I don't have a net server so the only way I can test is to give someone my IP address. If I have apache running will it protect me from any negative things that could be done with my IP?

First off, I've never heard of a "net server". Perhaps you mean a dns server. All that a DNS server does is automates the giving out of your IP; if you have a domain name, you can get an IP address from that. In addition, whenever you visit a web site, your IP address is revealed to that site. To protect your computer from nasties, you need a firewall, as apache won't do that stuff for you. For windows, you might want to investigate Zone Alarm.

Well then how do I get a DNS server? How much does it cost?

Oh, never mind, I'm not going to pay for a domain name. Ill just use a free homepage provider to set up a password protected mirror to my IP address. I can use PHP to automatically detect my IP address when I am online and redirect the user to it. When I am not online I can give them an error. Now the only problem is what free homepage providers let you use php scripts?

Currently the only free host that allows PHP scripts, that I know of is http://www.coolfreepages.com . F2S use to, but they will not be allowing free sites after febuary.

I am curious.... how will you get a PHP script to detect if your online? How will it know your IP address once you are online? Or will this script have more of its setup on your server, rather than the free site, making socket calls to the free site to tell it what is going on. Security is what is in question, so what is to stop, say me, from impersonating you, and posting a rather offensive website (hush gian!)? What is to say that I will not use this free site as a potencial gateway to your computer (I am already pondering ways to do it too)?

(Sorry about the tone of my email... was just posting in a flame war on gamedev.net)

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I would also like to apologise for my mind blipping and writting email instead of "post" (how did that sneak in?)

I could password protect the mirror on the free server, or would that not be enough?

> Security is what is in question, so what is to stop, say me, from impersonating you, and posting a rather offensive website (hush gian!)?

What?

CodeRed, Apache, on Unix is very secure... on windows it is "secure enough"... I have apache running 24/7 on Win2k, and it gives me no grief... As for a DNS "Name" server, if you are on Unix, learn something about Bind... I'm assuming you have a dynamic/dial-up IP, so you may have to investigate something special to publish your IP... if you have a static one, then it is no problem... you could even point a sub-domain to your IP address... like "http://ihavenofriends.expdev.net/" or "http://thereisnothingofactualworthhere.expdev.net/"...

*snickers at gian's wit*

I really don't see what the problem is here. Opening up a port 80 on your computer shouldn't be a security hazzle, and even more importantly.. CodeRed, there are noone who would find it worth their time and effort to hack into your computer, so stop being so paranoid.

When I meanted impersonating CodeRed, what I was thinking of doing was:

1: CodeRed mentioned getting a free host's account. When he was online, it would redirect to his computer.
2: I have too much time on my hands, so I could attempt to figure out what CodeRed is sending to that free host to tell it to redirect to his IP.
3: Once figuring out a way to get it to send to my IP instead of his, I could post a site, that because it looks to be CodeReds, I could impersonate him and wreak havoc on what people think of him, based on "his" site. Possible making what people thought was the content of his site extremely offensive.
4: I told gian to hush cause I envisioned him saying something like: "You would not need to impersonate him to make him look offensive."
5: CodeRed could do nothing about it, cause he does not actually own the domain.
6: I was guessing that he was not talking about using a free service such as homeip.net that will give him a domain name no matter what his IP is, cause he mentioned doing it in PHP.

There you have it. My strange allusion to impersonating CodeRed explain.

You would not need to impersonate him to make him look offensive.

Laugh if you must, but I got it working perfectly, whenever I am online you can access my apache server at CHollman82.ath.cx

"CodeRed could do nothing about it, cause he does not actually own the domain."

Okay, I could do so many things about it I'm not even going to bother to name them

Oh, and right now I'm not at home I'm at school so you won't be able to access it.

"http://ihavenofriends.expdev.net/" or "http://thereisnothingofactualworthhere.expdev.net/"..."

HAHAhaha... You may seem mature but every once in a while your 14 year old personality shows its true self

CodeRed, I don't know what strange 14 year olds you know, but that was relatively high brow....

CodeRed, Perhaps you should install an unpatched version of IIS on your machine, you know, install it and dont install the patches to stop against Code Red :P

lol :-)

My username is a referance to CodeRed mountain dew, my favorite drink.