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I have an Ubuntu 10.04 based dedicated server with LAMP installed. I host several websites, but for now all websites are on same IP, configured using Apache Virtual Hosts.

Everyone can attack my server since they can get my server's IP. I want to protect it with CloudFlare, but then I think I need to setup my server differently, possibly involving DNS. How to do that?

Mxx
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xZero
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  • I'm sorry, this doesn't make very much sense to me. What does `"everyone can attack my server, etc by getting IP"` mean and why would cloudflare prevent that? Can you clarify? People knowing your IP isn't some kind of security risk, in fact, it's necessary for connectivity. – MDMarra Feb 17 '13 at 01:33
  • Did you try following CloudFlare's directions? – Michael Hampton Feb 17 '13 at 01:54
  • @MDMarra Cloudflare is a CDN service that offers some (d)dos protection features. He would point his domain name to cloudflare instead of his own server and with that obfuscate/protect his setup. – Mxx Feb 17 '13 at 02:34
  • Right, my question to him wasn't "how can cloud flare prevent dos" it was "why do you think people knowing your IP is a problem" – MDMarra Feb 17 '13 at 02:59

1 Answers1

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To use CloudFlare, there is only one thing you need to change on your end - use CloudFlare's nameservers rather than your domain registrar's or your own. CloudFlare will give you their name servers and you replace your NS records with CloudFlare's domain server. You will do this most likely in your domain registrar's control panel. Your server setup will remain the same, and you won't change your IP address. But CloudFlare's name server will return a different IP for your domain or site. In other words, web requests to your site will first go to CloudFlare's servers and they will do source IP screening, caching(static content only) and other things: this is mainly to prevent DDOS attacks and speedup fetch time for your sites. Please read this link, it will provide you with the information you need.

Daniel t.
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  • Thanks. I asked really stupid question. I didn't thinked about that. Thanks for explaination. – xZero Feb 22 '13 at 01:44