[Windows] Using IIS to host your website

Giedrius

In this article we will explain how to install IIS (Internet Information Services) on our Windows VPS servers and host your first website. In order to do so you have to have a Windows VPS server (any version of 2008 or 2012 is fine) and be connected to it.

Installing IIS to your server.

1. Open a Server Manager and choose Dashboard on the left (1st picture);
2. Press Add roles and features;
3. Press Next;
4. Choose Role-based or feature-based installation and press Next;
5. Choose Select a server from the server pool and press Next;
6. From the list, mark the check-box at the Web Server (IIS) and press Next (2nd picture);
7. The next list provides you with some more feature, you should only choose them if you need and then press Next;
8. Press Install and after it finishes press Close.

1. Server Manager

2. Choosing to install Werb Server IIS

You have successfully installed IIS to your server. Now you may start hosting your first website with it.

Open IIS Interface:

1. Open Control Panel;
2. Choose Administrative Tools;
3. Choose Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager (3rd picture).

3. Selecting IIS service

Adding new website:

1. Right click on Sites and choose Add Website;
2. Fill the form as following
    a) Site name: your website name;
    b) Physical path: You should create and choose a folder which will have your website files;
    c) Type: depends on your website it can be http or https;
    d) IP address: by default it is All unassigned, however we would recommend to choose your server IP;
    e) Port: we would recommend using default port - 80;
    f) Host name: you should enter your website for example: time4vps.giedrius.com;
    g) When you entered all the information just press OK.

When you do all the following steps, you may check your website, but it should not be online by default. This is because your server needs additional configuration.

Server configuration:

Open server command line and enter the following commands:

netsh
http
add iplisten ipaddress=X.X.X.X
exit
iisreset

Where "X.X.X.X" your should enter your server's IP address. Check out the example in the picture.

4. Command line

You are all set, you may check your website online.

Collins

Should I use a registered domain name or I can use a custom domain name right there and then?

Ievaz

Hello Collins,

you should use a valid domain that is registered somewhere and has valid DNS records.

DreamingCode

@Collins said:
Should I use a registered domain name or I can use a custom domain name right there and then?

Buy Domian name, then Point it's DNS settings to server public IP
Then you to add your website on IIS and then update bindings on IIS for that website.