Hosting Articles

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
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
danielp@m6.net

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Essential Ingredients for Small Business Websites: Seven "Must Have" Pages for an Effective Online Presence
To find out if your business will be effective, use this checklist of small business website essentials created by Joel Fisher, Vice President and Creative Director of national Internet marketing firm TruePresence.

How Can I Get The Web Host Services And Support I Need, Hassle-free?
Choosing a host or switching hosts can be an agonizing experience. There are so many choices and price structures.

FastServers.Net Launches Dedicated Microsoft Exchange 2003 Hosting Servers
FastServers.Net Inc., the fastest growing, award winning, fully managed hosting provider, launches a full line of dedicated Microsoft Exchange Hosting servers. The fully managed Velocity Exchange series of Windows Dedicated Servers includes complete setup, configuration, and administration services. Patch management, security updates, and full monitoring are provided at no additional costs. FastServers.Net also introduces Easy Exchange Administrator Control Panel for adding, deleting, configuring and reselling mailboxes quic...

Top 5 Online Photo Sharing Websites
In so many consumer activities the consumer is told how to use a particular product. In the technology sector, however, this practice is almost discouraged. Once people figure out how a particular technology product works they will use it as they see fit, not how somebody else deems fit.

Find a Good Web Hosting Company
Choosing a web hosting company can be bewildering. You type 'web hosting' in a search engine and you are presented with literally millions of web sites. Some are actual web hosting sites but most are probably 'review' sites and other 'best web hosting companies' type of listings. There are so many of these review / directory sites because many web hosting companies pay a commission to the site owner if they get a sale from someone coming from that site.

Doral Golf Resort & Spa and Golf Tournament Association of America to Host Tournament & Outings Educational Seminar
Doral Golf Resort & Spa and the Golf Tournament Association of America (GTAA), are hosting a complimentary golf tournament & outings educational seminar, designed to help golf tournament coordinators create more successful events.

Finding a Reliable Host
Finding reliable hosting for your business opportunity is no small task. Actually, it can be a full-time undertaking!This is because most hosting companies focus on the higher end corporate market and overlook the fast-growing small office/home office (SOHO) sector.

Freeforum hosting thatll make you feel great about
There are simply times that you dont have enough information that you need to come up with great conclusions, especially when youre looking forward to purchasing a certain product that you definitely need but there is a problem, you dont know if it would do you that absolute good that youre expecting it to give you and you are afraid of the consequences that would turn out maybe after a few weeks of trying the product if it really works or not.

Top 10 Things to Look For in a Web Host
Although this is a top 10 list, most of the following things could easily be listed as the #1 most important consideration, so take them all seriously. It doesnt matter if you are a large company, a small one, or just a hobbyist who wants to display photos of hand-painted electric trains. Everyone needs to consider the same things, just to different degrees.

FlauntR Widgetizes Desktop Grade Photo Editing for Easy Integration to Websites and Blogs
FlauntR.com launches single window web widget for online photo editing, storage and sharing, allowing users to upgrade their blog or site in minutes.

Apple Phone Show Host Scott Bourne Announces Top Ten iPhone Holiday Gift Accessories
Scott Bourne, host of the The Apple Phone Show, has announced the top ten accessories that will make every iPhone owner happy this Holiday. With 1.4 million iPhones out there in the wild, chances are you know someone who owns an iPhone. If that someone is on your holiday gift list, look at this compilation of great gift ideas ranging from $2.95 to $349.95.

Buzz Video Messenger? Spreads the Buzz and Brings Targeted Traffic to Websites
Available now at http://www.buzzvideomessenger.com is an affordable, customized, easy to install video messenger.

How to Transfer a Website to a New Host
If you have had a problem with your current hosting company or if your company just doesn't provide the features that you're looking in a hosting account then you might have decided to move from one company to another so in theory all you need to do is to migrate the data from your old server to the new server however, in most cases this is easier said than done. Let's describe all of the steps required to migrate your data from one company to another.

Sacramento County Bar Association to Host Seminar on Patent Law Changes
The patent law landscape is rapidly changing, and businesses need more help than ever protecting one of their most valuable resources -- intellectual property. The Sacramento County Bar Association will be hosting "The Business End of Patents," a forum designed to help businesses fortify their existing patent portfolio, learn new ways to use their portfolios to gain advantages in the market, and navigate their way through the complex maze of patent law. Cindy Faatz, Assistant Director of Patents for Intel, will share her insights on what it's like to protect one of the world's largest patent portfolios. She'll be joined by a panel of practicing intellectual property attorneys and Prof. Amy Landers, author of "Patent Law Fundamentals" and pr...