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Ask the average computer user what a Web server looks like and you may hear stories about giant electronic boxes in bright, white rooms. While this image isn't wrong, it's also incomplete -- Web servers require surprisingly little hardware power to do their job well. In fact, a small business or hobbyist can run a Web server using an old computer that otherwise might not be powerful enough to run most modern consumer software. You can build a system that serves Web pages throughout the Internet, to users on your company's in-house network, to other machines on your home network, or even just to the machine on which the Web server itself is installed. With private service, you can design and test website features -- for example, PHP scripts -- that must be processed by an actual Web server.

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Hardware Requirements
Web servers intended for personal or small-business use don't require substantial hardware specifications. A computer that can run an average modern Linux operating system will usually handle routine Web services with ease.

Fedora 16, a version of Linux, requires a 400 MHz or faster processor and 10 GB of hard-drive space; Fedora recommends 1 GB of RAM for best performance. Those specs are roughly in line with midgrade hardware offered for retail purchase in the early 2000s.

If you plan to make your Web server available over the Internet, you'll also need an Ethernet connection between your modem and the Web server. If this is the case, ensure that the computer has an Ethernet port available.

Software Requirements
The most basic Web server consists of an operating system and server software. Although there are several different combinations of OS and server that will meet your needs, many hobbyists using old computers choose to use the Linux operating system and a supported server technology like Apache because many of them are free to use and because they have lower hardware requirements compared to enterprise-grade server solutions.

Linux comes in different packages called distributions, or "distros." Hundreds of distros are available for use, each of which emphasizes slightly different features. Many users prefer distros like Red Hat or OpenSUSE or Fedora to serve as the base operating system for their Web server. DistroWatch, a website devoted to Linux news and information, maintains a detailed archive of currently maintained distros with user-supplied reviews; this site makes an excellent launch point for picking the distro most in line with your needs.

After you pick a distro, select a server solution. The most commonly used server applications include Apache, Virgo and Abyss, although more than a dozen servers are available for use on the Linux platform. Each server, like each distro, comes with its own strengths and weaknesses, so explore the options carefully before you settle on a server.

Duty Cycle
Recycled computers tasked to perform Web-server duty must be capable of performing 24/7. Servers are usually always on and capable of extended periods of performance without the need for rebooting or hardware troubleshooting. Older computers that run hot or that have poorly functioning monitors may therefore be ill-suited to the task. Consider measures to ease such a computer's physical burden, such as installing an additional, large-diameter fan to cool the internal components and keeping it in a cool, smoke-free environment.

If the server is expected to handle several thousand requests per hour, a bare-bones system with a slow hard drive and low memory may struggle to keep up. When a server slows down, it may take longer for site visitors to see the entire page. Furthermore, any extra tasks that a server must take to support a given Web page -- like streaming a video or running a script -- takes processing power. Old machines are quite capable of performing this task, but as load increases older hardware will max out before newer, more capable equipment.

Security Considerations
Because a Web server connects directly to the Internet, it's important that security settings are correctly configured. If they're not, you could have your websites hacked or your server infected with malware that then infects other people who visit your self-hosted website.

F rom a hardware perspective, a low-powered computer -- although it's perfectly adequate for light Web traffic -- will have a difficult time surviving a "distributed denial-of-service attack." A DDoS attack means that a remote party (usually a hacker) floods a server with so many requests to view a given page that the server cannot keep up. Eventually, it crashes, leaving your sites offline and potentially providing the attacker with a way of hacking the system.

F rom a software perspective, servers must be correctly configured to reduce the risk of an external security breach. Follow best-practice strategy by limiting unnecessary services (e.g., don't allow file-transfer access if you only need Web services) and ensuring that the Web service has a strong password and the minimum necessary user permissions. Disable unnecessary tools like automatic indexing and monitor your server's logs frequently to check for signs of intrusion. Set appropriate directory permissions for critical folders on the server.

Furthermore, if you use tools like a self-hosted WordPress installation on your Web server, set the tool's security settings correctly. For example, a file-upload form on a WordPress blog could open your server to a security breach if you don't limit the file types; a hacker could upload a file that actually executes a database command when the database tries to parse the file. (This is called a "SQL injection hack" -- someone passes a command in a place that a command isn't expected, and the server responds by honoring the command instead of rejecting it.)

Other Server Options
If you're more comfortable with Microsoft's operating environments, use Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. Although Internet Information Services -- the platform that hosts the Web server -- is free, Windows Server itself requires licenses that, depending on the features you select, can cost f rom $500 to $2,000 or more. The minimum system specs for a Windows Server are similar to that for a Linux/Apache solution, although Microsoft's recommended specs are higher -- including a 2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 40GB of disk space.