Hosting my Business Site - Please help the hosting noob

[InfectionZero]

Hello again everybody,
As suggested by root in my business thread, I want to purchase a .com domain and then host it from my home. I am completely retarded when it comes to hosting as I have no experience with it. So naturally, I have some questions.
1. I purchase a domain online, but who should I purchase through?
2. When I get the domain, how do I set it up so that traffic gets routed to my IP address?
3. When I get traffic routed to my IP address, how do I configure a Linux server? (if you don't know the answer, no worries, I'm a member of the Ubuntu forums as well)

If there's anything I missed from being so absolutely noobish in with hosting, please point it out, Thanks again for all your replies!

Edit: I found out how to configure the Linux server from the Ubuntu forums so that question is answered.

[og]

I have two recommendations for domain purchasing, Godaddy or 1&1.

I loathe 1&1's hosting control panel, but they DO offer free private domain registration with the purchase of a domain name. That is, when you buy the domain rights for the year (or however long) you get free privatization on the domain owner details, etc. Godaddy charges you a fee on top of the cost of the domain for however long you buy the name for, so while you can get a domain for $8-9 at 1&1 (as low as $6 for first time buyers) you'll pay that plus an additional $9 from Godaddy for privacy registration.

Setting up the domain to get it to the site is a simple matter of setting it up with your registar in their control panel using DNS entries that point to the servers via the domain name. Generally 24-48 hours later (sometimes way less) your domain name www.soandso.com will start working with the host you pick.

As for Linux servers, for anyone else who wants to know since you got the answer, they're just like Windows servers - you FTP in, upload / download, and for advanced things like SQL, there's generally a web based control panel to sort it out.

[InfectionZero]

Sorry but, again, noob with web hosting here... what's the whole privacy registration thing about?

[tom-knox]

Infectionzero, I recommend you buy through godaddy, there service is great i've bought dozens of names through them and never had a problem and their prices are good.

Regarding the routing web serves have what's known as DNS names, these are simple text strings that point the domain to the location on the server where the website is stored.

Once you get hold of a domain name, PM me and i can help you with everything else, i've got some space going on my server. It's got cPanel, it's quick, PHP, mySQL, fantastico, everything. I can help you set up name servers and get you started with your website.

Sorry but, again, noob with web hosting here... what's the whole privacy registration thing about?

When you buy a domain name ICANN requires there to be a record of your name, address and number on their database, and that this information be available to the public. Privacy registration means that godaddy will substitute their information in there so people can't see your details.

[InfectionZero]

Once you get hold of a domain name, PM me and i can help you with everything else, i've got some space going on my server. It's got cPanel, it's quick, PHP, mySQL, fantastico, everything. I can help you set up name servers and get you started with your website.

I have had several offers already so thank you to everyone who has offered help! I will be purchasing a domain name here shortly and starting work on the site.

When you buy a domain name ICANN requires there to be a record of your name, address and number on their database, and that this information be available to the public. Privacy registration means that godaddy will substitute their information in there so people can't see your details.

For a business though, wouldn't I want this information out there? Or is it so ridiculously hard to find that it wouldn't matter anyway and I would want to protect it from those who actually know how to find it?

[og]

No, most users who are savvy to that kind of thing can look it up, it's more for personal sites or users (like me!) who are paranoid about what kind of data is out there. When you go to register a domain for example, it might already be taken, so you look to see how has it, maybe you want to buy it from them, or just figure out if the expiration on the name is coming up soon - the user info will be in there, address, phone number, etc. If it's Private, it'll be a generic company tagline or something for each field. You can also just use sites like whois.net to look up owners of domain names, etc.

If you run a business out of your home, would you want that information online? That kind of thing. If you had a dedicated office where people could just show up, privacy isn't a big deal. But if you run it at home, and in the more than offhanded remote Saturn spouting a Troll fountain of youth possibility don't want someone coming up to your house while you're watching Desperate Housewives, then privacy registration might be worth it to you.