What is web server?
Regardless of the hosting company you choose, it helps to understand some technical details about their service. Every hosting company has many dedicated computers, called servers, always connected to the Internet and 'serving' pages when they are requested.
Whenever anyone clicks on a link to a certain web page, the request is sent to the particular server where that web page is stored.
The server responds by sending HTML data across the Internet. A web server absolutely must have fast connections to be able to serve pages quickly.
Better hosts have multiple high-speed connections for the greatest speed and reliability.
Practically all good hosting companies use reliable back up power supplies in case of power outages.
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Web hosting basics
Introduction to Web Hosting
When you want to establish your presence on the Internet and have already built your website, you need a way to publish it on the World Wide Web. This is the stage in the process where web hosting companies come in.
A web hosting company rents you disk space and provides all the services necessary for others to see your web site on the Internet. A web host operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that anybody in the world can access your web site at any time.
There are literally thousands of web hosts with prices range from free to hundreds of dollars a year. Hosting companies can offer a multitude of services. It can be difficult and confusing for a newcomer to navigate in this vast amount of information.
Our website will help you to sort out all the information available and give you the confidence to make the proper decision about choosing a web host. We know your time is valuable, that's why we've done all the research for you.
Free or Paid?
With plenty of hosting companies providing free hosting why bother paying for it? The old adage "You get what you pay for" is just as valid in the electronic age as it was 100 years ago. With free web hosting you sometimes end up with nothing.
Most free web hosts offer limited services. While it is true that they are not charging you to host your website, they still need to make money. They often do this by placing advertising on your site. You do not control the kind of ads displayed and their placement on your pages. Free hosting is a matter of take it or leave it.
Besides running ads on your site, free hosts may restrict the content you place on it. They may disallow you to sell things or have certain content such as videos or music on your website.
Even worse, your web site could simply disappear overnight. Some new companies offering free hosting pop up everyday, but they also vanish just as regularly
When your hosting company disappears, your web site goes with it. There's no one to help you with this and no one to complain to.
Don't get us wrong though. There probably are companies that offer free hosting while not creating any problems for you. All we are saying is that if you are serious about having a website you need to use a reliable web host.
Prices for web hosting range considerably with some companies offering rates as low as $2 a month while others charge $60 or more.
High rates don't always translate as high service, while low price does not suggest that service is bad either. Quite often a low cost web host will offer reliable and stable environment and allow your website to be accessed day in day out for years.
Usually though, the more you pay the more you get in your hosting package. Higher rates should bring you more disk space and more bandwidth to handle Internet traffic.
Higher priced packages also feature more services such as databases, email accounts, mass mailers, website building software, free image galleries, and the ability to add custom scripts. Higher rates can (but not always do) also mean better technical service.