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albite

ISPs and home servers

Ask Vancouver

Hi all,

Does anyone have experience running a personal server for media or files or what not? Has your ISP ever given you flack for it? I was browsing Novus' Acceptable Use Policy and it says that the customer must not "operate a server in connection with the Services including but not limited to mail, news, file, gopher, telnet, chat, web, or host configuration servers, multimedia streamers, or multi- user interactive forums."

So I guess my question is if this is enforced, or if anyone has received notice from their ISP for hosting media and files? I'm not trying to run the next Netflix out of my living room, but I want to host my own website+email and also access files remotely without paying for Google Drive. Also, I already host a Plex server used only by my immediate family, and I am nervous about that too.

Posted Apr 17, 2021, 7:06 AM UTC · edited

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uid778•

I run plenty of servers on my TekSavvy cable internet; no problems.

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They do block some ports: 25 (SMTP (email)), 53 (DNS), and a couple others; all reasonable restrictions.

You are not going to be able to run email on any residential connection as the ISP risks getting Real Time Black Listed as spammers if their customers mess up.

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For web traffic (80, 443), SSH (22), VNC (5900+), VPN (51280 - WireGuard, 1193 - OpenVPN), XMPP (many ports), IRC (I forget, was a while ago) - all good.

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If you're looking to avoid Google Drive, install NextCloud on your "server" , and on your phone, get file storage / photo sync, sharing, contact sync'ing, calendar sync, and most everything a cloud service provides.

Free & easy.

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Hoping to test IPv6 routes to web server via Telus fibre but their installer can't seem to configure a damned router.

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nyrb001•

Props for Nextcloud. Currently uploading today's sunset pics...

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albiteOProck licker•

Yep, debating between NextCloud or SeaFile right now. But I wasn't sure if I would be violating the service agreement if I was to run one of these services.

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blinger101•

I'm on TekSavvy (Cable) and run all sorts of servers, SMTP included. I haven't tested DNS outright but I've had zero issues with SMTP.

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uid778•

When you say you're running an SMTP server, is it for out-going messages only, or is there an MX record on a DNS server pointing back to your home network, where mail is successfully received?

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blinger101•

Both. Ran a mail server last year while I was contracting out and used for communication to/from my now permanent employer. Never ran into any issues, no notices from TekSavvy either. Had an MX record care of CloudFlare pointing back to my public IP.

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dan_marchant•

I run a Synology NAS that has Plex media serve on it. Never had problems with that.

Hosting a web site might be different though as any serious traffic will need a decent server and decent upload bandwidth.

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albiteOProck licker•

Ah my personal website would have far less traffic than any media server. It would likely just be a blog and some photos.

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--gumbyslayer--•

I think that's referring to public servers. I have a personal Plex server that I and a few family members or friends access remotely, never any issues.

A good little tip though - if you can, use the ISP provided router as a passthough only, with your own router doing all the grunt work. That way you can better manage ports and the like.

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ive_got_a_boner•

Yes you could look into port forwarding if they blocked a common port

By the I find it amusing they mention gopher.

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ShadowlordKT•

Gopher was great... Way back when I was on dial-up.

How much bandwidth could a gopher server even use up? I'd bet a 1h Zoom meeting video would transmit more data than a gopher server could in a year.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

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goalcamtrapped in the suburbs•

Dunno about Novus, but on Telus itself, port 80 and a few others have historically been blocked on DSL connections. It's not blocked on fibre lines. That might cause you some issues (especially with trying to run a web server on port 80) but it's probably all fine unless you start pulling an absurd amount of bandwidth.

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DwX_X•

Novus used to allow this if you switch to a business account. It costs a little more and they give you a fixed IP.

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albiteOProck licker•

Any idea how much the Business plans cost? I can't see anything on the website, and I'd rather not calling them to ask about my plans to skirt the rules haha.

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DwX_X•

Sorry, it's been years since I had a business account with them. You could always email them from a burner email. I do remember that they didn't block ports when I wasn't on a business plan, but they paused my service when there was a lot of upload. I would run a dynamic dns service until they question you or depending on what you're trying to host perhaps AWS as it's pretty cheap now.

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pfakKensington-Cedar Cottage | Plenty of karma to burn.•

Hassle to run at home, you can probably fly under the radar but they can cut you off if they want.

TBH hosting at home is way too unreliable. I moved all my hosting to a dedicated server and now I don't have to worry when my power goes out or internet goes down.

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albiteOProck licker•

By dedicated server do you mean like AWS or something? I'm trying to reduce my reliance on the big tech companies, which is why I want to self-host.

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pfakKensington-Cedar Cottage | Plenty of karma to burn.•

Dedicated server is an actual physical server dedicated to your use.

I use OVH in Quebec.

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skeetlodge•

Most if not all providers will just outright block 25/80/443 for residential connections.

I've had no issues running a personal plex server for years on Telus though. Used it quite a bit to watch stuff on lunch at work, back in the old days when going to the office was still a thing. As long as you're staying within whatever bandwidth limits you have and you don't get compromised, it's unlikely they'll care.

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albiteOProck licker•

mm well my bandwidth is theoretically "unlimited, subject to acceptable use policy," which is why I'm asking whether anyone has had that policy enforced on them before.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

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mr_macfisto•

I know somebody who runs a Plex server. He’s on Telus fibre. I’m not aware of any isp issues for him yet.

Getting Telus to install the line to his new house was a giant pain in the arse - the left hand has no fucking clue what the right hand is doing over there.

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albiteOProck licker•

yeah a friend of mine also recently had Telus fibre set up. It was a saga that took a few days when it should have only taken an afternoon.

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

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