i was wondering, i have a cable internet connection, not sure on the specs, but in general is cable fast enough to run a webserver off of?

i currently run a pretty active forum off of my hosting here, but id like to run it off of my home server, as well as possibly an IRC Server. what sort of connection should i have, and is cable generally fast enough? thanks.

I am sure that a cable connection would be pretty fast, but it would experience allot of Lag if there are allot of people on the site, but is you had T1 it would be better, you could try to run it off of your home server, but i think you will experience a bit of lag at all times.

Although Cable has the ability to go fast, it has its drawbacks. Unlike DSL, it's a shared media. Meaning, if your neighbor is connected to the same provider you're using, they can slow you down! You would require a connection that is consistent. I would recommend at least T3 (T1, i wouldn't think that's good enough).

One more thing, if you're planning on surfing the web, while at the same time you're hosting your site on the same computer, you'd be slowing down your visitors.

well then i spose some other sort of hosting would be better, thanks guys

Your server should also be fast enough to support the hosting of the forums and whatever else you're doing with it, in addition to your Net connection being able to keep up with the site.

Hosting your own server requires both upload and download speed. Most ISP will offer fast download speed but the upload speed, sometimes, is only a third of the download speed.

Furthermore, majority of ISP terms of service is that residential members will not host their own hosting service. If you ignore this contract your service will be terminated immediately and they may be reluctant to restore your service.

So first check with your ISP if you are allowed to host your own server. If everything goes right you can search our tutorial section for tips and tools for making your own hosting server.

In my opinion hosting your own server is not practical. Imagine your computer turned on 24/7/365.25 constantly--the electricity cost will be huge. If you're not paying for your electric bill help your parents not to spend more

And you have to maintain your server by yourself or with someone...and that's something I think I can do without, you know what I mean?

Good luck.

I'm running a small Bittorent Tracker and tempory staff file storage server from my house with Cable internet. It's not good for big file transfers, but it'll be okay if your only using it for a few people to access or for something small like a bittorent tracker or remote file access.

well, i run a pretty popular website, with upwards of 5-10 ppl online at most times, so i dont think that running my own server would be very practical. i think most of my users would be unhappy with a slowed down site ;o

Well I have seen quite a few sites hosted on home computers. One of the major disadvantages of hosting on a home computer is that it is often slow for visitors. For cable internet, the download speed is around 15Mbps but the upload speed is usually only about 2Mbps. If you plan to host rich content with large amounts of traffic, it is probably best to stick with a host like Trap17.
Also, there are many hidden costs with hosting at home. For example, you need to install your own "infrastructure", most importantly a reliable server. There are also other things such as php, apache (or similar server OS), myql etc. You also need to leave your home computer on 24/7 if you want a website that is accessible 24/7. You will also need your own domain name. Then there is the risk of hardware failure - what if your server dies? All your data is lost, unless you also invest in backup.
On the other hand, if you are willing to make these sacrifices, as well as investing in a connection with fast upload speeds, you are given MANY great customization options, and you are far more powerful with what you can do than if you host on any other servers.
All up, hosting at home gives you a lot of options and very few limitations, however you are alone with what you do. In some cases that's a good thing, in others it's not.