Knowledgebase Server Setup and Management Configuring IIS for Web Hosting on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Configuring IIS for Web Hosting on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Internet Information Services (IIS) is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server developed by Microsoft, designed to host websites, web applications, and services on Windows Server. IIS is known for its tight integration with the Windows operating system, providing robust support for ASP.NET and other web technologies. Here is a step by step guide on how to configure IIS for web hosting on a Windows server from Kamatera. 
 

Installing IIS on a Windows Server

 

  1. Open Server Manager

Click on the Start menu and select Server Manager.

  1. Click on Add roles and features.


 

  1. Click on Installation type and select Role-based or feature-based installation.


 
Click Next

  1. Select the Server

Ensure your server is selected from the server pool.


 
Click Next

  1. Select Web Server (IIS) check box.


 
Click Next.

  1. Click Add Features

  1. No additional features are needed for a basic setup, so click Next.

Web Server Role (IIS)

  1. Click Next on the Web Server Role (IIS) introduction page.


 

  1. Select Role Services

On the Role Services page, default settings are typically sufficient. Confirm with developers or DB administrators if additional services are needed. 

Click Next

  1. Confirm Installation Selections

Click Install to begin the installation process.

 

Configuring IIS

 

  1. Open Local Server

While IIS is installing, go to Local Server in Server Manager.

Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration for both administrators and users to avoid annoying pop-ups during testing. This should only be done in a test environment.


 

  1. Verify Installation

Once the installation is complete, return to the Dashboard and verify that IIS is listed and running.


 

  1. Test the IIS Default Page

Open Internet Explorer.

Choose Use recommended settings and click OK.


 

  1. Click OK

Type localhost in the address bar.

 

5. Click on Accept and download.

If you see the IIS welcome page, the installation is successful.

Note: Restart the system for errors.
 

DNS Configuration

To install and configure DNS, we need to install a static IP address.

  1. Go to Local Server.

 

  1. Go to Ethernet0 using Network Connections.

A new screen opens.

 


 
3. Set the following IP address – 193. 252. 116. 52


 
4. Click OK to open a new screen.

 

Select Close.

  1. Next, restart and choose the categorization from the drop-down menu.

 

 

  1. Select and click Continue. Then, log back into the server. 


 
7. Under the Server Manager, select Manage.

 

 

  1. Click on Add Roles and Features


 

  1. Click Next to proceed to the Installation Type section.
  2. Select Role-based or Feature-based Installation.

 

  1. Click Next to proceed to the Server Selection section.

Select the server from the server pool.

 

  1. Click Next.

A new screen will open.

 


 

  1. Select DNS Server from the checkbox; a new screen will pop up.

Ensure Include Management Tools checkbox is selected, then click Add Features.

  1. Click Next.


 
Skip adding any additional features and proceed by clicking Next.

On this page, you can read a summary of the DNS.

  1. Click Next.

 

Note: Be sure to check the box labeled “Restart the destination server or features automatically if required.”

After checking the box, a pop-up box will appear.

 

  1. Select “Yes” and proceed by clicking on “Install.”

The installation process will commence. Once it’s completed, click on “Close”.

  1. Then, navigate to Tools > DNS in Server Manager.

Expand your server’s Forward Lookup Zones and select your domain.

  1. Add a New Host (A) Record

Right-click in the zone and select New Host (A or AAAA).

 

 

  1. Click Add Host and confirm the success message.

 

Configuring the Default Website

 

  1. Go to Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  1. Expand your server node and click on Sites > Default Web Site. Right-click Default Web Site and select Explore to open the root folder.
  1. Create a Basic HTML Page

Delete the existing iisstart.htm and welcome.png files.

Open Notepad and create a basic HTML file. You can use this script:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>My First Web Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to My First Web Page</h1>
    <p>Thanks for checking it out.</p>
</body>
</html>

Save this file as index.html in the C:\<server name>\root folder.

  1. Set the Default Document

In IIS Manager, double-click Default Document.

Ensure index.html is in the list. If not, click Add… and type index.html.

  1. Test the new website

Go back to Internet Explorer, type localhost, and press Enter. Your new HTML page should appear.

  1. Final checks

Ensure DNS changes have propagated if using a domain.

  1. Test accessing the site using the domain name (e.g., www.yourdomain.com).

You now have a basic IIS web server set up and running on your Windows computer. We have provided the steps to cover installation, basic configuration, and testing to ensure your web server is operational. 

 

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