Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers FAQ

  How do I set up my server?
  How do I access my server?
  Can I install my own software?
  What will SecureWebs do without me buying a support contract?
  Are FrontPage Extensions included?
  What is the difference between the 5 and Unlimited Authenticated User Licenses?
  Can I do streaming audio and/or video with Windows 2000 Server?
  Is there a book that can teach me how to be a good Win2K System Administrator?
  Enabling SMTP on Win2K
  FTP Server
  Why does my application run on my workstation but not the dedicated server?

How do I set up my server? - TOP
Visit Getting Started with your Windows 2000 Dedicated Server.
 

How do I access my server? - TOP
All of our Dedicated Servers with Windows 2000 Server give you full Administrator access. We recommend using the free Microsoft program Windows Remote Desktop Connection.

Windows Remote Desktop Connection is an updated version of Terminal Services, and allows you to view the desktop of your server on your local PC screen, just as if you were sitting in front of your server. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. You may already have the program installed at:

Start -> Programs -> Accessories ->
Communications -> Remote Desktop Connection

(If it is not installed on your computer, you can download it here).

Simply run the program, type in the IP address of your server, and log in to view your server as if you were right beside it, as pictured:

After you log in, the Remote Desktop will open. RDC allows you to view the desktop of your server on your local PC, as if you were sitting in front of it. From here, you can perform administration duties.  For more help with Remote Desktop Connection, see this extensive guide
 

Can I install my own software? - TOP
You have full Administrator access to your server. If you already own a license to a program such as SQL Server 2000, you are more than welcome install it on your server. Simply download the installer to your server over the Internet, and run it locally on your server to install. For many programs such as SQL, you can request a free install from our experience support staff.  Simply write them at "support@securewebs.com" and include your license number with the request. 

What will SecureWebs do without me buying a support contract? - TOP
Place CD-ROM's in your tray, reboot during most "day-light" hours, advise you on the operations of your server including the quick fix that does not justify a support ticket, installing some standard and familiar software, fixing any hardware related issues,  etc.   It is important to understand our competitive prices on servers is partly due to the fact that we don't include daily server administrators activities in your rental price.  However, you will find our server farm attitude on support (as opposed to just co-locating your equipment at a data center) may be all that is required.  We are on-call 24/7 should you need us even if you don't have a support contract.  Please do consider at least a Standard Support Contract for $95 per month if you do not feel confident in your abilities to administer your own server.

Are FrontPage Extensions included? - TOP
Microsoft FrontPage extensions are not installed by default, but they can be easily downloaded and installed if you or your clients want to take advantage of the FrontPage integration into Windows.
I want to run ASP sites, do I need Windows to do that?
ASP (active server page) is a proprietary Microsoft technology for building dynamic web sites. While it is possible to run ASP sites on Linux, you need special software that often carries additional licensing costs. In general, we recommend that ASP sites be hosted on Windows servers for maximum performance and compatibility.

What is the difference between the 5 and Unlimited Authenticated User Licenses? - TOP
The standard Windows 2000 Server license on our servers is a 5 authenticated user license. This refers to users who need to log into the server, not users of content hosted there (you can have millions of web site visitors, FTP users, etc.). Microsoft licensing requires that an Unlimited Authenticated User license be purchased for applications that require more than 5 authenticated users. These applications are typically file, print, active directory or terminal services servers. The vast majority of SecureWebs customers only need the $49/month 5 user license. For more information, please contact us.

Can I do streaming audio and/or video with Windows 2000 Server? - TOP
Yes, Windows is an excellent and easy-to-use platform for streaming media. Windows Media Player is the leading streaming media player for PCs, and all SecureWebs servers include Windows Media Server. The Windows Media server components consist of the Windows Media component services and Windows Media Administrator. The Windows Media component services broadcast audio and video content via unicast and multicast to clients. The component services are the Windows Media Monitor, Program, Station, and Unicast services. Windows Media Administrator is a set of Web pages that manages the Windows Media component services, and allows you to control the local server or attach to and control one or more remote Windows Media servers.

Is there a book that can teach me how to be a good Win2K System Administrator? - TOP
Not that we know of - which does not mean there isn't one.  If you find one please let us know.  Generally books of this kind contain about 10% of the information you need to focus on.  There are the links previously given for the Microsoft site - but no one link that has it all.

SMTP Server - TOP
If you decide to use the SMTP service in Windows 2000, it is important that you disable relaying. Relaying is used by spammers to use your server to send tens of thousands of email messages through your server, hiding the true source of the unsolicited e-mails. In order to disable relaying, in Internet Information Services, right click “Default SMTP Virtual Server” and click “Properties.” Select the “Access” tab, click the “Relay” button, and select the “Only the list below” radio button. You do not need to add any domains to the “Computers:” list. Click “OK” to close that window. Click OK again to close the “Properties” window. However, if you are not going to use the SMTP Server that is installed with Windows 2000, disable this service. In order to stop the service, right click the SMTP Virtual Server, and click “Stop.”

FTP Server - TOP
In order to create an FTP site, perform the following steps:

Click on “Action” located on the top left of the window, click “New” and click “FTP Site.”   This will open a wizard. Click “Next.”

Provide a description of your ftp site. For example, ftp.securewebs.com. Click “Next.”

In the “IP Address and Port Settings” section, click the drop-down menu under “Enter the IP address to use for this FTP site” and select the IP address you want to use for your ftp site. (Note: Do not use the VLAN IP address for your ftp site). You do not have to modify the port number. The default TCP port for FTP is 21. Click “Next.”

Now you must choose the hard drive location of the files you want to publish on your FTP server. Click “Browse” to select the location. After, click “Next.”

The next window that appears is “File Site Access Permissions.” The two choices are Read and Write. Select “Read” only, if you want to allow users to only view and download files on your FTP server. Select “Write” if you want to allow users to upload files to your server. If required, both can be selected. After selecting the permissions, click “Next.”

Click “Finish” to complete the wizard.

For security purposes, it is essential to disable anonymous ftp. In order to disable this feature, right click your ftp site and click “Properties.” Under the “Security Accounts” tab, uncheck “Allow Anonymous Connections.” This will force all users who want to access your ftp site to enter a valid username and password.

Why does my application run on my workstation but not the dedicated server? - TOP
 
Most of the time, this is a simple path issue.  On a hosted server, the path is usually c:\inetpub\wwwroot\domainname\files.ext
In your office, the path is typically c:\inetpub\wwwroot\files.ext
 
In some instances, particularly .NET applications, another execution may need to be run in order for the system to find and locate the necessary system interface with your program files.  If you search for a program called aspnet_regiis on your hard drive, you can run it bye will need to get a command line, and type in aspnet_regiis -c.    The tool can also be used to display the status of all installed versions of ASP.NET, register the associated version of ASP.NET, create client-script directories, and perform other configuration operations.  At that time, the system will search for all dot net folders that do not contain the necessary files or associations, and create them.
 

  Visit Microsoft TechNet for more Top Knowledge Base Articles

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