What Is Web Hosting? – Basic Ideas of Web Hosting
Web hosting is the space where web pages or files are kept to make them accessible on the world wide web. After designing a website, the files of the site should be kept in a PC which is connected to the internet. This is called web hosting & the PC having this space is called the server PC.
Types of Web Hosting: Web hosting is mainly categorized based on the operating system of the server PC & performance.
Based on the OS of the server PC there are mainly two types of hosting -
1. Windows Hosting: The hosting where the server PC is run on windows. Windows hosting is a perfect choice if you want to use dotNET, ASP, access database & other Microsoft products. The main limitation of it is that it gives limited access to Telnet, SSH, CGI, Perl etc.
2. Linux Hosting: The hosting with linux run server is called linux hosting. It is more popular than windows hosting for it’s security, access to telnet, SSH, CGI, Perl etc, But if you want to work with ASP, or access database, linux hosting is not for you.
Based on performance, resource (disk space, RAM, CPU) usage & user’s access to the server, there are mainly three types of hosting -
1. Shared Hosting: This is the hosting where some accounts are hosted on the same pc. In this hosting, all accounts share the system resources like RAM, CPU, Disk Space etc together. Here you may have a specific amount of disc space & bandwidth, but there is no guaranty of systems resources. Sometimes you may get 60% of the system resources or sometimes below 30%, which actually depends, on the resource usages of other accounts on the same server at that time. In this hosting, users get the least control over the server. They can only read/write files on the server and can’t change any server settings.
2. VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: VPS hosting is the hosting where several accounts are hosted on the same PC but work as independent PC. In a VPS, accounts have their own RAM, disk space, CPU etc so that the performance of one account is not affected by others. Even if the resources of an account are unused then it won’t be shared with others.
VPS gives users complete control over the server. In a VPS, users get full control so that they can change any settings on the server or can install any required software. Even they can reboot or shut down their server whenever they want.
3. Dedicated Server Hosting: In respect to the functionality, dedicated hosting is same as VPS hosting but in dedicated hosting only one account is hosted in one pc. So when someone buys a dedicated hosting, he actually rents a whole pc instead of part of it.
Dedicated hosting is the best choice for high traffic sites & sites with complex functionality like ecommerce sites or database driven big sites.
For hosting a website, it is possible to set up a server on your own pc & host sites there, but it’s a complex process & requires high performance PC with high speed & reliable internet connection. It also requires running that PC 24 hours a day to avoid downtime. This is why it’s recommended to buy hosting services from professional hosting providers.
Hosting – Introduction To Web Hosting Services
Hosting, or web hosting, is defined as a service that allows individuals or organizations to make their website available on the web. Web hosts are companies that lease out space on their servers providing Internet connectivity, which basically means the web hosting companies have the equipment you need to make your site live on the Internet. Web hosting is available in many different varieties, depending on whether you have a personal site that is 1 page or you have a huge website with thousands of pages.
Typical hosting services cost anywhere from a few dollars per month (when you’re just starting out) to many hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per month, depending on the needs of your business. Your hosting needs will usually grow in correlation to the growth in your online traffic. Paying for hosting is just part of what it takes to run an online business.
When you’re starting out in your business, most likely you will use a ‘shared hosting’ service, which means you share server space with other people. This keeps your costs down as the costs of the server equipment is shared with other patrons. As your business grows and your traffic grows, you probably will upgrade to dedicated servers meaning your website(s) will be the only occupants on that server. Of course, when this happens, your costs increase.
The main thing you need to understand is that having a hosting service for your business is ‘non-negotiable’. The reason for this can be summed up in one word… control.
You see, there are many sites and programs out there that can make you free websites and will give you free hosting. For instance, WordPress.com is an example of this. This site allows you to create your own blog and they will host it for you. All you have to do is just add content and you’re good to go!
Not so fast…
If WordPress.com ever decided they don’t like your content or they don’t like you for any reason, they have the power to shut down your account and there’s nothing you can do about it. Ever had your Facebook account temporarily banned or shut down? How about your YouTube account? If you don’t believe me, Google about the topic and see what you find.
Point is when you pay for your own hosting, you have the control. The only way your site comes down is if you forget to pay the bill or you do something illegal. If you are serious about building an online empire, you MUST have control in your business. You never want to take the chance that someone else can pull your plug at any time. That’s why paying for web hosting is a ‘non-negotiable’ in your online business.
Web Hosting – 5 Reasons Why You Should Use Paid Hosting
So, you just got done creating your website and now in order to allow other people to view and admire your hard work you need a web host, now there are two choices for you to host your website first is free hosting and paid hosting. Here, I want to tell you that you should use paid hosting any time you have the money to do so because there are a few reasons why you should go with paid hosting rather than free hosting.
Reason number one. In free hosting your URL will be very long and look bad such as “yourwebsite.yourfreehosting.com” this is hard to remember and it would be harder if your website name itself is considerably long not only that, this also looks unprofessional especially if you intend to use your website for business purpose, using free hosting will make you look less established than buying your own domain name. Reason number two. In free hosting the free host company usually cluttered your website with ads covering your website this could annoy your visitors, the ads make your website longer to load because your visitors is loading ads along with your website. On the other hand if you use paid hosting your website is free of ads.. unless you decide to put your own ads and get paid this time. Reason number three. Because you are a free user you don’t have the rights for support from the web host, so if you encounter any trouble you are on your own. In shared hosting you are eligible to get priority support, and you’ll have someone to nag when your website is down. Reason number four. In free hosting you have a very limited disk space and bandwidth while in paid hosting you can pick a hosting plan that offer more bandwidth that you will ever need. Reason number five. Your website could be deleted any time probably without any notice considering you aren’t paying for their service while in paid hosting, this would not happen unless you’ve done something illegal that violates their terms of service. Those five reasons should convince anyone to host their website in paid hosting service rather than free hosting service, unless if you are not serious about your online presence then it’s okay to use unpaid hosting service.