Winmag article

	Become the Server by Paul Heltzel (from Winmag.com)

•	Setting up your own web server is easy if you have a bit of computer savvy. The problem is your IP address, a series of numbers that identify your computer on the web. Unfortunately, yours is most likely dynamic, in other words, often changed by your ISP -- which makes your computer hard to find.

•	Enter TZO.com, which, for a yearly subscription price, offers to keep track of your IP address so you can use your PC as a mail or web server. TZO will take any domain name you choose and make sure your mail and web page requests arrive at your computer. I tested TZO's Premier Domain Name System Service ($59.95 a year), and found it very easy to install and run.

•	First, TZO takes over as your name server, the program that translates domain names (say, yourdomain.com) into IP addresses (example: 62.34.24.101). If you want to host your own domain name on your PC, you'll need to transfer your name service duties from the current holder, probably the company you registered the name with, to TZO. In my case, it took just a few minutes to do this at Register.com, although this process varies widely by registrar.

•	Set up is easy and is made simpler by good documentation on the TZO.com web site.

•	To get TZO up and running, I downloaded and installed a small client (just over a megabyte). I configured the client by choosing my connection type (cable modem) and creating a subdomain at TZO.com (mine is heltzel.TZO.com). Once the client is installed, it sends a data packet to a TZO computer every 5 to 10 minutes to identify your IP address.

•	I had to wait a day for the name service change to be recognized on the Web. Meanwhile, I installed Microsoft's Personal Web Server from the Windows 98 CD-ROM, and the ArGoSoft mail server, also free. Each installed as simply as most shareware, and in an afternoon, my PC was serving web pages and handling my e-mail. Those aren't the only uses. My computer can now be found at my domain for videoconferencing, making Net phone calls, or accessing my files remotely.

•	Despite a breezy installation and start-up, there are potential downsides to serving your own web pages. My PC is now open for business, and a talented hacker could potentially find a back door I'm not aware of. I use a software firewall, but TZO's ease of use may attract users whose Net security skills are minimal.

•	In addition, my service agreement with my cable modem provider doesn't specifically prohibit hosting commercial applications over my connection. Yours may have more strict requirements, so check it out if you're considering hosting a server on your PC.

•	All in all, TZO has been running for almost a month now, and I'm very pleased with both its hassle-free performance and the cost. I'm also glad to know who's in charge of my server--me--and I'm pretty customer friendly.