The DIY Approach: How I Hosted My Website from Scratch - The Domain

This is in continuation of a plan to host my own website. The plan here is to have a custom URL aka custom domain. There are plenty of domain sellers like Google Domains, GoDaddy Inc, Bluehost and many more. There are some that give away domains for free like Freenom and when it is free either you are the price or your PI data or PI data of the ones visiting your website is the price and that is something I'm not interested to take chances. 

I didn't spend too much time on selecting the provider. But now after having the domain for a while and realized that few additional services would have added value to my website and I feel I should have researched more. Anyhow I ended up buying domain from Google Domains. Reason for choosing - my familiarity with Google environment and more importantly it was the first result on the search result page. This is when I realized how important it is to have your website SEO (search engine optimization) and SERP (search engine result page) optimization to generate good traffic on the site. There are plenty of case studies on search optimization and its worth a read. One interesting case study is Zomato and Swiggy SEO Strategy 

In addition to above reasons, I also looked price of the domain that is not too expensive and also doesn't expose my email address in WHOIS domain lookups - I don't want to deal with spam!! Depending on the type of top level domain (TLD) viz. .com, .org, co.in, etc. registration price ranges from few hundreds per year to few lakhs of Rupees (few hundred thousands). Apparently, there are domain name investors who speculate on "catchy" domains and so there is high prices for some domains along with registration fee. 

Okay, alright I have a custom domain for my website. What next?

Next step is to host your web site in a hosing service provider, in my case AWS and bind the custom domain and the hosting services Name Servers. Sounds simple !! 

No, It wasn't simple for me. The goal was to build the website from SCRATCH. Before purchasing a domain I spent many hours learning HTML, CSS and to some extent JS. These three together are the real rabbit hole!!! With these three there is no starting point or ending point in learning and a million things can be added in-between. Not discouraging anyone trying to learn, there are plenty of resources available online. The website building took lot of time given that I worked on this project only during weekends. However I did develop one and you can find it my GitHub repository. I've integrated UiPath Bot to this CI/CD deployment - more details in Readme file in the repo. I used GitHub Pages for deployment of the website and not the custom domain. More of this in another blog. 

Back to this domain topic ... 

I already mentioned that there are may service providers that sell domains as well as provided additional services. These services specifically help in not requiring to learn HTML or CSS or JS to develop a website - they provide WordPress in addition to this they also provide services like website backup, SSL certificate to HTTPS your site, tools to boost SEO and SERP ranking, etc. - these I specifically came across in Bluehost, which I felt its a good bargain when I compared with AWS EC2 service. More over Bluehost is providing free domain for 1st year bundled along with web hosting service. At this point, it appears I'm at a logical point to conclude The Domain chapter. 

The journey continues .. Stay tuned !!! 

The DIY Approach: How I Hosted My Website from Scratch - The Plan

I always wanted to host my own website just for kicks and giggles !! But also wanted to have total control without much investment. This was not possible with any web hosting services that are around. These services are expensive and moreover I'm in exploring mode where I want to spend as little as possible yet have a expensive professional look on the website. 

I was looking for options like - 

• If I could host the website from my own laptop or 
• If I need to have a website hosing service. 

Then the custom domain, anyway I need to purchase that. There are plenty of vendors that sell domains. Buying a domain is as simple as buying a laptop from Amazon, if you know what specifications you want. 

Coming to the first approach - If I could host the website from my own laptop, I could have done that but security of my home network and the disadvantages out numbered the advantages:-

Advantage are

• There is no cost of additional infrastructure - just my laptop and the existing network !!
• I can have total control how and when I update my site
• I could take off when I feel I need to move on to next learning curve 

then the disadvantages:-

• I need to expose my IP to public - this opens "can of worms" for my network security, this alone out numbered every advantage. 
• my laptop needs to run uninterruptedly - I doubt this is possible 
• I need to learn how to expose my IP and then to protect it which puts my present agenda off the track  

My best bet was to try out some of the cloud services, and my immediate approach was Azure which gave a $200 credit and then Google Cloud again gave a similar credit but these amounts were not sufficient to explore what I'm looking for. I was looking for a bare minimum server configuration or at least a service that lets me host my site and expose the IP to public.

AWS was my next destination. May be my exploration with Azure and Google Cloud made AWS interface more easy to navigate or it is just better user interface. Here in AWS I came across 3 wonderful services that I could choose and use for my requirement. They are :

• AWS EC2
• AWS Lightsail
• AWS Amplify

I'll talk more about these in future, but for now my quest to host my site found a solution. 

In the next blog I'll talk about the domain services I used and the reasons behind choosing it and could it have been better if I opted for a different provider. 

Stay tuned !!!

The Switch from HDD to SDD - Improved Performance Speed

I’m still using a Lenovo T430 and I still love how modular it is when it comes to upgrade each of the components in the laptop. Though the upgrading has its limitations modular design is no seen in laptops that are available now. So, I stick with T430. If you want to buy this model laptop you can buy Lenovo T430 14-inch Laptop here. This model is not in production but you can buy from Amazon Renewed. Also, this laptop is at its lowest price at the moment, below is the price trend. 

Price Trend of T430(Renewed)

Back to the story!!

I was using a 500GB HDD that came with the T430 and it worked pretty well but recently it slowed down and I didn’t want to change from T430 yet. I did some research and thanks to its modular design I was able to upgrade the memory to approx. 1TB and also gained speed.

Here is what I did . . .

My laptop Lenovo T430 has a DVD drive which I have not used in ages. I wanted to replace it with my existing HDD and swap my old HDD with a new SDD. So, again I researched for a good SDD finally found that Zebronics - ZEB-SD52 SSD 512GB. Reasons to buy this are pretty straight forward The ZEB-SD52 SSD 512GB is a solid-state drive that uses QLC (Quad-Level Cell) technology, which allows for higher storage capacity at a lower cost. It also features both SATA II and SATA III interfaces, making it compatible with a wide range of devices.

I also bought Lapster Caddy for SSD and HDD, the size of DVD drive and the HDD are different so this caddy fits into DVD drive slot in the laptop and this accommodated my old HDD. Now the old HDD slot is used to accommodate new Zebronics - ZEB-SD52 SSD 512GB. 

Before performing the above steps I've cloned OS on my old HDD to new SDD. This process is totally a separate process which I'll cover in future blog. 

Boot speed of my laptop improved drastically, the difference is like night and day. I didn't expect performance of the laptop with the new SDD to change much but I was wrong, performance has improved many folds and I would say I'm more than happy that I made the switch from HDD to SDD. 

I still use my old HDD but as a secondary to store files that I don't access very often. 

After I made this change to my laptop, I helped one of my cousin to make a switch from HDD to SDD with ZEB-SD26 256 GB, used only 256GB as that laptop is already having more than 1TB HDD and the speed did improve very much. 

These two swiches from HDD to SDD made me realize that the advantages of using an SSD is that it can significantly improve the speed and performance of your computer or other devices. SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives and can help to reduce boot times and improve file transfer speeds.

A great Idea for return gifts at a party !!

If you are spending too much time searching for a perfect return gift that matches your party theme  or a gift that matches your charisma. Then you are at the right place!! What shows your style and theme of the party than a customized bag design with goodies or a tee shirt that shout outs the “makers and movers” of the party.

I know what you are thinking now!! Customization is cost intensive. But the idea is to be as flamboyant as possible without burning holes in the pocket.

Here we go!! Ever heard of heat transfer paper?

As the name suggests it transfers whatever print present on it when heat and pressure is applied. Sounds simple isn’t? It sounds simple because it is that simple.

Heat transfer paper allows for high-quality, full-color designs to be printed onto fabric. This makes it an ideal choice for creating custom t-shirts or cloth bags with intricate designs or photographic images.

Additionally, heat transfer paper allows you to create custom designs quickly and easily, which can be especially helpful if you have a large number of gifts to create. You can print the designs in advance and then transfer them onto the t-shirts or cloth bags using a heat press or iron. This means you can create high-quality, personalized gifts without spending a lot of time or money.

Another benefit of using heat transfer paper for return gifts is that it allows you to be creative and unique with your return gifts for guests at a party. You can create unique designs that reflect the theme of the party or the occasion, such as a birthday, wedding, or baby shower. By personalizing the gifts, you can make your guests feel special and appreciated for attending the event.

Here are some of the best heat transfer papers that I’ve checked out and they are good at what they claim to do

TransOurDream Dark 2.0 - Iron on Heat Transfer Paper for Dark T Shirts & Fabrics (Dark 2.0, 5 Sheets, A4) Printable HTV Heat Transfer Vinyl for Inkjet Printer Iron On transfers for T Shirts

Too Much Noise !! No Sleep and Stressed Out!!

I was never aware that there is something called white noise sound machine until my friend suggested this to get rid of unwanted irritating sounds from the flat above mine. I did some research and I did come up with some good information. So, lets go through the information I found in this blog.

A white noise sound machine is a device that produces a continuous and soothing sound that can help mask unwanted background noise and promote better sleep. The sound produced by a white noise machine is a combination of various sound frequencies that are evenly distributed, resulting in a consistent and gentle sound that can lull you into a relaxed and peaceful state.

White noise machines are often used to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, especially those who are sensitive to noise or have trouble sleeping in noisy environments. The constant sound of the machine can help block out distracting sounds such as traffic, snoring, or other ambient noises, making it easier to relax and drift off to sleep.

In addition to promoting better sleep, white noise machines are also useful for reducing stress and improving concentration. The gentle sound of the machine can create a calming and relaxing environment that can help reduce anxiety and promote a sense of well-being.

White noise machines can be a useful tool for those who struggle with sleep disturbances or who live in noisy environments. They provide a simple and effective way to create a peaceful and restful sleeping environment, which can help improve overall health and well-being.

There are many white noise sound machines available in the market, each with its unique features and benefits. Here are some of the best white noise sound machines available in the market:

·         LectroFan Classic: This sound machine offers ten different fan sounds and ten different white noise sounds. It also has a non-looping feature that ensures a continuous and consistent sound.

·         Marpac Dohm Classic: This sound machine is known for its high-quality sound, created by a fan that produces a natural and soothing white noise. It has two-speed options and an adjustable tone control.

·         Adaptive Sound Technologies: This sound machine has twenty different sound options, including white noise, fan sounds, and nature sounds. It also has a sleep timer and a compact and portable design.

·         Yogasleep Dohm Connect: This sound machine offers the same great sound as the Marpac Dohm Classic, but with the added feature of being able to connect to an app that allows you to customize your sound settings and control the machine remotely.

·        Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine: This sound machine has six different sound options, including white noise, fan sounds, and nature sounds. It also has a sleep timer and a compact and portable design.

These are just a few examples of the many high-quality white noise sound machines available in the market. When choosing a white noise sound machine, it's essential to consider your personal preferences and needs, such as the type of sound you find most soothing, the size of the machine, and any additional features you may need.