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Operating System: Windows 2000
Have you ever wanted to set up your own Web server without the hassle of outside Internet service providers, or test your Web site's functionality before you post it on the Internet? Are the users you support peppering you with questions about setting up their own Web sites? Do you need a push in the right direction to administer Web sites in Windows 2000? Practice using the combination of Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) server software and the Personal Web Manager software that configures IIS, and you'll get the practical knowledge you need to succeed in any of these situations. The price is right (free with Windows 2000 Professional) and the procedure is easy.
In this article, we'll go through the steps needed to set up your computer as a Web server. Then we'll show you how to create and display a home page on the server, and access the page using an IP address. Finally, we'll introduce you to some customization options to experiment with and administrative tasks to perform while using the Personal Web Manager.
Prerequisites
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), the software that turns your computer into a Web server, is not installed by default when you install Windows 2000 Professional. If the Personal Web Manager icon appears in the Administrative Tools control panel, as shown in Figure A, then IIS is already installed.
If the Personal Web Manager icon is not visible in the Administrative Tools control panel, you must install IIS (18.3 MB required for all options). To do so, open Control Panel and double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. In the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, click on the Add/Remove Windows Components icon. Follow the detailed, onscreen instructions to install IIS. The installation process creates folders for IIS Help files and IIS application files, as well as the Inetpub folder for your Web pages. Now you're ready to utilize IIS.
What can US do for you?
IIS lets you share Web pages (HTML files) over a local network or intranet. It also lets you test your Web pages before you upload them to your Web site. The IIS that comes with Windows 2000 Professional can host just one Web site and one FTP site. The...