[JGruber]

Thanks so much for this. I have now got the website hosting up and running, but I have not managed to find out how to change the physical address of the server e.g. the address where you get the mac osx server page.

If you know how to do this I would be so grateful. Jdaco6

Like the IP address of the server? Or the domain name?

 

[jdaco6]

Like the IP address of the server? Or the domain name?

The Domain Name.

 

[jdaco6]

Ok, seems to be a little bit of an issue with web hosting as well.

http://www.petersfieldhc.co.uk/

This website is pointing to my server's ip and it works great from anywhere on my network but when using anyone else's computer outside our own network it simply will not work.

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[JGruber]

Ok, seems to be a little bit of an issue with web hosting as well.

http://www.petersfieldhc.co.uk/

This website is pointing to my server's ip and it works great from anywhere on my network but when using anyone else's computer outside our own network it simply will not work.

Anyone got any suggestions?

In the web option on the server, where you click 'Sites', where it says 'Host Name' - that needs to be your website address.

 

[calderone]

You need a DNS record outside your network.

In other words, when someone outside your tries to go to website via the host name they have to query DNS servers on the internet.

If there is no record on the internet, then there is no way to find your server or website.

There are a few ways to do this. I already have an extensive post in another thread, so I will link you to that.

The only differences are the ports you need to forward, in this case the default web port is 80. If you are using SSL, then 443. And you can ignore the VPN section of that post.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/910460/

 

[jdaco6]

In the web option on the server, where you click 'Sites', where it says 'Host Name' - that needs to be your website address.

This has already been done, and there is an entry for the site above yet it still does not work.

Any ideas?

 

[jdaco6]

You need a DNS record outside your network.

In other words, when someone outside your tries to go to website via the host name they have to query DNS servers on the internet.

If there is no record on the internet, then there is no way to find your server or website.

There are a few ways to do this. I already have an extensive post in another thread, so I will link you to that.

The only differences are the ports you need to forward, in this case the default web port is 80. If you are using SSL, then 443. And you can ignore the VPN section of that post.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/910460/

I have a DNS record outside the network managed by https://www.123-reg.co.uk and yet it still does not seem to work.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Are you running the server yourself? If you are, your internet company may be blocking port 80, which is the default port for HTTP. I know Verizon DSL does this for home accounts outside of Philly, I can't speak for anywhere else.

 

[jdaco6]

Are you running the server yourself? If you are, your internet company may be blocking port 80, which is the default port for HTTP. I know Verizon DSL does this for home accounts outside of Philly, I can't speak for anywhere else.

I am running myself yes wit the Virgin Media 50MB Package and they are not blocking port 80. I am using a Airport Extreme how do I ensure that it is not blocking port 80. I have followed the instructions on the other thread and it does not appear in the list, but I do have access to it via airport utility.

Thanks

 

[calderone]

I am running myself yes wit the Virgin Media 50MB Package and they are not blocking port 80. I am using a Airport Extreme how do I ensure that it is not blocking port 80. I have followed the instructions on the other thread and it does not appear in the list, but I do have access to it via airport utility.

Thanks

By following the port forwarding instructions I gave.

It isn't so much that the AEBS is blocking port 80, it simply doesn't know what to do with the traffic. You need to forward traffic coming in on port 80 to your local server. The instructions will help you do that.

 

[jdaco6]

By following the port forwarding instructions I gave.

It isn't so much that the AEBS is blocking port 80, it simply doesn't know what to do with the traffic. You need to forward traffic coming in on port 80 to your local server. The instructions will help you do that.

As I said I have tried to do that but in the server the Airport is not seen in the security section.

Sorry if I am being stupid.

 

[calderone]

You will have to do it manually then.

1. Open Airport Utility
2. Double-click the router on the left to configure it manually
3. Click on the "Advanced" gear at the top
4. Click the "Port Mapping" tab
5. Click the "+" at the toward the bottom of the window
6. Enter the following:

Public UDP Ports(s):
Public TCP Port(s): 80, 443
Private IP Address: IP Address of your server
Private UDP Port(s):
Private TCP Port(s): 80, 443 (unless you are using different ports)

443 isn't necessary unless you are using SSL. But if you want SSL, 443 is what you want to forward.

7. Click continue
8. Enter a description (like the host name of website or something)
9. Click Done
10. Click Update to apply the changes

That is it.

 

[jdaco6]

You will have to do it manually then.

1. Open Airport Utility
2. Double-click the router on the left to configure it manually
3. Click on the "Advanced" gear at the top
4. Click the "Port Mapping" tab
5. Click the "+" at the toward the bottom of the window
6. Enter the following:

Public UDP Ports(s):
Public TCP Port(s): 80, 443
Private IP Address: IP Address of your server
Private UDP Port(s):
Private TCP Port(s): 80, 443 (unless you are using different ports)

443 isn't necessary unless you are using SSL. But if you want SSL, 443 is what you want to forward.

7. Click continue
8. Enter a description (like the host name of website or something)
9. Click Done
10. Click Update to apply the changes

That is it.

Thanks for this, managed to do this with ease! Annoyingly the site appears to still be dead when I test it from an outside computer with the message HTTP Error 404: Gateway Timeout.

 

[calderone]

Try restarting the web server.

 

[jdaco6]

One last question!

Solved the Web Host problem! Seemed it was going through too many Network hubs so moved it and it's now working great! Thanks for all your help those who replied you have really helped me solve this! Thanks guys.

One last thing though, when I set up the server it asked for a server address I entered an address but I really want to change it, is there any way I can change the address of the server, by the address I mean the http://www.example.com address? I don't really want to do a reinstall now I have everything working!!

Help would be much appreciated thanks so much guys!

 

[calderone]

Review the Network Services guide I posted earlier.

You will have to change the DNS record for the server.

 

[jdaco6]

Review the Network Services guide I posted earlier.

You will have to change the DNS record for the server.

The thing is I can do all that change the DNS record so the server is accessible from the desired address but the server itself still thinks its running with the old domain so the wiki's still think they are at the old domain, the group mail address's still think they are at the old domain. Changing the DNS seems to not solve these problems. It's seems like every setting in the server is set to work with the old domain and changing all these would require a reinstall?

Anyway thanks so much for all your help with this!

As an example when I go about this server it still says DNS Name: the old one not the new address.

 

[JGruber]

The thing is I can do all that change the DNS record so the server is accessible from the desired address but the server itself still thinks its running with the old domain so the wiki's still think they are at the old domain, the group mail address's still think they are at the old domain. Changing the DNS seems to not solve these problems. It's seems like every setting in the server is set to work with the old domain and changing all these would require a reinstall?

Anyway thanks so much for all your help with this!

As an example when I go about this server it still says DNS Name: the old one not the new address.

Open terminal and run this command;
sudo changeip -checkhostname

Paste the results here.