Domain name help

Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hey everyone, first time poster here.

I'm trying to host a website using a power mac G4 (running Tiger)'s built in apache server. I purchased a domain name through GoDaddy.com, and I'm completely confused as to how I can get the website to appear on the domain name I purchased. I'm sure this is a basic web hosting question, but I'm a newb when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Do I need to use something like DynDNS, and transfer my domain name to them, or is there another way to do it? I apologize if this is an incredibly basic question, but I'm absolutely stumped.
 

Raz0rEdge

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
15,734
Reaction score
2,059
Points
113
Location
MA
Your Mac's Specs
2022 Mac Studio M1 Max, 2023 M2 MBA
THe way it works:

Domain name -> DNS server -> IP address -> Server..

So you have the 2 things on either end of this chain..you just need to link it all up, when you registered your domain with GoDaddy they probably set the Nameserver to their own and that just resolves the IP address to a parked page or something..

What you need is a custom DNS server so that you can grab the IP address of your Power Mac at home and put it in there. Then at GoDaddy, you'd point it to the this custom DNS server.

By default DynDNS doesn't allow you to use your own domain name, you have to use whatever they have..

However, DynDNS does provide custom DNS for $29.95/yr and you can follow this DynDNS.com - Services -- Custom DNS -- How-to to set it all up..

Regards
 
OP
G
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Oh! That makes sense! Thank you very much!

At first, I was going to ask "is there any way to do it for free," but that was because I read the price as "$30 per month". I think I'll upgrade my DynDNS account, because that sounds pretty simple.

Out of curiosity, though, is it possible to get a custom DNS server on one's own? How does that work?

Thanks again!
 

Raz0rEdge

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
15,734
Reaction score
2,059
Points
113
Location
MA
Your Mac's Specs
2022 Mac Studio M1 Max, 2023 M2 MBA
Setting up a DNS can definitely be done, but the problem that is that DNS's are heirarchical and form a tree..there's a root DNS at the top that's on the Internet backbone managed by ICANN..and then below that there are some high level servers managed by the big guns on the Internet..Akamai comes to mind..and I'm sure there are others..and then it keeps going down and down with more and more servers..

Eventaully your local ISP gets into the picture..

The way the DNS action works is that when you ask for a domain by name, that name is sent to your immediate DNS server..if that name can be resolved to an IP address there, the IP address is returned to you, if it can't be resolved, the name is sent up on level and the same action continues until you either get a resolved IP address back or you end up at the root DNS with no IP address and you get an error..

So if you wanted to setup an DNS for machines on your local network, that's definitely possible, but your ISP's DNS will not know about your DNS/computer name and as such will not make the linkage between domain name and IP address..

So the only really viable way to do this is to use services like DynDNS and having setup a DNS server in the past, believe me you DON'T want to mess with that beast..:)

Regards
 
OP
G
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Haha, I think I'll take your word for it!

There's so much about the internet that I don't know, and feel like I should have known beforehand. :D

Thanks again!
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top