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As a web user, you can host powerful websites with both UNIX and Windows hosting. However, there are few differences in the way it is operated. In the case of UNIX hosting, you can create dynamic content using CGI scripts, PHP, MySQL databases software. You can create a secure, stable and a robust website using UNIX. However, windows used .NET technologies, VB, SQL server to develop the solutions required for hosting.
To conclude, it is up to the user to choose a hosting solution based on their knowledge and experience in their respective platforms.
The term PCI stands for Payments and Cards Industry. A server should comply to PCI security standards if the website hosted involves any payment processing. In other words, if your website involves any payment transaction, it has to be hosted in a PCI compliant server. Following are its mandated functions,
Builds and maintains a secure network through firewalls, to protect the cardholder data.
Employs strong data protection services to protect the data from breaching. It also ensures the cardholder information is encrypted during the transmission process.
Regularly updates the anti-virus software and places strong access control measures to avoid unauthorized access of data.
When a hosting account is mapped exclusively to a unique IP address, it is called Dedicated IP. That means, the IP address is dedicated to your own website use and not shared with other hosting accounts. It is mostly used by websites that involve customers on a large scale like e-commerce store, so as to keep their information secure. Use of dedicated IPs for your website can handle high traffic to your website, thus improving your ranking in search engines.
Content delivery network is basically a group of servers that are distributed geographically to deliver your content faster. So how does this CDN works? Firstly, the static content of websites like pictures and videos are cached to the servers that are located nearby the browsing population. These are called node servers. Then, when the website in question is accessed, the static cached content is loaded from the node server, thus distributing the load off from its personal server. This makes sure that the website content is available faster to any user across the world.
When you are hosting an e-commerce website, speed, security and scalability are the three major factors to be considered. With the right kind of hosting, you can generate good traffic and maintain your e-commerce website with ease. That said, a VPS or Dedicated hosting remains a preferred choice, as to shared hosting. Shared hosting is not recommended, as it is always a security and performance risk when sharing server space with other websites. But, that’s not the case with VPS or Dedicated hosting. As we all know, a VPS have the ability to scale up the resources based on the website’s needs, and can easily serve up to e-commerce expectations. Similarly, a website set up in the dedicated server has a unique IP address, dedicated resources and security configured for e-commerce needs.
WordPress hosting is basically a one and all service, where the host server manages all the technical requirements of the WordPress. That means all functions related to uptime, regular WordPress updates, backups, security, and speed are managed by the host, for WordPress. This type of hosting helps the user to concentrate on creating the websites, rather than worrying about the underlying technical requirements. In addition, the user can get excellent customer support from WordPress experts, addressing real solutions to your needs.
In the present day, most of the web hosting companies come with the term “Unlimited Space”. For instance, Ipage, Bluehost etc., offers a hosting server for less than $5 with all the “Unlimited” space, bandwidth etc. These offers sound technically great, but when it comes to implementation the user does face some limitations.
Basically, your website does not that actual “Unlimited Space” feature at all, as the size your files will not take much space! However, the problem comes when you try to store data more than 1TB or so. And, if you take a closer look at their Terms and Conditions, you might be charged extra in case your website occupies more space than necessary! That says, the concept of “unlimited space” really doesn’t exist, and even if so, it comes with an additional price.
Thus, it is technically impossible for a hosting service to offer “Unlimited space”.
A basic web hosting plan should provide good storage and bandwidth, speed due to their well-connected data centers. Features like CPanel, regular security and firewall updates, round the clock technical support be provided to help the users build and manage a secure website. Also, the hosting server should have a good network uptime (99.99% – 100% ) and a page load time (200-300ms). A site builder should be offered free, preferably as One-click install, which makes even a beginner create a website in no time with minimal investment. Most importantly, the service provider should give a good refund policy, allowing users to try out their facilities and switch if needed.
Most of the web hosting companies offer all the basic features required for hosting a website. SSD/ HDD Storage space, bandwidth, RAM, Cpanel, security updates, firewall, 24*7 customer support, and refund policy are few mandated features the web hosting company provides. Also, they offer WordPress installation, that comes with free plugins and other integration apps. Few offer free email accounts, advertising credits, e-commerce support, and free CDN accounts. Website migration is an important aspect of a web hosting service, that helps users to switch them from their previous hosting company. This service can be either charged or free, depending on the hosting company or the plan they take.
Though it is interesting to receive a free domain offers from the web hosting service, we would recommend you to register a domain name separately! Sounds unreasonable, isn’t? Now, here are some reasons,
● Domain transfer indeed becomes a hassle, when you are not satisfied with the current web hosting service and planning to transfer your provider. In this case, a simple change in the DNS settings of the domain name would do wonders, rather than taking up the pain of domain transfer procedures. Same applies if you have multiple domains.
● In case, your website is hacked, you can still protect your domain name, instead of losing it to hackers. Not involving web hosting providers in domain registering is a wise choice in terms of security.
● Many web hosting services provide free domain name registration only for the specific extensions. This often forces you to consider unattractive name options. Registering the domain names elsewhere gives wide choices and flexibility in choosing the desired name.
A Virtual Private Server Hosting and a Shared Hosting differs in every aspect of resource sharing! Let’s see the stark difference between the two,
Resource Availability: You share a server with many other users in a shared hosting whereas, in VPS, a dedicated virtual machine with a pre-allocated resource cap is available. In general, a website hosted in VPS shows more performance than in Shared hosting.
Security: Sharing a website with others may pose several threats. But in VPS, each website is private from other users and your website will be completely secure.
Scalability: A VPS is much more scalable when compared to Shared Hosting, and perfect for a website which requires continuous growth.
Though other factors like Pricing and Server maintenance are effective in Shared Hosting, those requirements alone are not enough to run your website in a seamless manner.
Thus said, a VPS hosting is far better than a Shared Hosting!
If you are looking to set up a hosting network for maintaining solutions for Mid-Size and Large organization, YES, Cloud Hosting is the preferred choice. Following are the few benefits of using cloud hosting,
● Resources that can be shared among the network are highly scalable. As the users grow, so does the availability of resources like storage etc. Also, the business need not pay a license fee for each software solution it uses, thus making it cost-effective.
● Data backup and recovery has never been easy, thanks to the advent of Cloud computing! Each network is secured and backed up on a regular basis, that makes it handy in events of data loss.
● A need of physical server is no longer in the picture, as the data is stored in your private cloud. This reduces the cost on the need to maintain physical server and
● A Cloud network can be accessed from any devices like laptops, tablets, mobile devices from anywhere in the world, thus providing greater flexibility.
Hosting a website on a VPS is the better option for people who are not considering both Shared and Dedicated servers, as it gives the benefits of both options. The Operating system, computing storage allocated for you is not shared by any other users, that gives you exclusive access to the resources. For a website with increasing growth, VPS is the perfect hosting option, as the resources are scalable based on the traffic generated. The files are stored and backed up on a regular basis, thereby your data is safe and secure.
So, if you are considering to start hosting on a VPS or move from Shared to VPS, it is a big YES!
Cloud hosting is a process where you can host your website on a server that resides on a cloud. The resources needed for computing will be used from a network of physical web servers. You can use and pay for its services based on your requirements. Cloud hosting provides a scalable, secure and a private hosting environment, making your website availability a top priority!
With ever-growing business needs, a business has to scale up its IT infrastructure within time and a limited budget. When the infrastructure has to scaled and maintained physically, the process becomes tedious and slow. In addition, improper utilization of the hardware/ software services installed can lead to increased expenses. This is where Cloud Computing comes into the picture!
Cloud computing is a process, in which all the infrastructure can be accessed over the internet. It consists of highly optimized data centers that maintain hardware, software and other information sources, that can be accessed on a need basis. Now a business can simply connect to a cloud and use its resources on a pay per use basis. No more hassle of downscaling or upscaling the infrastructure is required and a lot of time and money is saved!
There are three types of cloud computing service
● Private
● Public and
● Hybrid
Private: A Private cloud is owned by a single organization with a private network. It is a highly secured server.
Public: Public cloud is owned by the service provider. When a company opts for Public cloud, it shares the resources along with many other users. This deployment model increases the efficiency of the resources.
Hybrid: A Hybrid cloud is a combination of both private and public models. Few functions of the organization will be run in a private network and few others shared from the public cloud. This deployment model increases the efficiency of the resources.
Cloud computing provides three types of Service models IaaS, PaaS and SaaS which can be used by an organization for effective collaboration and functioning of resources.
There are some things you can do to make your shared hosting work as well as possible.
Use a Content Delivery Network: It is one effective method to offload the delivery of static files to faster servers. This will greatly increase your page speed and decrease your hosting resource usage.
Use a caching plugin: If you are running a WordPress site or Drupal, make sure you have application-level caching set up.
Minify and combine resources: It is not a necessity to have a dozen different stylesheets and six different JavaScript files. These can usually be combined into single files and minified.
Compress files: Use gzip to make files as small as possible.
Keep your apps updated: Most security problems can be avoided by simply keeping all of your installed applications updated to their latest versions.
Don’t host your own media: Use YouTube or Vimeo to host your videos. Use Soundcloud, iTunes, or another service for audio.
Even though Shared Hosting promises exciting features for users, the reality there are certain significant drawbacks.
● The first and foremost disadvantage is the number of users sharing the server. Your site’s performance now entirely depends on the availability of shared resources. For instance, your neighboring website might get all the resources due to high traffic, limiting your resource need.
● Lack of security is another primary concern for a shared website. In case, if a shared user does not have proper security controls in place, there is a high chance of the server getting hacked. This can create problems for all the users who share a particular server.
● Slower loading times and security risk posed websites may affect your google search ranking. This can lead to underperforming website and loss of potential customers.
If your website is growing in terms of Google ranking and business, it is highly recommended to switch to a VPS or Dedicated server.
Shared hosting is an arrangement where several websites can access a predefined amount of a server’s resources. It is one of the cost-effective options for hosting a website. Following are the few advantages of starting your website with shared hosting.
● Great for website owners who are looking for an economic hosting package. The price starts from as low as $2.99 to $9.99 per month. Upgrades are made easier as your site grows!
● Most hosting packages offer Cpanel, to manage the website services.
● In addition, technical maintenance for the server is supported by the service provider, that makes it easier to maintain
There are many Web hosting services that can be chosen based on your business needs. Following are the few hosting types commonly in practice,
Shared Hosting:
As the name suggests, the server is being shared by multiple websites. It is one of the cost-effective methods to host a website as the server charges are shared among the users. If you have an entry level website and expect minimal traffic, Shared hosting will be your right choice!
Cloud Hosting:
Cloud hosting is of advanced technology, where you use the combined resources of different computers connected in a network. If you are expecting your website business to grow over a period of time and pay as you need, cloud hosting is the perfect option!
Virtual Private Server:
A Virtual Private Server is a virtual dedicated machine that resides on a computer that serves many websites. Each virtual server has its own operating system and a hosting software. The Virtual Machine will have limited access to memory and storage attributes of its physical server. Thus, users who have a website in a VPS are completely unaware of other websites hosted by its physical server, making it a private or dedicated server.
Dedicated Server:
When you rent a server dedicated to serving your website alone, it is a dedicated server. You can have full control over the server’s operating system. There is no hassle that may occur due to shared resources, which gives your website a high performance by accommodating more traffic.
Managed WordPress Hosting:
WordPress is a popular content management solution and currently, many web hosting servers offer to manage its installation. With a cost-effective monthly charge, you can get a WordPress website hosted and customized in a short time. The hosting server also takes the responsibility of regular software and security updates for your website protection. It is a perfect hosting option for startups!
An EPP key, also known as Transfer Secret is a random code made of numbers and special characters, generated by the domain registrar. The code protects your domain from unauthorized access and plays a vital role during domain name transfer.
Domain names are usually registered with an organization called ICANN through Domain Registrar. A fee is usually levied for the registration purpose. Purchasing a domain name with the help of web hosting service is a popular method. The service provider registers the name on your behalf free of cost. But the subsequent renewal fee for maintaining the domain is charged from you, on an annual basis.
Setting up a website usually takes less time and it all depends on what kind of hosting servers you signed up for. Once an account is created with the web hosting providers, the set up will be done within as early as 1 hour to 48 hours.
For instance, hosting of WordPress, Shared sites take less an hour, whereas VPS set up can take up to 4 hours based on the inclusion of CPanel. Dedicated servers usually take 24 to 48 hours for complete setup.
No. But, It is always fair to know few basic terminologies and the functions of hardware while using web hosting. Even though you ought to work on the software end, understanding the functions of hardware can give you a clear picture of how the data is handled. This knowledge can be handy during times of website performance, disaster recovery, website migration etc., which needs technical assistance from the server side. Knowing technical basics beforehand can help us to identify the problems faster and solve it in a shorter time.
Backing up of a website is a mandatory activity that has to be performed on a regular basis. Not scheduling a backup option for your website can make data recovery difficult during a sudden loss of data. Though many of the web hosting services include free back up provision, it is your responsibility to avail proper backup plans required for your data.
Following are the few backup methods that you can avail based on data sensitivity and budget.
Manual backups can be done by file downloads. Cpanel backups can be performed from its interface by clicking on the “Backup” Icon and stored in the preferred local directory. Cloud backups are the most efficient ones. Products like Amazon S3 and Dropbox are perfect solutions for data recovery. Automated software like CodeGuard and DropMysite backups the data on a daily basis and also prevents the code from malware attacks.
Disk space is the amount of data that can be stored in the web server. Having a disk space is one of the mandatory requirements for a website. Usually, a website comprises files of HTML, audio, video, programs, scripts, databases, email accounts etc.
The amount of disk space depends on the type and size of the data, the website is going to use. For instance, a shopping website having more pages with high-resolution pictures take additional space when compared to a simple blog with little or no pictures. In general, disk space can be estimated by the size of a web page, the number of pages required and the potential future growth of your website.
Bandwidth is the amount of data and traffic that is transferred between the web server and users, along with the upload, download and file transfer processes. It also depends upon the size of a web page and the number of visitors expected. Usually, a hosting package serves appropriate bandwidth limit when purchasing a web server. Greater the bandwidth deployed for a website, more the users can access with rewarding user experience and show improved performance. It is mandatory to determine the bandwidth limit required for your website. Failure to do so, may lack website performance or incur additional charges from the web hosting provider.
When you are creating a website, all the files and data should be physically stored in a high-powered computer, connected to the internet. These computers are called web servers. Web hosting is the process in which the service providers will have many such web servers in a single place. Apart from hosting your website, they also provide software, security, and bandwidth that is required to be connected to the internet. In short, web hosting can be implied as storing your web pages in a server that attracts many visitors when connected to the internet.
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique logical number assigned to a device connected in a TCP-IP Network. In a layman’s terms, it is an address for a computer in a network. Just like a house has an address for identification, a computer has to have an address to identify itself in a network.
An IP address is one of the major components of Internet communication, as it helps the device to communicate with other nodes or networks. It is generated and assigned to a device by Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
An IP address two parts, network and host. The network part specifies to which address the IP belongs and the host part gives the location information. In other words, the network part has details same as the street name where a house resides and host part is the same as house number.
Search Engine Optimization is the process of making a website visible in the google search, in an organic way. When contents like images, keywords, and videos are optimized for SEO, it makes the website more searchable, improving its Google/ Yahoo or Bing ranking. SEO helps the business owners to bring prospective customers to their websites, thus increasing their conversion rates.
ASP.net is an open-source server-side web application framework designed by Microsoft, to develop web applications and services. It provides a structured programming model for creating dynamic web pages using languages like C#, VB, and JScript. The framework is built on HTTP commands and rules, to achieve the server and browser communications. The use of object-oriented programming and DLLs in the framework makes the website powerful, secure and stable.
A Virtual Private Server is a virtual dedicated machine that resides on a computer that serves many websites. Each virtual server has its own operating system and a hosting software. The Virtual Machine will have limited access to memory and storage attributes of its physical server. Thus, users who have a website in a VPS are completely unaware of other websites hosted by its physical server, making it a private or dedicated server.
Owning a VPS has its own advantages. Firstly, users have full authority to access their Operating system. Also, a user can host multiple websites in the VPS, which could target different customers.
Domain name is a logical entity that provides an identity to your website name. In other words, it is the address of your website, which enables access to internet users. Usually, the address is composed of numbers, which of course is very difficult to remember. So an entity called Domain name is assigned to these numbers, which are easy to be identified by users.
The domain name has to be created first, even before a website is made. There are many domain registrars like godaddy.com, namecheap.com where you can register your name with minimal costs. Once your domain name with appropriate extensions is finalised, you can check out through PayPal or credit card to make payment. Hurray! An awesome personalized domain name is now available for your use!!
Please note that your domain name should have appropriate extensions.For example, .com, .org, .edu, .club, .info are popular top-level domains named based on the website category. Extensions like .in, .eu are few examples of country code level domain. Domain name comes with a yearly fee that varies based on the extensions we use.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a small data file that carries the secure key to an organization’s details. A secured site can be identified with a padlock, green bar, and an https protocol, that ensures the data transmitted between the web server and browser is secure. It provides authentication, to make sure the information we send through the browser is directed to the right server. Sensitive information like user details, credit card information, logins and passwords are encrypted to avoid identity theft from hackers. SSL is one of the mandatory need for the website to be PCI compliant and protect your website from hacking and phishing attacks.
How does a web hosting service work?
Web hosting is a server where you can store your website information, to be accessed via the internet. In general, web hosting is a company which gives their storage and technological benefits to website owners. Once the website name is typed in the browser, the website files are fetched from the hosting servers and made available to the respective user. A web hosting server can be configured for speed, storage and other advanced technologies to have seamless data availability.
A Website Builder is an online tool that builds a website in a quick and efficient way, without the need for technical skills. It is preferred by users who need a smaller website in a short time within a tight budget. One can create a professional looking website from its pre-designed templates in a less amount of time. The websites built are secure, mobile compatible, integrated with social media plugins, e-commerce tools and have a regular backup. Weebly, Jimdo, and RapidWeaver are few online/ offline website builders available for website creation.
The number of connections a single server can handle mainly depends on the configuration of RAM and CPU. More the space and capacity of the hardware, more the users a server can handle.
The server’s availability also depends on the type of transaction a user is going to make on a website. Say, how long the user has opened a shopping web page or making a financial transaction.
One more factor to consider is the scope of the website. Certain website attracts many users at a time. For example, on a page that has registration details for a scheduled marathon, many users tend to register at the last minute. In that case, the website will be unavailable or inevitably slow!
To summarize, there is no such final number on the number of connections that a single server can handle. It is mostly determined by the configuration of the server and the expected traffic.
Though both Linux and Window based hosting are stable and powerful, there are few differences in the way it operates. Linux hosting runs on free open source platform and hence a cost-effective option. Powerful features of PHP, MongoDB, Python, MySQL and Apache servers are used for server functionality. On the contrary, Windows hosting runs on its proprietary source code and a hefty licence fee is included for its use. The system is built with platforms aided by ASP.NET, MSSQL and other Microsoft products. In a nutshell, you have to decide based on the platform you are familiar with.
CPanel is a web-based control panel that works on Linux based hosting servers. It is a popular website and server management tool with powerful features. The intuitive and easy to use graphical user interface enables any user to install software and automation tools, without prior technical knowledge. Creating domains, subdomains, email accounts, access to server statistics are some of its useful features. Cpanel is popular for its,
● Scalability
● Use of Value added services and other advanced features
● Low cost, easy maintenance and secured.
There are several general categories of web hosting:
1. Shared Hosting. This involves many customers sharing a single machine.
2. VPS, or Virtual Private Server With VPS hosting, each customer has their own virtual machine. Several virtual machines are usually run on top of a cluster of hardware.
3. Dedicated server hosting – Involves the customer having complete use of an actual server, which is essentially rented from the hosting company.
4. Cloud Hosting is a type of VPS hosting plan in which the Virtual Machines are running on large pools of computing power — dozens or hundreds of machines networked together into a “cloud.” This is also sometimes called “scalable VPS” hosting and is a fast-growing sector of the hosting business.
In this type of hosting multiple websites share a single server. Customers are partitioned from each other so they have no access to others files.
Good thing with shared hosting is that they are the cheapest plans. They are easy to setup and usually the best option if you are just starting out. Most hosting companies have different shared hosting packages to cover your needs.
These are best suited for blogs, small organizations, services etc but not good for high traffic websites, e-commerce websites.
The problem with shared hosting is that the sites are usually slow to load, since you are sharing the resources. And once your site starts getting a lot of traffic, it gets worse. Also, if one or the other website (sharing server space with yours) gets a lot of traffic it may cause outages or slow down. To handle this, hosting companies monitor your bandwidth and may ask you to pay extra for the traffic even if you are on an unlimited plan.
Yes, you would need to buy a domain name.
You can set up free blogs at wordpress.com or tumblr. But for serious work and to make your website look professional, you would need a domain name.
To buy a domain, you have to go to a domain registrar and search for the name you want for your domain.
Linux hosting refers to shared hosting, the most popular hosting service in the industry. In fact, most of the websites are now hosted using Linux hosting due to its affordable price and flexibility. Linux hosting is compatible with PHP and MySQL, which supports scripts such as WordPress, Zen Cart, and phpBB. Windows hosting, on the other hand, uses Windows as the servers’ operating system and offers Windows-specific technologies such as ASP, .NET, Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL server (MSSQL).
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is the standard technology used to make sure that your data is secure. When data is transferred between your website and server, SSL makes sure that it is impossible to read, thereby preventing hackers from reading it. The data could be in any form like your customer’s financial information, credit card information etc. Thus SSL is a must to secure your website.
Your website may contain files like images, audio/videos, and document. Disk space is the amount of space available for you to store these files at any given time. Your Email account is also a part of the disk space. Some hosting limit the amount of disk space, some offer unlimited disk space.
Your website may contain files like images, audio/videos, and document. Disk space is the amount of space available for you to store these files at any given time. Your Email account is also a part of the disk space. Some hosting limit the amount of disk space, some offer unlimited disk space.
Every time a user visits your website, data is transferred. Measurement of that data transfer is called bandwidth. Sites with images, audio, videos require higher bandwidth than text based. Some web hosts offer unlimited bandwidth, some charge for higher bandwidth.
Domain name is the name of the website you choose. You need to purchase this name from the domain registrar. Domain name could cost between few dollars to thousands of dollars, depending upon the availability and popularity of the name.
Your website may contain images, text, audios, videos, documents etc. When you purchase web hosting, you get storage space, so that your website could be published and made available on the internet.