Access to home server from outside?

Question

Computer networks

Good day!
There is such an idea, to make a server from an "old" PC, which was safely forgotten in the closet. Which leads to the question: What is the best way to raise a server for a beginner? And how to organize access to files on it via the Internet anywhere in our vast?
Please do not scold too much and help whoever can)

Answer 1

Above, they advise buying new hardware - I fundamentally disagree. When I raised my first server (at the age of 12), I used iron for 800 rubles and was happy, because at some point I completely killed it. Therefore, in the beginning it is better to experiment just on the old one.
As for the axis - choose what is in demand and what you want to learn. I would advise you to try debian 7/8 or ubuntu server, but this is my personal fetish, here, as they say, all markers are different. On the contrary, if you are doing it as part of experiments, you need to go into the thicket and do something that you have not done before in order to gain experience.
Access to files can be organized using a regular ssh server, you will need to install openssh or sshd on the server itself. This will give you control over the server through the console (which can be accessed from anywhere) and using scp (for windows, for example, winSCP, which, like a total commander, allows you to walk around the remote server).
And regarding the access itself - white ip Not required. If you are sitting behind NAT (there is a router that distributes the Internet, and the server is already clinging to it), then you should forward the ports on the router itself to the outside. And if you have a dynamic ip, you will also have to connect something like dyndns, since almost all modern routers have such a function. As a last resort, you can make the Internet distributor - the server itself (as I did).

Answer 2

Six months ago, I thought about this issue myself. Raised a server on Debian, accessed files through Samba, also installed a torrent client, dlna server, etc. on it. The server is located behind the router, remote access is carried out by connecting to the internal network via OpenVPN by key. This method was chosen due to additional encryption (very useful when using public wi-fi) and traffic compression (3g).

Answer 3

If you are completely new, then on Windows. If you want to develop and gain experience, then Linux. The easiest OS to learn is Debian.
You start the service you need on the server, forward the port to it on the router and that's it - this service looks at the Internet.

Answer 4

Implemented this on Windows + fastened the domain.
I did it on OpenServer, in the router settings I gave this HOST a permanent local IP, I did port forwarding, and I simply attached the domain through the A record (subdomains as well), and in the OpenServer settings I specified the alias domen.ru > folder_with_site. I attached the domain to cloudflare and as a result, the full site and even on my computer.

Answer 5

And how to organize access to files on it via the Internet anywhere in our vast?

For reading or for writing? In the first case, a web server is sufficient, in the second, ftp is more convenient. But in any of these situations, for your purposes, it is much more profitable (at least in terms of power supply) to use Yandex disk, Google drive, drop box, or simply connect an external hard drive to the router.