Uncertainties About Hosting my own DNS/Nameservers

[aero97one]

We are looking to host our own name servers and dns. I know the whole bandwidth thing is an issue, but we have enough to spare, we are on a OC143 connection (very expensive). I'm looking to host everything here within our offices. Is there anyway to do this, here is what we are using on the servers;

Operating Systems (All servers run)
Windows XP Service Pack 2
(4) 500GB Hard Drives
(3) 1GB Sticks of RAM

Web Server
(6) 500GB Hard Drives
(3) 1GB Sticks of RAM
(1) Apache 2.2.8
(1) PHP 5
(1) MySQL 5.1

We are also looking to host our own mail servers as well so that we can control that.

Please help us the best that you can. We would greatly appreciate it.

[edited by: Webwork at 12:17 pm (utc) on June 17, 2008]

[bwnbwn]

[google.com...]

You have a graet deal of reading to do and I would suggest since it looks like your kinda new to the whole thing bring someone in to help set up the whole process and you learn from him.

Setting up a mail server and maintaing one as well is a pain you know were
[google.com...]

These should help ya out as the question posted is just to broad and needs to be drilled down to to get the detailed help your gonna need.

I still suggest you bring in a qualified IT person to set the system up correctly as messing with DNS and mail servers without proper skills is a disaster waiting to happen and a hackers delight.

[aero97one]

we are on a very tight budget, and we can't afford to hire anyone else which is why I was wondering how to do it ourselves. Anything else you suggest? Programs? Network Tools?

[aero97one]

is there a program we can just install an route to the server and have it take care of everything? because we go live in less than 15 days, and time is of the escense.

[Webwork]

How strange, to report that "we go live in 15 days" and yet you're at a loss about DNS.

Have you visited a bookstore lately? I did, when I was getting started, and the books made me a bit more comfortable when it came to tinkering with servers and a bit less ineffective when it came to asking for assistance.

I suggest you start by visiting BN.com or Amazon.com and searching for books on your topic.

Frankly, I don't see this project succeeding "with your budgetary constraints" unless you are willing to invest the time in buying suitable tech books, reading the books, following their exercises and learning to do it yourself.

Also, keep in mind that many talented people are prepared to help people who first help themselves, but fewer people will be willing or have the time to "do it for you". In other words, show up in forums showing that you have struggled a bit yourself - read the books, did the exercises, ran tests, followed the instructions - and then, if you have some interesting problem to report that engages the minds of the bright helpful folk - they will ofen appear in numbers.

Struggle first. It's good for you. ;)

Plan B: Post your needs at any of the various websites that offer freelance workers for hire on a competitive bid basis: RentACoder, etc.

[edited by: Webwork at 3:42 pm (utc) on June 17, 2008]

[aero97one]

I've tried books about DNS and they seem to not help us or not be what we need. I just need to know if there is software out there that can be used to host a DNS/Nameserver and a mail server easily.