Home Server
Since the start in 2003, not only this site has changed a lot, but also the technical possibilities when hosting a website.
Originally I started with a small webspace, later I rented a virtual server with Plesk, and today I run the website in simple Docker containers.
Today there are certainly much more options for running a website than back then, which on the one hand simplifies the operation on the other hand there are also new requirements for a website today. However, the topics described here are not only relevant for operators of a website, but also when publishing web services from the home network. For example, to share photos, videos, documents and other folders via your own private cloud, or to be able to monitor and control your own home while on the move: SmartHome.
Cheap and economical Docker Mini Server for home use
If you want to run a small server at home, you need hardware with low power consumption and still enough performance. Currently, I use a self-built NAS for the operation of my Docker containers. The hardware serves as network storage and at the same time as a platform for running my Docker containers. To optimize the setup, it would be better to separate the two tasks and run the server services on their own hardware. Since the data on a single device it not secure anyway, a NAS could additional... ... continue reading
Make it available from the Internet: Port Forwarding - OpenWrt
Port forwarding can be used to publish computers in your own network on the Internet and thus make them accessible from the Internet. Anyone who uses a WLAN router for their home network to connect to the Internet has most likely set up a NAT (Network Address Translation) on it, either consciously or unconsciously. This means that the internal devices use private IP addresses and connect to the Internet via a common public IP address. To enable a connection from the Internet to a specific comput... ... continue reading
Free DynDNS service - access with changing public IP.
Anyone who wants to access a private network from the Internet may need a DynDNS service (dynamic DNS, DynDNS or DDNS) for this purpose. If the Internet provider assigns a different IP address for each connection, a DynDNS service can react to this and enable access via a constant DNS name. ... continue reading
Website construction kit vs. web space or your own web server?
If you want to operate a website yourself, you have more than one option for it nowadays. In addition to a simple HTML page, various programming languages, frameworks or content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla or Typo3 or other webservices can be used. In addition, there are various providers of so-called website construction kits on the Internet, with which even laymen can quickly click together a website. ... continue reading
Missing wp-admin? Why this site doesn't use WordPress.
In the logs of my web server I see again and again access attempts to /wp-admin, the path WordPress uses for its administration. Whoever tries to log in to the site with wp-admin: You can forget it: This site doesn't use WordPress at all! ... continue reading
secure https connection: Traefik Reverse Proxy + Let's Encrypt
Ready-made Docker containers are available for almost all known web systems, or they can be created relatively easily or existing containers can be adapted. As Docker containers, the web services can be installed and operated very easily. Anyone publishing a web service over the Internet should definitely offer an encrypted connection (SSL) for this today. To control access to one or more containers, a reverse proxy with free Let's Encrypt certificates can be used for SSL offloading, see also: o... ... continue reading
Traefik: Forward traffic to another server
In preparation for moving my websites, I was looking for a way to simply forward all traffic from the old server to the new one. ... continue reading
Nginx-LetsEncrypt reverse proxy in practice
In addition to Traefk, the Nginx Proxy Automation project can be used to run multiple web services with corresponding SSL certificates on one server . The setup involves several Docker containers that together provide an Nginx reverse proxy including certificate management and SSL offloading. Once the containers are started via Docker Compose, they take care of serving multiple websites over a common IP and its certificate management: for issuing certificates for new containers and renewing the... ... continue reading
Docker vs. Plesk, an alternative for running websites
For years I ran my websites on a vServer from Hosteurope and managed them with the help of Plesk. Although Plesk has always served me well, especially when switching from one server to another, the environment on the new server was never the same and there was always something to rework, even if it was just installing all the necessary software packages. ... continue reading
Provider change HostEurope vs Hetzner, vServer vs Cloud Server
Until now, I had mainly used HostEurope as an Internet provider for my websites. In addition to the vServers, I have also gained experience with the classic web hosting (Webpack). I was a loyal customer of Hosteurope for many years, but I will slowly move my services, the reasons for this I have briefly mentioned here: ... continue reading
Moving web servers with Docker containers, theory and practice
Anyone who rents a virtual server or cloud server has to replace it for a new operating system from time to time. At the latest, when updates are no longer provided for the operating system, a server change is inevitable. Some time ago, I switched all websites to Docker containers, which should speed up the move. First, some theory on my thinking, then how my server move went last time. Additionally, I created a video about my last server move, see YouTube video. If you want to skip the the... ... continue reading
WordPress in Docker incl. HTTPS Let's Encrypt setup
The currently most widespread blogging software WordPress can be operated easily and cost-effectively in Docker containers, among other things. A virtual server or cloud server from a well-known hosting provider can be used as a server, see also: Provider change HostEurope vs Hetzner, vServer vs Cloud Server. If you are not afraid of running your own web server, you can use the setup presented here torun one or more WordPress sites onit, including a free https certificate. The cost of a virtual... ... continue reading
Monitor websites with Uptime Kuma
Uptime Kuma makes it quick and easy to set up monitoring for various websites. The available monitor types range from a simple ping, to a port check, to monitoring specific services: ... continue reading
Visitor statistics: Matomo, Google Analytic replacement self-hosting
For those who already use Docker, the open source web analytics software Matomo to easily collect and analyze visitor statistics for their own websites. Unlike Google Analytics, this does not allow the data to be sent to a cloud service, but rather collected on your own self-hosted server. ... continue reading
Domain transfer Hosteurope to Hetzner - Provider change
Some time has passed since my last domain transfer to another provider. Back in 2003, I had - and this is no joke - sent a form by fax for the transfer. Today the domain can be started simply by a domain release at the original provider. The original provider provides an AUTH-Code (AUTHINFO), a kind of password with which the domain can be taken over by the new provider. ... continue reading
Docker Container GUI graphical web interface with Portainer
Originally, I managed Docker purely via the command line, which is already very simple with a few simple commands. Portainer provides even more overview and a comfortable admin interface. Portainer itself can also be started as a Docker container and makes managing Docker containers a breeze. ... continue reading
Docker WebHook Daemon: simple hook server for bash scripts
Looking for a solution to be able to receive webhooks from certain systems and trigger certain actions, I came across a very simple Docker container. The container executes simple bash scripts, for this it is enough to specify the script name in the URL and pass appropriate variables via the webhooks. ... continue reading
Lean and fast GIT server, similar to GitHub (Docker)
Since GitLab requires a relatively large amount of memory and CPU, and is also relatively slow on my NAS, I replaced GitLab with Gitea. Gitea offers a similar web interface as GitHub, is much more economical than GitLab and is more responsive. Even though the feature set is not as high as GitLab, it is perfectly sufficient for most uses. ... continue reading
Self-hosting GIT repositories: launch GitLab as a Docker container
If you want to host your Git repositories yourself, GitLab is an alternative to GitHub. GitLab offers a convenient web interface for managing, editing and deploying Git projects. ... continue reading
Running Bitwarden in Docker - Setup step by step
Bitwarden is a web-based password manager, similar to LastPass, but open source and the ability to run (host) it yourself. How Bitwarden compares to other password managers, I have considered on the following page: Password Managers Secure? KeePass vs LastPass vs Bitwarden. Bitwarden consists of several services, which can be provided via different containers. The relatively complex setup has been simplified with "Bitwarden Unified" especially for self-hosting by packing all services into one co... ... continue reading
"Connection is secure" free SSL certificates: Let's Encrypt
Not so long ago you had to pay something for a SSL web server certificates, now there are providers who provide certificates for free and automated. I was surprised how easy it is ... ... continue reading
![Preview Nextcloud Server Docker | Setup + https: Let's Encrypt [ssl]](/storage/300x202/6273d03c721b0.webp)
Nextcloud Server Docker | Setup + https: Let's Encrypt [ssl]
To synchronize contacts, appointments, and photos of my NAS, I tested Nextcloud and thus turned my back on other cloud providers for my private data. Thanks to Docker, the installation is easier and more flexible than ever, allowing Nextcloud to run on almost any hardware. ... continue reading
Running Docker Mailserver yourself | a field report
With the help of a suitable Docker image, it is relatively easy to run a mail server yourself. I originally used the integrated mail server of the Host Europe vServer (Plesk) and came across a very simple Docker container while looking for a replacement. The lightweight container provides a mail server without a graphical management interface, but can be managed with a few simple commands. Any email client can be used to send and receive the mails, for this POP3 or IMAP is offered for receiving... ... continue reading
Website stress test - measure performance - load time
In the past, there have always been sites that have collapsed under the load of high traffic. Although my site has been coping well with the current traffic to date, I was curious to see how many concurrent visitors my web server could handle, so I put it through a performance test. ... continue reading
