I've administered WebStar servers for several years, with no prior experience or training. The setup is very easy compared to other platforms, and the manual is exceedingly clear on every question I ever threw at it.

While it isn't rated as fast as Apache, it can flood a T-1 with ease. Out of the box, it is a web server, an ssl server, an ftp server, a proxy server and a mail server. It handles an unlimited number of virtual hosts, provides basic database (FileMaker and 4D) connectivity, has built-in search, talks to Tomcat servers, and processes forms.

The administration program is intuitive and easy to use. Its security makes cracking the server virtually impossible -- I've heard of no cases where it's been done. The US Army was impressed enough to switch their sites from Microsoft IIS.

I find WebStar makes the Macintosh a server platform that holds its own with Apache or IIS.

Recommended: Yes