hosting

The scope of hosting services varies widely. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.
Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also highly recommended.
The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company. To find a web hosting company, searchable directories can be used. One must be extremely careful when searching for a new company because many of the people promoting service providers are actually affiliates and the reviews are biased.

Hosting reliability and uptime

Multiple racks of servers, and how a datacenter commonly looks.
Hosting uptime refers to the percentage of time the host is accessible via the internet. Many providers state that they aim for a 99.9% uptime, but there may be server restarts and planned (or unplanned) maintenance in any hosting environment.
A common claim from the popular hosting providers is '99% or 99.9% server uptime' but this often refers only to a server being powered on and doesn't account for network downtime. Real downtime can potentially be larger than the percentage guaranteed by the provider. Many providers tie uptime and accessibility into their own service level agreement (SLA). SLAs sometimes include refunds or reduced costs if performance goals are not met.

Types of hosting

A typical server "cage," commonly seen in colocation centres.
Internet hosting services can run Web servers; see Internet hosting services.
Hosting services limited to the Web:
Free web hosting service: is free, (sometimes) advertisement-supported web hosting, and is often limited when compared to paid hosting.
Shared web hosting service: one's Web site is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few to hundreds or thousands. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as RAM and the CPU. A shared website may be hosted with a reseller.
Reseller web hosting: allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a provider. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server.
Virtual Dedicated Server: dividing a server into virtual servers, where each user feels like they're on their own dedicated server, but they're actually sharing a server with many other users. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. This is also known as a virtual private server or VPS.
Dedicated hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server and gains full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, the user typically does not own the server. Another type of Dedicated hosting is Self-Managed or Unmanaged. This is usually the least expensive for Dedicated plans. The user has full administrative access to the box, which means the client is responsible for the security and maintenance of his own dedicated box.
Managed hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server but is not allowed full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, they are allowed to manage their data via FTP or other remote management tools. The user is disallowed full control so that the provider can guarantee quality of service by not allowing the user to modify the server or potentially create configuration problems. The user typically does not own the server. The server is leased to the client.
Colocation web hosting service: similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of the web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have his own administrator visit the data center on site to do any hardware upgrades or changes.
Clustered hosting: having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization. Clustered Servers are a perfect solution for high-availability dedicated hosting, or creating a scalable web hosting solution.
Grid hosting : this form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.
Home server: usually a single machine placed in a private residence can be used to host one or more web sites from a usually consumer-grade broadband connection. These can be purpose-built machines or more commonly old PC's.
Some ISPs actively attempt to block home servers by disallowing incoming requests to TCP port 80 of the user's connection and by refusing to provide static IP addresses. A common way to attain a reliable DNS hostname is by creating an account with a dynamic DNS service. A dynamic DNS service will automatically change the IP address that a URL points to when the IP address changes.
Some specific types of hosting provided by web host service providers:
File hosting service: hosts files, not web pages
Image hosting service
Video hosting service
Blog hosting service
One-click hosting
Shopping cart software

Obtaining hosting
Web hosting is often provided as part of a general Internet access plan; there are many free and paid providers offering these services.
A customer needs to evaluate the requirements of the application to choose what kind of hosting to use. Such considerations include database server software, scripting software, and operating system. Most hosting providers provide Linux-based web hosting which offers a wide range of different software. A typical configuration for a Linux server is the LAMP platform: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python. The webhosting client may want to have other services, such as email for their business domain, databases or multi-media services for streaming media. A customer may also choose Windows as the hosting platform. The customer still can choose from PHP, Perl, and Python but may also use ASP .Net or Classic ASP.
Web hosting packages often include a Web Content Management System, so the end-user doesn't have to worry about the more technical aspects. These Web Content Management systems are great for the average user, but for those who want more control over their website design, this feature may not be adequate.
Most modern desktop operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OSX) are also capable of running web server software, and thus can be used to host basic websites.
One may also search the Internet to find active webhosting message boards and forums that may provide feedback on what type of webhosting company may suit his/her needs.

How To Build A Web Site, Easily

By WorkZ Staff

Maybe you've got a bright idea for a Web business, or your boss designated you moonlighting developer for the company's new Web site. Either way, you've got to build a site pronto.

Here's an overview of basic site-building options, whether you plan to build the site yourself or outsource the whole shebang.

First, you must have access to the Internet. If you don't already have an account with an Internet service provider (ISP), your first order of business is to get connected. ISPs generally provide a least one e-mail address and often a small allotment of disk space on their servers for your Web site.

Besides nationwide services such as AOL, Earthlink, AT&T WorldNet and America Online, a plethora of reliable and affordable ISPs is available in your area. Sign up for the fastest connection you can afford.

If you already have an account with an ISP that includes server space, here's what you need:

Server space. Obtain at least 10 megabytes of disk space on your ISP's server. If you plan to grow, you'll need not only more space but also more substantial storefront services. Some ISPs offer larger disk space allotments, site and store building services, and e-commerce functions. If yours doesn't, you'll need a Web host, a hosting service catering specifically to Internet business needs. Selecting a Web host can be tricky if you don't understand the terminology. Read carefully and ask questions to choose a service package that fits your business goals.

Domain name. A Web address representing your company name or brand is easier to remember than a long, irrelevant URL. Besides, if you move your site to another location, the domain name can travel with you. Prices have dropped in the past couple of years as the number of domain name registrars exploded. As a result, you can now buy a domain name for as little as $15 (U.S.) per year.

HTML and graphics editing skills. While you can eke out Web pages with little or no knowledge of these skills, it's in your best interest to learn the rudimentary features of coding HTML and optimizing graphics.

Forget expensive classes and pricey books. Get online and use your favorite search engines to find a couple of good HTML tutorials and basic guides to image optimization. Then dive in. Once you learn the basics and build a few dummy pages to test your skills, any qualms you've felt will vanish.

Software. The simplest way to narrow your software choices is to determine the amount of HTML coding you want to do. If you want maximum control over the HTML structure, use a code-based editor such as Allaire's Homesite ($99, PC) or Bare Bones' BBEdit ($119, Mac). Otherwise a WYSIWYG editor is probably best for you, among which Macromedia Dreamweaver ($299, PC and MAC), Microsoft FrontPage ($149, PC) and Adobe GoLive ($299, PC and Mac) are popular.

If you include graphics on your site in any form, you need an image editor such as Paint Shop Pro. Working with your own photographs requires a scanner, a digital camera or a digitizing service to import them to your image editor.

Or download images for a fee or free of charge from various stock photography Web sites. Though more costly, you could also hire a professional to photograph your products and prepare the images for the Web.

File transfer protocol (FTP) is the most common method of transferring Web pages to the server where they'll reside. Shareware FTP clients are a dime a dozen on the Web. The most widely used are WS_FTP and CuteFTP for PC and Fetch for Mac. Some Web authoring programs have FTP functions built in.

Processing online transactions requires:

Shopping carts. Most Web hosts offer shopping cart technology as an extra feature to regular hosting plans. Depending on the technology they use, it can be as easy as filling in the options on a Web-based form to create a catalog of products. Or it can involve tinkering with CGI scripts and uploading them to your site, which, if you aren't familiar with Unix file terms, can be a nightmare.

If you choose your Web host's shopping cart option, make sure it uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to protect your customers' information.

Accepting payments. You'll need a merchant account to accept payments online. Web hosts can connect you with a bank or payment-processing firm with which you can apply. Offer your customers payment by check or credit card.

Provide a form for customers to print and send in with a check. On the form, explain the delay in processing a check order and shipment. Some merchant accounts offer services to process check orders via phone, fax or e-mail.

Credit card payments can be made by phone, by e-mail or can be processed via the Internet. Real-time credit card payments via the Internet require a merchant account provider that can process orders using secure encryption technology.

Hire a designer. You can bypass building the site yourself by hiring someone. This includes hiring a company, an individual or possibly your Web host to write the HTML code or to manage all aspects of your e-commerce endeavor.

This costs more and it won't necessarily get the site up more quickly, but you won't be burdened with learning Web design, Web hosting, domain name and e-commerce issues.

Store in a can. The quickest way to go from starting point to full-blown e-commerce site is to join a store-hosting site like Yahoo! Store, Bigstep.com or FreeMerchant.com.

These services provide, in one stop and at relatively low cost, all components of running an online store, such as shopping carts, merchant accounts, e-mail newsletters and auctions.

All you need is a connection to the Internet from which to manage the store. After opening an account, follow the instructions on how to upload images and company and product information.

Whatever method you choose to use to build your site, be sure to read the fine print of any user and customer agreements. And remember to keep your site as simple and easy to navigate as possible. Your customers will appreciate this.

top web hosting companies

Rank	Name	Price/mo	Setup	Diskspace	Bandwidth	POP	Features	Editor's Rating
1	Lunarpages	$6.95	Free	1,500 GB	15,000 GB	Unlimited	ASP, JSP, PHP (FREE Domain For Life! + 10 Free Add-ons), Fantastico, RoR, etc.	+ Lunarpages Review
2	IX Web Hosting	$4.95	Free	Unlimited	Unlimited	2,500	CGI-bin, PHP, FPage, 1 Static IP (FREE Domain For Life)	IX Web Hosting Review
3	Hostmonster	$6.95	Free	1,500 GB	15,000 GB	Unlimited	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, FPage, SSH, etc. (FREE Domain)	Hostmonster Review
4	HostGator	$6.95	Free	350 GB	3,000 GB	Unlimited	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, FPage, Fantastico, RoR, etc.	HostGator Review
5	LowestHosting	$4.95	Free	200 MB	200 GB	Unlimited	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, Frontpage, etc. (FREE Domain)	LowestHosting Review
6	BlueHost	$6.95	Free	1,500 GB	15,000 GB	2,500	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, FPage, SSH, RoR, etc. (FREE Domain)	BlueHost Review
7	Easy CGI	$7.96	Free	350 GB	3,500 GB	500	CGI-bin, ASP.NET, ASP, PHP, mySQL, FPage, SmarterStats	Easy CGI Review
8	StartLogic	$6.95	Free	1,500 GB	15,000 GB	Unlimited	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, FPage, $50 credit, etc. (FREE Domain)	Startlogic Review
9	AN Hosting	$6.95	Free	500 GB	5,000 GB	Unlimited	Host 20 domains, CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL (FREE Domain)	AN Hosting Review
10	iPowerWeb	$7.95	Free	1,500 GB	15,000 GB	2,500	CGI-bin, PHP, mySQL, FPage, Website Builder(FREE Domain)	iPowerweb Review
= Editor's Pick | = 5-Star Rating | = 4-Star Rating

hosting

Service scope

The scopes of hosting services vary widely. The most basic is webpage and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.

Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also required.

The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company. To find a web hosting company, there are searchable directories that can be used. One must be extremely careful when searching for a new company because many of the people promoting service providers are actually affiliates and the reviews are biased.

Hosting reliability and uptime

Multiple racks of servers, and how a datacenter commonly looks.

Hosting uptime refers to the percentage of time the host is accessible via the internet. Many providers state that they aim for a 99.9% uptime, but there may be server restarts and planned (or unplanned) maintenance in any hosting environment.

A common claim from the popular hosting providers is '99% or 99.9% server uptime' but this often refers only to a server being powered on and doesn't account for network downtime. Real downtime can potentially be larger than the percentage guaranteed by the provider. Many providers tie uptime, and accessibility, into their own Service Level Agreement, or SLA. SLAs may or may not include refunds, or reduced costs if performance goals are not met.

Types of hosting

A typical server "cage," commonly seen in colocation centres.

Internet hosting services can run Web servers; see Internet hosting services.

Hosting services limited to the Web:

• Free web hosting service: is free, (sometimes) advertisement-supported web hosting, and is often limited when compared to paid hosting.
• Shared web hosting service: one's Web site is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few to hundreds or thousands. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as RAM and the CPU. A shared website may be hosted with a reseller.
• Reseller web hosting: allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a provider. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server.
• Virtual Dedicated Server: dividing a server into virtual servers, where each user feels like they're on their own dedicated server, but they're actually sharing a server with many other users. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. This is also known as a virtual private server or VPS.
• Dedicated hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server and gains full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, the user typically does not own the server. Another type of Dedicated hosting is Self-Managed or Unmanaged. This is usually the least expensive for Dedicated plans. The user has full administrative access to the box, which means the client is responsible for the security and maintenance of his own dedicated box.
• Managed hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server but is not allowed full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, they are allowed to manage their data via FTP or other remote management tools. The user is disallowed full control so that the provider can guarantee quality of service by not allowing the user to modify the server or potentially create configuration problems. The user typically does not own the server. The server is leased to the client.
• Colocation web hosting service: similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of the web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have his own administrator visit the data center on site to do any hardware upgrades or changes.
• Clustered hosting: having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization.
• Grid hosting : this form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.
• Home server: usually a single machine placed in a private residence can be used to host one or more websites from a usually consumer-grade broadband connection. These can be purpose-built machines or more commonly old PC's.

Some ISP's actively attempt to block these servers by disallowing incoming requests to TCP port 80 of the user's connection and by refusing to provide static IP addresses.

Some specific types of hosting provided by web host service providers:

• File hosting service: hosts not web pages but files
• Image hosting service
• Video hosting service
• Blog hosting service
• One-click hosting
• Shopping cart software

Obtaining hosting

Web hosting is often provided as part of a general Internet access plan; there are many free and paid providers offering these services.

A customer needs to evaluate the requirements of the applicatio

n to choose what kind of hosting to use. Such considerations include database server software, scripting software, and operating system. Most hosting providers provide Linux-based web hosting which offers a wide range of different software. A typical configuration for a Linux server is the LAMP platform: Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python. The webhosting client may want to have other services, such as email for their business domain, databases or multi-media services for streaming media. A customer may also choose Windows for its hosting platform. The customer still can choose from PHP, Perl, and Python but may also use ASP .Net or Classic ASP.

Web hosting packages often include a Web Content Management System, so the end-user doesn't have to worry about the more technical aspects.

One may also search the Internet to find active webhosting message boards that may provide feedback on what type of webhosting company may suit his/her needs.

The Hosting Website

Information About Web Hosting

Just about anybody can create a presence on the Internet. Building a web site can be as simple as using a word processor, but once you have the site you need a way to publish it on the World Wide Web. This is where website hosting companies come into their own.

The Hosting Website aims to provide you with an overview of hosting, web hosts and what to look for when choosing one for your business or site.

A web host rents you disk space and provides all the services necessary to allow others to see your site online. Barring technical problems, a web host operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that anybody in the world can access your web site at any time.

There are literally thousands of web hosts to choose from so choosing an appropriate host can be a difficult task. The prices range from free to hundreds of dollars a year. Hosting companies can offer a multitude of services that can be confusing to a newcomer. This series of articles will help you to sort out all the information available and give you the confidence to make the proper decision about choosing a web host.

Free or Paid Hosting?

There are plenty of hosting companies that provide free hosting, so why bother paying for it? The old adage 'You get what you pay for' is just as valid in the electronic age as it was 100 years ago. In web hosting, when you pay nothing you sometimes end up with nothing.

Most free web hosts offer limited services. Even though they are not charging you to host your website, they still need to make money. They often do this by placing advertising on your site. You probably won't have any control over what kind of ads show up – it's a matter of take it or leave it.

In addition, free hosts may restrict the content you place on your site. You may not be allowed to sell things or have certain content such as videos or music. Finally, your web site could simply disappear overnight. New companies that offer free hosting pop up almost everyday, but they also vanish with astonishing regularity. When your hosting company vanishes, your web site goes with it.

If you are serious about having a web site you need to use a reliable web host. Prices range considerably with some companies offering rates as low as $2 a month while others charge $60 or more. High rates don't always translate as high service. Some of the lower priced hosts offer reliable, stable environments that allow your website to be accessed day in day out for years.

Generally speaking the more you pay the more you get. Higher rates should bring you more storage space, more bandwidth to handle Internet traffic, and more services such as databases, email accounts, mass mailers, and the ability to add custom scripts. Higher rates can also mean better technical service if you have problems with your website.

What is a Web Server?

Whichever hosting company you choose, it helps to understand some of the technical details about their service. Every host has dedicated computers called servers which connect to the Internet and 'serve' pages when they are requested. That is, whenever anyone wants to see a certain web page by clicking on a link the request is sent to the particular server where that web page is stored. The server responds by sending HTML data across the Internet. A web server must have fast connections to be able to serve pages quickly. For the greatest speed and reliability try to find a host that has multiple high-speed connections as well as reliable back up power supplies in case of power outages.