Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Who? Pt 1

Yeah, yeah, it's been a year or two now I think.  But, I've started helping someone by email with a hosting solution migration and figured since I was typing it all I'd share and enjoy...

This article provides a fairly simple walkthrough of the tools available to provide an internet presence.  A domain name with associated web, mail and other services.   If you're an individual, company, club, whatever. 

We will be making use of Google Apps.  A free service centered around your domain name(s) that provides a lot of tools like free email hosting with the gmail application.

So, if you're tired of your ISP deciding what your email address is.  If you want to post your own content your own way.  If you want to make your documents, pictures and files truly mobile and you've got $20 a year to cover the services let's get started...

1 - Register a domain name.

ISP's provide dns,mail and web hosting services.  This is typically a paid account.  We will move mail (google) and other hosted services up to other providers as part of this project but you still need to pay someone to keep your name registered and alive on the internet.  

If you already own your domain name you will need to figure out how to access your DNS management for the domain name, usually a username/password at the providers site.  

Google does proivde this service for $10/year/domain.  I prefer to use a 3rd party ISP for DNS pointers and when you register an account you may get free mail, web hosting and ftp services.  We can configure these services as a backup service for most of the things we're moving up to Google in case they decide you're evil or they have a major snafu.

ISP's will provide this service for between $6 and $20 a year.  Most ISP's provide some additional services regarding privacy and multiple-domain management gratis or for an additional charge.  Shop around.

I recommend www.domainsecure.com - they provide low priced basic services with a good management interface.

Once you've got a domain name registered it's on to:


2) Google Accounts

If you don't have a google account you will need one.  It's the best way to manage a google apps account.  It's kind of complicated but information is  widely available.  Do a little reading before you start picking names though.  

Kinds of Google Accounts:
Setup a Free Standard Google Apps Account:
http://www.google.com/a/cpanel/domain/new - We can upgrade to a higher account grade later if you need the extra space/services.


Once you get your name registered and a server out there in some ISP's closet providing name services we're ready to move on.  In order to setup our domain on Google Apps we will need to be able to configure some name records on the server.  Google provides good documentation on doing this.  

Overall it is easier to just register with google than muck with this stuff but in the real world you need to firewall your relationship with your service providers.

Stay tuned