Host your own website (for Linksys router users)!

Well, when I got tired of crappy website hosters (10MB OF SPACE? COME ON!), decided to take action and find a way to host my own website. This only works with a Linksys router.

First, get the program called WWW File Share Pro. It is not freeware, but the only limitation is a nag screen. Install it. Now open a command prompt (Start > Run > type "cmd") Type "ipconfig" without the quotes. Hit enter. This will now give you a list. In this list, look for "IP Address". The number next to this should begin with 192. Write it down. Now open a web browser and type your default router address (usually 192.168.1.1). Type your username and password (if you did not set it, username=admin password=admin). Click "Applications & Gaming". Fill these boxes like this:

WWW File Share Pro
80
80
Both
192.168.1.*

Replace the * with the last number of the IP Address you wrote down earlier. Now create a folder that you will keep all of your files in. Run WWW File Share Pro. In the box that has asks for the folder, browse to the one you just made. Make sure the port is 80. Start up the server, close the nag screen, and your site is on the net. To see what you have to type in to get to the site, drop the local IP Address box and click the other option. A website will be brought up with another IP Address. Type this into any browser in the world to get your site.

There are advantages and disadvantages to making it this way.

Advantages
No storage limit
No file restrictions
No adding files to a web server like other hosting programs (just place them into the folder on your hard drive
No bandwidth limits

Disadvantages
Your computer must always be on
There must be an index.html file in every folder within the web folder
You have to remember the stupid long number (or get a .TK domain name for free from www.dot.tk)

Now go start your own website!

In order to make the job easier, here is a link to the WWW File Share web site: http://www.wfshome.com/

The biggest problem is that the only version (i could find) is a 'pro' version which is a 30 day trial.

Here's an even better part:

Odds are, you're violating your contract with your broadband host. You're not allowed to host your own website or domain. More often than not, not even your own FTP server. So.. this is (on most broadband connections in America) against the rules and could get your account terminated if they catch onto you (which they can if they notice alot of requests for a certain port on your IP).

Second, you're allowing people into your PC. O_o I'm not sure about you, but I'm not too keen on this idea. It may be "easier" and "nice", but you're still letting people into your PC to access your files, which leaves the chance for hacking. If you aren't a good network or sys admin, this can be a real problem. How would you like to not only have your website "owned", but your PC (and all your critical files) as well? Better yet, a trojan planted that records your passwords and other information and sends it off.

Just felt that people should know about this before blindly deciding to go open their PCs to the internet, and also start violating their contracts.

So you are saying that WWW File Share Pro is illegal? Technically, this is just exploiting a bug in the program by replacing the file list built into the program with a index.html file? If you browse to a folder while on the program (over the internet) and it contains a index.html or index.htm file, that will be displayed instead of the file list.

And to the other guy...the only files that may be messed with are the ones in the base folder you set in the program. For example, if you set "My Documents" as your base folder (without using it as a website), it is possible to browse to any file in that folder, or any folder in that folder, or any file in any folder in that folder and so on, but nothing above the base folder. And you can only see the files if you forget to put an index.html file in each folder within the base folder. Also, Norton Internet Security reads every file added to a PC as it is added, scans it for viruses/trojans, and deletes or repairs it if necessary. It also detects attacks on computers and displays a message if an attack is attempted. People have attempted to attack my PC through my Winamp server (yes I use browseamp, use port forward to stream it to the internet, and have version 5.12), but all attacks have failed.

BTW, I am not updating from 5.12 cause I like the buffer overflow found. Google it if curious.

o_O Yes.. and all that security is good. And you seem knowledgable about what you're doing here. But, I wanted to make sure other users know what they're risking and what they're getting into. Just because you understand the inherent risk doesn't mean everyone who reads this does. ^^ And that's all I really wished to point out.

AND, you didn't address the fact that hosting a website and serving files over an HTTP server is still considered a violation of your contract by most IPs.