Web Hosting is an Internet hosting service that allows web sites to be accessible in the World Wide Web (WWW). These are companies that give spaces that they own for anyone who would like to put up a web site. Web hosts can also provide Internet connectivity in their data centers.
The most basic of hosting services are to web pages and small-scale file hosting which are uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). These are mostly offered for free to subscribers. Personal web sites are advertisement-sponsored and cheap while business web sites cost more.
Single page hosting is enough for personal web pages. But for more complex sites, they choose more comprehensive packages, like our business hosting due to the need of database support and application development platforms allowing customers to install scripts they like and need.
Control panels are used by hosts to manage web servers. Some use specialized software. When searching for a web hosting company in directories, one must be careful because most are affiliates and will provide biased reviews.
Hosting uptime is the time that host is accessible over the Internet. Most claim that their uptime is 99% but this won't count the networks downtime. Downtime refers to server restarts and maintenance.
There are many types of web hosting. One is Free web hosting which is advertisement supported and often limited. Second is Shared web hosting where the web site shares a common server with other web sites. Third is a Reseller web host which allows clients to be hosts as well. Fourth is the Virtual dedicated server where servers are divided into virtual servers and each user can feel that he/she has their own server.
This is also known as Virtual Private Server (VPS). Fifth is Dedicated hosting services where the user gets his own web server and has full control of it but does not own it.
Another type of dedicated hosting is Self-managed where the client is fully responsible for the security and maintenance of the server. Next is Managed hosting services where the user gets his web server but does not have full control over it.
Next is Clustered Hosting where there are multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource use. Another is a Home server in which a machine is placed at home and can be used to host one or more web sites through a broadband connection. There are many more types of Web Hosting, these are just some of the popular services they offer.
It will all depend on the customer and on what type of hosting he/she will need. Some packages offer Web Content Management System to take care of the technical aspects. One can also surf through web hosting message boards to find out which type will be best for his/her needs.
