Web Hosting made simpler

Web hosting is the first step in establishing a presence on the world wide web or the internet. So what is Web hosting?

It is a service that allows individuals or organizations to make their website accessible via the internet. . Web hosting is provided by companies known as web hosts  They have Data Centers housing a large number of servers, network equipment, high speed communication lines, cooling and backup power.Web hosting companies lease their equipment to users and make it affordable for individuals and organizations to set up their websites. When internet users want to view a website, all they need to do is type in the web address into their browser and they will be routed to the actual website hosted on a server in a data center provided by a web hosting company.

Types of web hosting

• Free hosting

This can be a very good option if you want to build a non-technical website probably for fun or as a part of college project. But in free hosting, connection speed can be really low,  Ads are added without permission making quite a clutter. Some companies require you to purchase your domain name from them while others provide you a subdomain under them.

• Shared hosting

In this a number of websites share the same server, this can be cost effective as the total cost is shared between a large number of website owners. There are , however, a number of downsides to it , one such is being slower. You can read more about it here.

• VPS hosting

Virtual private server, is for those who require a more robust server than a shared server but cannot afford the expense of a dedicated server. It is a type of dedicated hosting service where the physical server resources are divided into smaller virtual servers,where resources can be allocated in a way that does not directly reflect the underlying hardware. VPS will often be allocated resources based on a one server to many VPSs relationship, however virtualisation may be done for a number of reasons, including the ability to move a VPS container between servers. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. A detailed review about the same can be read here.

• Dedicated hosting

The user gets his/her own web server and gains all control over it. This means you can regulate the ad traffic, greater speed, as all the resources are yours without sharing it with anyone. However, this also means that you will be responsible for all the cost and maintenance of it. This is a good choice for websites that requires high levels of security or a lot of system resources. A more detailed analysis is done here.

• Colocation Services

It is similar to dedicated web hosting as in this the user will purchase his/her own server but have it hosted on a web host’s facilities. This means that the the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most effective and expensive type of web hosting service. The biggest advantage is you would have full control of the server along with providing high levels of security. A more detailed insight can be read here.

• Cloud hosting

A more recent concept and also the most convenient platform which allows customers powerful, scalable and reliable hosting based on clustered load-balanced servers and utility billing. In VPS hosting , users still share the physical resources but cloud hosting allows full virtualisation in which even if one hardware goes down other computers can still compensate for it. Cloud hosting also allows providers to charge users only for resources consumed by the user, rather than a flat fee for the amount the user expects they will use, or a fixed cost upfront hardware investment. Here you can read a detailed review about it.

Domain Registration Services

For your online presence, you first need a domain name and then a hosting service to host the domain. You buy and register your domain name through a domain registrar.  In most cases however; people buy the domain name through a web hosting company. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, most hosting companies as an incentive,  give you one domain name free if you host with them. When your first year of hosting / domain registration is over, it’s time to renew your domain. That is when you need to shop around and see who provides the cheapest domain name registration. If you just have one domain name, the price difference of $10 to $15 is not that much to make you worry about it but if you have quite a few domain names, it quickly adds up. Why spend more for the same service when you can get it cheaper, we have narrowed down a list  which will save you time. You can select the one you like the best.

There are literally thousands of web hosting services available today, ranging from free services with limited options to expensive, specialized business web hosting services. Which option you choose depends primarily on how you plan to use your website and how much you want to spend. Choose wisely.