Running own servers

[Joshua Tinnin]

On Tue, Dec 21, 2004 at 10:59:51PM -0500, RL wrote:
> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 19:56:15 -0800, Joshua Tinnin <gamera at pacbell.net> wrote:
> > On Tue, Dec 21, 2004 at 10:24:17PM -0500, RL wrote:
> > > Hi. I currently have a cable modem, but I want to (if it's not too
> > > pricey) run my own servers including DNS server.  My cable provider
> > > currently doesn't offer static IPs so I have a dynamic.  How would I
> > > go about setting up my own DNS? Would I do it through the cable modem?
> > > Wouldn't I have to buy an IP block and be the authority for it? I'm a
> > > little lost. :)
> > 
> > You will have problems doing this unless you have a static IP. I don't
> > think any cable service offers that. You can run a DNS server on an
> > internal network in your case. It's also possible to run a dynamic IP
> > resolver service, like No-IP's (dns/noip), but that is far from perfect,
> > unless you're just doing this for testing. For any real-world purpose,
> > you really have to have a static IP and a fully-qualified hostname. I
> > have read of people running their own servers for everyday use using
> > something like No-IP, but if you're running a mail server, you will most
> > likely have to deal with mail being rejected because of blacklisting
> > (many ISPs block all major ISPs' dynamic blocks from sending to their
> > mail servers to prevent spam), as well as reverse dns problems. It can
> > work alright for a small website server setup for fun or testing, or
> > something that won't require complicated network protocols.
> 
> I just called my cable modem ISP (adelphia) and they said a static IP
> address is $130 per month!!!!!! Forget that!  Now what are my other
> options? I do have a dynDNS address for my dynamic IP, but I can't run
> a DNS server and do reverse DNS with that. :(

Well, that's news to me. I guess it was just a matter of time before
cable providers started offering static IP. Even so, you're probably
best off shopping around a bit, although you most likely won't find
anything that's $40/mo., but who knows? One advantage of going with a
smaller provider with a good reputation is that your IP won't be
blacklisted (or there is much less likelihood of it). One problem with
so many people running servers these days is that you don't know who to
trust, so whole IP blocks of major ISPs end up being blacklisted, and
not just the dynamic blocks, but this is more likely to happen if the
ISP is careless about spam. If you're going to go through with it and
spend the extra money, make sure to do some research and get a good IP
with a reputable company.

As for other options, you're kinda stuck with the problems of reverse
dns, except if your IP isn't released for a long time, but then you're
sort of gambling. Anyway, it's kind of a drag, I remember a time not
long ago when static IPs with shell accounts on dialup were cheap, but
now that so many people have broadband, you really have to pony up a bit
of extra cash to get your IP out of the swamp of IP blocks full of
zombied machines. But you can always do some testing on your own to see
what would work for you. 

- jt