You don't tell us waht any of the numerous errors you get are.  If you were playing with Host Headers, you're outside of DNN.  If you are having trouble reaching your web site from off the server, it sounds like name resolution, possibly combined with the portal alias.  Your virtual directory is also outside of DNN.  So pretty much, it looks like any DNN documentation wouldn't help much since your descriptions are of problems outside DNN anyway.

These forums are here to provide help, but no one can help fix vague problems.  Give us specific errors and steps you took and we have a shot at getting you straightened out.

Jeff

Holm:

First, let me clarify something.  None of the problems you have presented are particular of DNN.  The issues of DNS resolution, Web site definition, and Hosts Headers, are common to any Web site you create in IIS, even plain old static HTML.  Think of it that way and you will be able to visualize the whole thing a little better.  The only thing that is indeed particular about DNN is the portal alias.  But that comes into play once your HTTP request gets to the server and IIS can sort out what site it needs to invoke.

Don't give up just yet, your troubles are kind of common.  I have written about it before many times.  One question, if you Ping the domain mywebsite.com, does it resolve to the actual address of the server in question.  It is not clear from your message if that part is working properly, it does not appear to work I think.  If it doesn't, then it is a DNS resolution issue and your request is not even getting to the server yet.

Once the domain resolves properly, you need to enter www.mywebsite.com as a Host Header for the site so that IIS knows what Web site the request is for.  Then, you also need to enter the same address as a Portal Alias.  Remember that you can have multiple Host Headers for a site in IIS and also multiple portal aliases in DNN (don't remove any other Host Headers or aliases that may be there, that may break the site for localhost too).  It wouldn't hurt if you do a IISReset after you make these changes.

Carlos