DNS Setup

Okay, I'm new to DNS and webhosting all together, but I'm dieing to get started. I would like to host my website from computer. I have a DSL internet connect, windows XP, Apache 2 installed but not as functional as it should be, and a registered dot com name. Here's the scenario, I was hosted by a company, now I want to host myself, how do I make the change?

You need to download a DNS server. I use BIND, but I'm sure other people here would like to advertise other servers. You may go for microsoft's server as well. Just know that BIND is free, open source, and easy to use (in my opinion), and the most popular server out there.

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/bind9.html

run it, create a zone file. Ask for help/read references as needed. Once it is setup. You need a registrar to list your domain. You tell the registrar the domain, and the DNS server(s) that host it.

this is what i am doing don't know if it's best or not but works pretty good for me .
first of all since you have a DSL service you need to either get a Static IP address (usually ISPs offer them for extra $15 a month or so) or you can get some software which keep tracks of your dynamic IP addres. i personaly use dns2go (dns2go.com) when i got it it was free and now they charge like $20 per year but i am sure you can find free and cheap ones(i think no-ip.com is free). any way once you have either a static IP address or have software to make it look like static then your computer is online and visble to rest of the word and you can make your dns name point to you home computer.
now you need a webserver unfortunatly i don't know much abt other servers so far i only used IIS and i like it very easy and thing i like about it most is that since it comes with your windows (prof version and servers) so you can use windoes authentication which i think is more secure. well that should do it you can do other cool stuff too like ftp serve mp3 server and terminal services(remotly accessing u computer kind of same like pc anywhere) and much more.
let me know if u need more explantion on any of the above things i mentiond.

all the best
Adeel

hmm...sounds a lot like what im trying to do; except that have Cable, Win Server 2003 and using IIS, and so probably MS DNS as well.

adeelchaudry: you mentioned "mp3 server". how does that work???
It's just like a huge file server that ppl can download from, or can they actually listen to streaming music??

hmm mp3 server i have it in ASP code which u can run on IIS. i will post the website address from where i got it. i has read me file with very easy to setup and modify. well about streaming then it looks like that it's streaming i-e it plays from the web page but it also downloads the mp3 files in internet temporary folder. i installed it so that i can enjoy my mp3 in my home comp at work.

URL for mp3 server in ASP