How To – Hosting Your Own WordPress BLOG

Pre-requisites:

  1. You need a Windows or OS X (i.e. Mac) computer
  2. Go to https://www.mamp.info/en/ to download MAMP ( a very good package bundled with MySQL and PHP ), download the appropriate OS X or Windows version and simply install it and choose default for any of the pop up questions.   Remember the Mysql DB admin password as it will be required when you install WordPress

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 12.37.40 pm

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 12.59.35 pm

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.00.24 pm

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.00.11 pm

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 12.59.56 pm

  1. Go to https://zh-tw.wordpress.com or http://www.wordpress.com ( which it will bring you to the corresponding wordpress site in your location/country), and then download the WordPress version ( either Mac OS X or Windows ) and install it following the instruction.   You will need to enter the correct password of the MySQL db admin username and password which you should have written down when you install the MAMP on step 2
  1. Once if you have done steps (1) to (3) successfully, you should be able to test your MAMP web server by using a browser and key in http://localhost:8888/index.php ( if you have taken all the default port numbers )

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.08.05 pm

  1. Use either IE, Safari, or Chrome and key in http://localhost:8888/wordpress/wp-login.php or http://localhost/wordpress/wp-login.php (if you have changed the default web server port from 8888 to 80, which is normal web server port opened for public), then you should be able to see this WordPress admin login page.   During install of WordPress, you should be prompted to enter your admin username and password and that should be the one you should use in all time when administering your WordPress website(s), so please write them down and save it in a safe and secured place.
  1. From this point onward, then you can add your own WordPress website, and you can download (make sure you have internet connect) the latest WordPress version and updates, and new templates available.   Depending on the speed of your internet access, the updates may take a bit of time, and grab a cup of coffee.
  1. Test your website/blogs using your local PC ( either OS X or Windows ) until you reach a point which you feel satisfied.
  1. Test the WordPress mobile app in iOS (i.e. Apple devices) and Android by download WordPress on iOS app store and Android Play store.   Click on the + in the mobile app, and key in the WordPress website, e.g. http://192.168.1.xxx/wordpress/ or http:/192.168.2.xxx/wordpress (note:since it’s now at your internal household wi-fi normally at IP range of 192.168.1.xxx or 192.168.2.xxx) Just click on network settings to find out your localhost IP address. You cannot key in localhost in your mobile app of your mobile device, because that device won’t understand/know the localhost IP address of your Windows or OS X PC, so you need to find out the actual IP address first.   And also note that that localhost IP address may change day-by-day when your household router will distribute random IP address at different times.   So I strongly recommend you shall assign a FIXED IP address to your PC/Mac which will be used as the hosting machine.   For details how to set a fixed IP, google it and there should be lots of posts teaching on this.
  1. Once you test and accept your own website/blogs and overall satisfy with the layout, contents, etc. Then go to www.noip.com and sign up a new account, which is FREE !!!

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.19.40 pm Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.27.29 pm

You need to add a new domain, e.g. askuncleapple.ddns.net and you need to also download the no-ip Dynamic Updater tool in Windows or OS X so that it can regularly update your dynamic IP assigned from your internet service provider (ISP).

  1. Configure your router to allow Port Forwarding like e.g. here, you need to use a browser and your router admin username/password ( check it out on your router manual )

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.24.36 pm

In this example, I had setup my WordPress hosting PC/Mac as 192.168.2.118 and you need to choose Web Server at port 80 to port forward any internet http requests to this host machine IP.   Click save setting, and your router shall reboot and after reboot you should be able to access your own website as in my example:

http://askuncleapple.ddns.net/wordpress

Finally, to make your website /blog working from public internet, you only need to ensure the MAMP and No-IP Dynamic Updater are up and running, e.g.

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 1.42.43 pm

ENJOY YOUR OWN WORDPRESS website/blog !!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *