anuragbhatia.com !!!

Hey !!!

after working on Linux from some days just thought to put a review about Linux itself !!!

Starting with Linux is often quite complex for newbie’s.

Here’s a list of common troubles…

• Selecting distro
• Switching troubles like partitioning
• Hardware trouble - including non-supporting hardware & driver problems
• Installing Software….not as easy as .exe files in windows package called wine sorts out that problem + rpm packages also really easy to install
  
• Learning a little bit command line parameters

Since being Member of Team Granular selecting ditro was NO trouble at all.Offcource i selected our Granular for starting

Partitioing looks a bit complex but after backing up WHOLE data, its not that much difficult to give try
And help docs coming with distro’s really help ………

Hardware is always a trouble………most often non supporting sound cards create trouble, even i was having trouble with my ethernet card’s driver initially but in latest released its driver problem was solved.

Actually having driver still not able to install it was my trouble.After much struggle i gave up but later got that solved

Installing Software is a bit complex type task BUT package installers always make work easy + most of distro’s comes with already installed software’s which really saves time in installing in windows ….

So actually truly saying starting is a “bit” bitter !

but after having its setup………its really really better.It takes some time in sorting out some basic startup problems but later its really like fun, easy to use, highly stable OS

The excellent features i observed in Linux:

• Highly stable
• Much much more control over your PC
• Supports old hardware….even is wrking @ gr8 speed on my 600Mhz computer
• No hassle of maintaining anti virus, anti virus & other security software and its updates….
• Gr8 support from Forums……….actually i personally feel Linux has more support then Windows.Every trouble can be easily solved from that specific distro forum + many other open source communities.

And even many more……which you will observe when you will switch !!!

So finally speaking

Although switching to linux can prove to be a little hassle initially but truly saying it really deserves …….

The features of Linux are much much more the only thing it takes is intially time.

So what are you waiting for ……….start !!!

So if you come here from any search engine……….then you must be trying to do that !!!

>>> Hosting Site from home !!! <<<

A few days back i just thought to host a few things from home……specific reason to do that was to save time in uploading files like songs, some cool software’s etc to share with friends.
+ve’s

1. saves time in uploading things !
2. saves hosting fees
3. much control in hand type feeling !
4. my ISP offers 2am to 8am free net……so was free also for night !

so i started up……..

Things required

1. a domain name !
   No problem…….i already had anuragbhatia.com with me.
2. static ip or dynamic ip solution
   for this i tried 2 free dns hosts >>> sitelutions.com and editdns.net
   both worked fine………sitelutions has a bit complex type control panel….but great features…….but except one all its dynamic dns clients were chargeable……but editdns.net was good here.
3. a web server running on home system…….
   since i was trying all on windows….so i found KFWS as one of the greatest and easiest web server (supporting virtual hosting also….)
   Although for reliability……….Linux is ALWAYS the best…..but just to have a look and moreover for fun purpose i preferred windows.
4. Good Internet connection !!!
   #4 might look crazy but thats true !…….i mean to say you must have a decent enough High speed net connection. Say for just a simple plain site, having all pages less then 100KB and getting about 2-3 visitors a time, about 150kbps bandwidth is enough.But remember for purpose like file hosting (as it was in mine’s case……even MUCH more bandwidth is required !)

So finally doing some work !!!

1. Domain
   since i had domain……i just created a sub-zone under it at my dns host like home.anuragbhatia.com and gave it my homes (dynamic) ip.
2. Dynamic ip solution - i used sitelutions.com with dyndns…….and setting up was really easy……..all done within 10mins.
3. As stated i used KFWS and installing it took a little struggle as IIS 6.0 was already wrking on port 80 by default………(its windows….remember ??? )
4. Bandwidth - NOW came a serious problem !!!
   Actually i have a 2Mbps ADSL connection from BSNL !
5. Read carefully its an ADSL connection meaning - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber line. Asymmetric makes it really complex….it means the asymmetric nature of upload and download speed.e.g here i do get downloading speed of 400-500KBps but i was hardly getting upload speed of 60-70KBps……….although that was fine for a simple site…….BUT since i was just hosting sites…….this method failed as for having 10 visitors………each visitor downloading a 5MB file……so finally there were getting ONLY 10KBps download speed (even some less…).So one must be sure about uplink speed of ISP especially in ADSL case.
   
   

So although my mission to host files from home failed but i do concluded…

• Its is for simple plain site with less bandwith usage
• file hosting is FULLY wasteful as per considering low uplinks of home plans.
• reliablity is very less as single ISP trouble …….site down !
• System becomes more vunarable to creatures like DDoS attacks !
• Keeping system always up also creates cooling problems…….specially in country like here in India…..it really matters.
• Database accessing on home system is always slow……so again its for simple sites ……….less use of database etc !
• Data loss is also a problem.A home user has options like backing up data on optical storage…….that too is to be done everyday…..and in between doing that system becomes quite slow….
• Moreover a more trouble is in developing countries like India we don’t have always on power supply & home ups ONLY gives 20-25 mins backup when monitor is turned off !

Experience with a cheap web host…

on the other side i found many good things in using a cheap web host like

• No slow speed issues…….people can download files uploaded @speed of 300-400KBps and that didn’t seemed to be changing when i was having 15+ users downloading that file…..
• Reliability was high………….as i got 99.9% uptime guarantee thus something sweet
• Security attacks their problem !
• Data base access high speed as they are actually “servers”
• Data loss NO Problem……..as the web host does backup daily

So summarizing facts !

Hosting a site from home is useful ONLY for personal sites or the sites which really consume less bandwidth, cpu usage, not critical as per reliability & moreover when its required only for a few days……

Its much better to have all these features deducted @low costs…..e.g i found a cheap host charging just $12/yr giving 2GB space and 110GB/mon bandwidth.

Take a look at it >>> Click Here <<<

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