wanna set up a active directory

does anyone know where to find a free site to host a domain name so that an active directory and domain can be used at home

No. If you want to use Active Directory I think you'll have to setup the Windows 2000/2003 servers yourself at home.

yeh i know and i got server 03 but i need an ip address to statically set and i was just wondering if there was a free site where i could get around this. truth is i did networking at school and want to set up a domain model.

On an internal local network you can set the Ip address of the server statically to anything you want. Just use something in the 192.168.0.x or 10.0.0.x subnets. For example, give it the IP address 192.168.0.1.

If you need to be able to access the server externally from the Internet, you can use a dynamic IP address assigned to you by your ISP. Look at services like no-ip.com and dyndns.com.

thanks for the quick response
if i did use an ip like 192.168.0.x and set it statically in the domain can i still dial up through my isp and and use ICS without compromise to the domain itself?

Yes that should be fine. As long as there is a firewall running protecting the Internet connection.

do u mean run a firewall to protect the internet connection from outside intrusion or do u mean keep it independant or conflict free from the domain ip (192. etc)
sorry dood i m a real beginner

The firewall is to protect the computers from external access through the Internet connection. The computer with the Internet connection will need a firewall installed on it, protecting only the Internet connection (not internal network connection). I wouldn't bother installing firewalls on the computers within the network - just on the Internet connection.