Hosting your own website on ADSL

[20thCenturyBoy]

As I have a reasonable ADSL connection (512/128) I was thinking about hosting my own server rather than paying for a 3rd party. Obviously, there are disadvantages:

1. Slow uplink (but how much traffic do I expect?). Going to 1500/256 would help. On the other hand there is no charge for uploads.
2. Basically just a PC, so no fancy RAID or anything.
3. Power cuts etc at home
4. Needs to be constantly monitored and patched.

Actually that's probably enough to put me off doing it. Does anyone else do it? I like the idea of having complete control over the server, and I already have my own mail server at home which runs 24x7.

20thCB

[Valen]

There was a thread about this at the old forums:
http://www.indiegamer.com/archives/t-617.html

[Kai Backman]

It seems I answered in the old thread as well, but my advice has slightly changed. I'm a pretty experienced Linux admin myself, enough to set up a complete box with DNS/Mail/Apache/MySQL/ipchains without much pain. I did this initially as I wanted complete control like you...

However now .. Think hard about what you are trying to do. Selling games or running a server. I still have a dedicated server at Layeredtech for the website (custom e-commerce software) but everything else is outsources somewhere else. Yahoo does the mail and DNS, I use a 3rd party service for redudant backups etc.. I initially tought these services costed a lot, but now experience suggests that doing it yourself costs even more. If you aren't ready to pay for such a service, don't use it. You don't need it yet.

In your case, while you obviously seem to be starting out. Get a cheap standard webserver (no need for a dedicated), and use a service like Fileburst to host your files if the bandwidth isn't enough. This all takes you about an afternoon. Use the 6 months saved and make some games .. You'll have plenty of time to upgrade .. :)

[20thCenturyBoy]

In other words outsource everything that isn't core business, yes? I sound like my boss. I suspect that managing my own server, although initially enjoyable, would soon become a chore and you are right, it would take valuable time away from the activity of making/selling games.

20thCB

[tolik]

http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?p=6693

[Jim Buck]

20thCenturyBoy said it, but this "Joel on Software" article nails it:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000026.html