| |
| |
|
Web Hosting Information |
|
|
|
Elements of Web Hosting
When you first start out trying to get a site on the Internet everything seems so confusing. Obtuse acronyms flow freely through the 'Beginner Friendly' information sites and definitions can be hard to come across. The main reason for this is that the Internet and the process of getting a website online is really very simple, and once people get past the first stumbling steps they rarely remember the difficulty they once had, which leads to them being unable to understand the next wave of dot com newbies. So let's begin with defining some of the basic terms that are commonly thrown around when looking for a web host. You'll quickly realize that computer geeks like using big words for simple concepts. What do you expect from a group of people that decided to call half a Byte a Nibble? Web Host: These are the people that supply your website with somewhere to sit and be accessed from. They're often a wealth of information, so when you're trying to find your feet it will often be worthwhile to contact their tech support and get your questions answered. Because of this, it's important to contact them BEFORE you sign up for any packages to ensure that you'll receive a timely response. Just fire an email their way and see what happens. Disk Space: This is the same as the space on your own PC's hard drive. Web Hosts will allocate a certain amount of space to your website, usually in Megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). This determines how much you can store on your site. Bandwidth: Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be retrieved from your site within the bandwidth period. The bandwidth period is the length of time before your bandwidth gets reset once again, usually about a month. Bandwidth is measured in MB and GB, like disk space. Always find out the consequences of exceeding your allocated bandwidth before you purchase a hosting package. Domain Name: The domain name is your personal identifier on the Internet. This is what gets typed into a web browser's address bar to reach your site. Some hosting companies will offer a domain for free, while others will have the facilities to provide one for a minimal cost. SQL (MySQL, SQL Server etc.): Structured Query Language. This is the language used to interact with databases. Chances are that if you don't know about it when you start looking for web hosting, you're not going to need to know about it for at least a little while longer. HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. Basically, how the Internet works. It is the protocol governing the transfer of web pages from one place to another. HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language. This is (usually) what you'll be using to make your website, whether directly or indirectly. Don't be scared by the name, the 'language' is very easy to learn. FTP: File Transfer Protocol. This is a method for sending pages and files from your home PC to a server. It is quite simple to use and your host will provide login information if this is the method that they use for file access. Typing "FTP://" into My Computer on a windows box allows you to use FTP as if your server were a regular windows folder. POP3: This is a common email 'post box' system. It is use to store emails for retrieval. SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A common protocol used to send emails. The beginner will not really need to know too much about the above two email technologies. If they're listed, good. It means you have email accounts with your website (i.e. the email name@yourdomain.com will reach you, somehow) There are many 'languages' used to enhance websites, such as Java, Perl, ASP, .NET, PHP, etc. If you're just starting out you should try to learn simple HTML first before you worry too much about these more advanced languages. In general they're not too difficult to learn, but you'll want a solid grounding before you tackle them. The Internet is a wonderful source of knowledge, so whenever you want information just fire up your favourite search engine and type in your problem. The Internet is full of sites about the Internet, so the information you want shouldn't be too hard to find. Building professional websites takes a lot of time and skill, so many companies hire people to do it for them. If this is the situation that you're in, talk to the designer you're hiring about hosting, as they may have struck a deal with a webhost to provide clients with cheaper hosting packages. Also, the professional designer will know what features you're going to need in a hosting plan. The world of web hosting is not as complicated as people would like to make out. Just make sure you do a little bit of research before diving in and you'll be less likely to get burned by a shifty 'here today, gone tomorrow' company. Check out the host's rankings on a few Web Hosting Directories, do a search for reviews of the company, contact the support staff before signing up and enjoy the world opened by having your own online presence. About The Author Daniel Punch
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Top 10 Web Hosting Blunders and How to Avoid Them Consider the following web hosting blunders and do not allow yourself to make these mistakes that can have a seriously negative impact on your website.Blunder #1 - Contact InformationMake sure your web host has contact information available to you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Changing to a New Host? No More Worries! John's online business is expanding. His customers are increasing day by day. Beware of the Hidden Perils of Low Cost Hosting Some folks classify low cost web hosting on the same level as free web hosting and while this may seem a little harsh, there are certain factors one needs to be very careful about when going for low cost web hosts.One of these is downtime. Which Is The Better Server Operating System, Unix or Windows? Anybody who decides to get a web hosting service or facility for their website will also soon be faced with the tough question of what server they will need. Will their website be run by a Windows server operating system or will they prefer to go for a Unix system?Typical Windows servers will run on Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP, while Unix servers could be Linux or Open BSD to name just two. Budget Web Hosting - Dirty Secrets That Can Squash Your Websites Chance of Success When it comes to budget web hosting, there are a lot of dirty secrets that can really hurt your chance of success. However, if you know about these dirty secrets, you will be prepared and better able to handle any possible problems before they arise. The #1 Factor New Webmasters Forget to Consider when Choosing a Web Hosting Plan The ProblemToo often new webmasters sign-up with the first good hosting plan they see; they purchased a domain name, built up a site, generated a small income, and decided "Hey, this works, I should make another site". From there the webmasters purchase a new domain and begin working on a new site only to realize that their hosting plan supports only 1 pointed domain; they will have to purchase an entirely new hosting plan for each new domain name. Windows vs Linux : Hosting The Basics of Linux & Windows :Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines. Sell Web Hosting for Fun and Profit The market is good for new Web hosting companies. According to Forrester Research, there is now "positive - if modest - growth for Web hosting and managed IT services, at both the enterprise and SMB levels. The Web Hosting Industry 2005 For the "big things" to be build it was certainly needed a solid platform formed from the brochureware Web Sites connected together, that in the past ten years became suitable for e-commerce, communications and special software. That was the first decade of the Web Hosting Industry. Confessions and Tips from a Top Web Hosting Salesman Have you ever gone car shopping with a former car salesperson? Their industry and sales knowledge is powerful information vital to the average buyer. Gaining their street smarts and savvy gives the buyer an edge. Best Website Hosting is One Thats Reliable If you are looking for a solid, reliable web host, it's important to look online for recommendations of reliable web hosting companies. There are a few big names in web hosting that you can feel comfortable trusting your hosting to. Web Hosting Providers - Find A Newbie Friendly Web Site Host If you're about to set up your first web site and are completely new to running a web site, a dependable web hosting plan with stellar customer service is an absolute must. You'll want to choose a web hosting provider that can be of assistance from the moment you choose one of their web hosting plans. 4 Tips to Find the Web Host That's Right For You Choosing to make a web site is a very big decision. However, even more important than deciding to make the website itself, is choosing your web host. How to Choose the Web Site Hosting Service thats Right for You There are few things as critical to your e-business success as having a reliable web hosting service .. Top 6 Ways to Promote Your Web Hosting Business Part 2 Here are the following three methods that can help you improve your web hosting business. These three are targeted towards the service you provide:1. Web Hosting: 4 Factors in Choosing a Hosting Company When choosing a web hosting company there are a whole lot of different factors that should go into your decision making process. One of the biggest factors should be:1) Phone support. Dont Get Fooled by the Web Hosting Wolves in Sheeps Clothing! Are you looking for web hosting? If you want to set up a personal website, or a modest commercial one, you are probably in the market for an inexpensive shared hosting plan. Those entry-level plans may cost $5-10 per month, and often boast very generous features for that modest prize. How to Find Good Web Hosting for Your Site! When building your first site the main things that you will probably think about is what types of content you will be adding to your site, how you are going to get visitors to your site and how you are going to generate good revenue from your site.Well, all of the things mentioned above are crucial things to consider, but then again, what's the point in thinking about them if you can't even get a good Web host to host your site with. Linux Web Hosting: The All You Need to Know Linux web hosting is so named, based on the operating system on which the web server software, database, and coding conventions reside. The functionality and robust nature of Linux has definitely made it a very viable alternative to Microsoft and Unix-based operating systems. Windows Hosting versus Linux Hosting The matter of choosing between the operating system (OS) running the web server hosting your web site as old as the web hosting business. The OS controls all the functions of the web server hosting your site, so it comes naturally to pay special attention when choosing one over another.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
