Going Online

Tim Forsythe


Published: December 3, 2024

Updated: January 23, 2026

Created: April 15, 2026

 

Going Online

How To 564 Words

Have you ever wanted to setup a web server for hosting a blog, but were disillusioned by the complexity of applications like or the expense of ? If so, then I've got you covered. In this article, I'll describe in detail how to obtain a FREE web hosting service and configure it in just a few easy steps.


Obtaining a Hosting Service

There are a lot of hosting services out there, most charge annual fees, and of those that are free, only HelioHost is easily configured. Follow the link to sign up for an account. If there are no free slots available, you can pay a flat fee of $2.00 (US) to join the Tommy server, which gives you 6 GB of storage.

Techinal stuff: HelioHost works nearly identical to GoDaddy, Bluehost and other popular hosting services, but unlike other free hosting services like InfinityFree, it includes seamless SSL certificates, which if you've never had to manage these yourself, consider yourself lucky. HelioHost also uses Plesk as a CPanel replacement, which is extremely easy to use. They also have an embedded Discord server that allows you to ask questions of the admins, and they are remarkably responsive and helpful. I have on several occasions needed help in setting up special services such as adding a subdomain or domain alias and they went ahead and did it for me. For the purposes of setting up your blog though, you shouldn't need this extra help.

Once you've created an account, sign-in and select the big Plesk button located on the Dashboard. This will take you to the Websites & Domains page (shown below). If your domain is not already expanded, click the down arrow next to your domain name (e.g. nnnn.heliohost.us), where nnnn is probably your username, however, some users have domain names that look quite different. Your domain name will be needed in your blog configuration later, so write it down.

Heliohost Websites & Domains
Heliohost Websites & Domains

Configure Your Server

To configure HelioHost, you will need to enable SSL certificates and set your log rotation. On the Websites & Domains page, select SSL/TLS Certificates under Security on the Dashboard tab, and set your configuration options to match those shown below, then click the back button on your browser to return to the Websites & Domain page.

Heliohost SSL/TLS Certificates
Heliohost SSL/TLS Certificates

Next select the Hosting & DNS tab and click on the Hosting button. Set your SSL/TLS Support settings to match those shown below, and save it. Click the back button on your browser to return to the Websites & Domain page.

Heliohost Hosting & DNS
Heliohost Hosting & DNS
Heliohost Hosting Settings
Heliohost Hosting Settings

Next, select Logs under Dev Tools and click the Log Rotation button at the top of the page. Once you've set your log rotation, click OK to save it.

Heliohost Log Rotation
Heliohost Log Rotation

Now choose the Files option from the menu on the left. You should see a screen that looks something like the one shown below. At this point your web server is configured. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back.

Heliohost File Directory
Heliohost File Directory

Now that you've got a web server up and running on a hosting serivce, you'll no doubt want to create a website.


Blogging 101

Have you ever wanted to create an online blog (for free), but didn't know how to get started. If so, I've got you covered.
Tim Forsythe ยท December 4, 2024
Tim Forsythe
Tim Forsythe is a retired software engineer living in California.
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