Looking for some advice on setting up a small home server. I’m aiming to host a personal site, kind of like a CV, and another site that a few friends and I could use to advertise our services. Both would have limited traffic (probably under 1000 visitors daily). I was thinking of hosting from a mini PC or maybe even a Raspberry Pi.
My biggest concern is security—I’d have to port forward on port 80, and I’ve heard that having SSH on port 22 could attract random attacks. I know hosting plans aren’t too expensive nowadays, but I’d like to learn the basics myself by setting this up at home. I just want to be sure I’m taking the right precautions so my family’s network stays safe.
@Leighton
Agreed! I used to run my own server from home years back. It was fun, but it’s just not worth it anymore. A VPS gives you more control, plus essential perks like DDoS protection and more reliable bandwidth.
Tracy said: @Leighton
Thanks for the advice. I’m still in the planning phase but will keep all this in mind when I decide on the setup. Appreciate the help!
People can get overly cautious about self-hosting. Opening port 80 isn’t a big deal as long as you keep your code secure. If you’re not running risky server-side code, you can manage just fine, even on something like a Raspberry Pi.
Hosting locally and on a VPS doesn’t differ much in terms of learning; you can gain similar experience with both setups.
For a simple setup, shared hosting is easiest. You get a private directory and resources on the host server, so you only focus on setting up the site itself. Great if you just need the site to be available without worrying about the tech behind it.
If you want hands-on learning about servers, a VPS will let you control the setup, pick your database, configure everything yourself. But with a VPS, you also don’t have to worry about residential ISP rules or home network issues.
A mixed approach can work too. Host your CV site on shared hosting and use a VPS for learning, just set up DNS to direct each to the right place.
If these sites are for business, renting a server is likely the way to go. Home connections don’t offer the same speed and reliability unless you have something like business-class fiber.
Learning about hosting is cool, but network security is complex. To keep your network safe, try learning the basics of network security. If you’re doing it for learning’s sake, start with recent books or tutorials.
Tracy said: @Bellamy
Yeah, I get that security is a huge topic, and I may not have enough time to go that deep right now!
That makes sense! You could start with basics like iptables and fail2ban, and look into using Debian for better security. Following guides will get you part of the way, but for full security, experience counts.
