Web Hosting: Web Hosting – Why and How?

Summary : Before choosing one web hosting company over another, it makes sense to understand just what it is they provide.

One of the first steps in the website process is locating web hosting. There are many available, offering any number of features. Before choosing one web hosting company over another, it makes sense to understand just what it is they provide.

Web hosting essentially enables access to your site from anywhere on Web. It connects a website to the mesh of networks perched on the Internet. The hosting company serves through a computer, typically known as a hosting server. This server has the capacity for thousands of websites, and sends them out when requested by an end-user. Servers feature high speed capabilities to establish a fast connection with the Web.

Some hosting providers also offer a datacenter that connects to a collection of different servers. Datacenters are very expensive to own and maintain, but nevertheless provide fast and reliable connections, provide power backup and zero downtime. The accounts of each client are managed on the server, and the web space is purchased from a larger website hosting provider.

Web Hosting Terms

The basic jargon used in the hosting industry is as follows:

• Server - There are different types of servers used for hosting a website. Some examples include Windows 2000 server, Apache, Linux and Unix. In the case of a basic website, the type of server does not matter. Database-driven websites, and those using Active server pages need advanced and sturdy servers like Windows 2000, however. The more advanced demands of dynamic websites require more advanced servers than static websites.
   

• Bandwidth - This is a measurement of the speed at which data is transferred, and the traffic demands of websites. Bandwidth is measured in terms of gigabytes (GB) or megabytes (MB). High traffic websites require a greater bandwidth than other websites.
   

• Email accounts - Web hosting companies often provide some email account space as part of a hosting package. The number of email accounts offered varies, and should be considered when selecting a hosting provider.
   

When you purchases web hosting, you basically rent the space and the ability to include your site on the Web. The best web hosting provider for one site may not be the best choice for another. Weigh the needs of your website against the packages offered by any web hosting service to find your best match.