Web Server **Resolved**

I don't know if i've asked this before or if someone else has, i'm sure it's been asked, but i can't find it. Anyway, i want to host my own website. I've signed up for Yahoo! Domains and used their domain masked forwarding so i get http://www.xyz.com inseatd of http://1.2.3.4. But the problem is is that it always shows http://www.xyz.com and when you try to bookmark a page, the bookmark will take you straight to the first page.

Now when you sign up for webhosting your pages show up like: http://www.xyz.com and http://www.xyz.com/page.html.

So my real question is how does the webhost set it up to keep the domain name and not an IP address. Does anyone understand this and be able to explain to me how they do this. Is it some kind of DNS Server and can I set up my server to act this way.

I would love to learn how to do this to set up my own server or host

I can't really tell you the reason for it, but I can tell you that domain masking will always show only that domain name and never the path. It masks the entire web site. Its good in some security issues but other than that I've never really cared for it.

And if you think bookmarks are bad, try coding web pages that rely on cookies with a masked domain haha talk about a nightmare.

If you want a full path in the address bar, the only way I know to do it is to actually get a host. Or at least use something like www.no-ip.com to make your domain always point to the correct IP (this would make your computer act as the host).

But to answer your last question yes this has to do with the DNS Server and running your own DNS server is something I dont know about. I've never tried it and dont think its something that would be that simple. I'd assume you'd have to have a static IP address anyways which you probably dont have.

But like I say places like www.no-ip.com www.dns2go.com www.dyndns.com will dynamicaly update your dns entree to make a domain (www.xyz.com) point to your ip 1.2.3.4 instead of just masking it. They all cost a fee when you use your own domain but it usually isn't to expensive. I think dns2go is the most expensive at like 30 dollars a year for 1 domain.


EDIT:

I just had a thought when thinking about something and think I know a little more about hosting your own dns than I originally though. When you register a domain name you have to supply it a DNS server address unless the place you register automatically applies it to something for you (example ordering it through a hosting company and ordering a hosting plan at the same time.). I'm thinking if you had a dns server running on your computer with a static IP it would just be a matter of pointing it to your ip address (pretty sure any DNS Server software you install would help you through the process if you found some. Still not that helpful I know but might shed a little more light on it.

http://zoneedit.com/

Allows you to change the IP address your domain points to. It also allows you to have different sub-domains point to different IP addresses.

Thanks for your help steven, but i actually figured it out and haven't been able to post again till now. I just realized creating an A Record in the DNS Records on my Domain consuleDoes exactly what i want to do. I pointed it to my computer and 2 hours later, boom, exactly what i wanted. for each page i get www.xyz.com/pages/page.htm. Yes it was a pain for the scripts using cookies, and especially a pain using SSL Certificates (It just wouldn't match with the forwarding.). I don't have a static IP, but it is always the same as long as my cable doesn't go out(I've had the same IP for a year and a half). I wrote a proggy that updates my IP when it changes, and updates it using INET controls. I like that alot, don't really need a static IP;) .

Appreciate your help man, the info was still invaluable.
Thanks alot dude.