Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is the primary way administrators connect to Windows Server. Out of the box, RDP is functional but not hardened — it listens on port 3389, accepts password authentication, and trusts the default self-signed certificate. This guide walks through a complete RDP setup on Windows Server 2022 and 2025, with security configurations … Read more
Internet Information Services (IIS) is the built-in web server on Windows Server. It handles HTTP and HTTPS requests, serves static files, runs ASP.NET applications, and can act as a reverse proxy. This guide takes you from a fresh Windows Server installation to a live IIS website with HTTPS, covering the essential configuration steps that every … Read more
Remote Desktop is the primary way to access a Windows VPS. Whether you are deploying a .NET application, configuring IIS, or running a SQL Server database, the first thing you need after provisioning the server is a working RDP connection. This guide covers the entire setup: enabling RDP on the server, configuring the firewall, connecting … Read more
IIS and Apache are the two most widely deployed web servers on Windows, but they approach the job from very different angles. IIS is a Windows-native server that integrates with Active Directory, the .NET runtime, and PowerShell. Apache is a cross-platform server that brings its Linux-proven module ecosystem to Windows. Which one should you run … Read more
For a small business running on a Windows VPS, Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is the foundation of user management, policy enforcement, and authentication. Even with just 10–50 employees, a proper domain controller centralizes password policies, controls access to file shares, and enables Group Policy to standardize settings across workstations. This guide walks through … Read more
SQL Server Express is a free, production-capable database engine from Microsoft, making it an ideal choice for small applications, development environments, and lightweight business tools running on a Windows VPS. It supports databases up to 10 GB, uses the same T-SQL syntax as the paid editions, and integrates seamlessly with .NET applications. This guide covers … Read more
When you provision a Windows VPS, the file system is usually decided for you: NTFS, by default. But Windows Server 2022 and 2025 also ship with ReFS (Resilient File System), and for certain workloads — large file stores, backup targets, or VHD-backed storage — ReFS is worth a serious look. This guide compares the two … Read more
Every Windows Server VPS ships with Windows Defender Firewall enabled, yet most setup guides treat it as an afterthought. Understanding three concepts — profiles, rules, and the default-deny inbound model — lets you lock down a server without breaking RDP, IIS, or SQL Server. This guide walks through how the firewall thinks, then gives you … Read more
A generic 500 page and one line in the event log is a poor starting point for debugging IIS. Failed Request Tracing (FREB) fixes that: it records a full trace of every module decision for requests that match your failure conditions, showing you exactly which module returned the error and why. It is the right … Read more
IIS vs Kestrel is a common question when hosting ASP.NET Core on Windows, and the honest answer is that the two servers are not rivals – they are layers. Kestrel is the cross-platform HTTP server built into ASP.NET Core; IIS is the full Windows web server that normally sits in front of Kestrel and hands … Read more