What is Web Hosting?

What is web hosting?

Web hosting is generally used to publish websites on the internet.
If you build a website, you need to upload it to a web hosting service, so that other people online can see it. Our website hosting gives you space on a server connected to the internet. When you put files in this area, people can access them from the internet – so your website can be seen across the world. We offer hosting packages that cater to all sorts of sites. Our servers are connected 24/7, and we monitor them round-the-clock, so the sites we host stay online day and night.

What can I do with the web hosting package?

We’ll resist saying the possibilities are endless but, they are pretty broad.
With our hosting packages, you can publish whatever you like online (as long as it doesn’t contravene our terms of use). Many people use our hosting for personal or hobby websites. And our hosting packages are ideal if you’re running a business and want to launch a website for it. Or maybe you want to set up a blog or forum. We now offer database and scripting options, so you can install blogging software like WordPress and forum packages too – allowing you to let the world know what you think or build an online community.

Do I need any technical knowledge to use web hosting?

We’ve made it as simple as possible for you to get your site up and running. You’ll be able to manage your hosting account through the simple control panel. It includes an online file manager which makes editing your website files easy.
Having said that, you will need some knowledge of how websites work to build your website. It’ll also help if you know a bit about FTP (file transfer protocol), as that’s the easiest way to upload files to your website.
We offer loads of useful advice to help you get your site online. But if you’d rather not get involved in coding, we can assist you in building it, using the WordPress platform, considered, today, the most popular CMS (Content Management System), in the world. Using this platform, you can update your site with new content and blog posts, without any specific professional knowledge.

Some Basics about Web Hosting

As the number of websites is increasing, so is the usage of web hosting services is increasing at a very faster rate.
People are turning up to the internet for knowledge and information gaining. All it takes is a few seconds to search for the required information and the needed data is there, in front of your eyes.
Web hosting is generally used to publish websites on the internet. If you build a website, you need to upload it to a web hosting service, so that other people online can see it. Web hosting is known to minimize the time of websites that hire hosting services from web hosts or service providers.

When a new website is launched the company would want to make it known to the public about the products or services being provided, thus they need to hire a web hosting service provider for this task. They would enquire about the requirements of the customers and would start making amendments to the site as needed, and also offer them hosting space on the World Wide Web (www).
Designing a website and then putting it on the internet for visibility are different things and require varied steps to do it.
A good service provider will offer a complete package, which includes, in addition, a new domain registration and a connection, to it, with the hosting package. Thus, the work of clients becomes very easy and simple, while all they have to do, is let the service provider know about their needs and the web hosting company would start working on it.

Important basic Terms

Disk Space

Disc space (also known as web space) is the amount of data you can store on the hard disk of the web hosting server. Each web hosting client receives a certain amount of space, which is usually between 100 and 1000 MB.

The amount of space you need primarily depends on the size of the website you wish to host. Generally, most websites are made of text pages (in HTML), images and graphics (in various formats), or Flash/scripting animation. When it comes to occupying web space, text is a very economical option as it uses very little space. On the other hand, images, heavy graphics, and flash can be more expensive and require a lot of space.

When you get your website designed, make sure you incorporate images and Flash with care, lest they end up occupying substantial disk space, leaving less space for more essential components of the site. Your aim should be to maintain the lightest possible page size, including images. Such light pages not only consume less space but also load quickly, thereby helping retain user attention. However, if you want to host a website that is laden with heavy graphics or runs an exhaustive e-commerce platform, you should ideally opt for more web space.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth, or as it is known Monthly Traffic, is the amount of data that you’re allowed to transfer per month through your web hosting server. This data is inclusive of all uploads and downloads, regardless of the protocol used (HTTP, FTP, POP).

When you decide upon your bandwidth requirements, keep two essential things in mind –your average page size as well as the number of visitors your website will have, and the average number of pages they visit.
For example, say your website has an average page size of 30 KB, about 20,000 visitors per month, and 3 pages per visitor, you will approximately need 1800 MB of bandwidth per month.
Almost all web hosting packages that you come across will offer this amount of bandwidth. Of course, your requirement will finally define what you should opt for.

Shared Hosting

Commonly referred to as ‘Basic Hosting’, it is the kind of server that most customers end up with. A simple, non-complicated, and highly economical choice costs as low as $4-10 per month.
Shared hosting is ideal for small-time businesses that have basic, static websites, or individuals who simply want to host their blog or have their own ‘space’ in the online zone. In shared hosting, multiple single websites are shared on a single server and the user has limited control over the server’s functioning.

VPS Hosting

Under VPS hosting, multiple websites can run on a single web server. However, the biggest difference it has from a shared hosting package is that a VPS Client can run his operating system on the server. To cite an example, say both Website A and B are hosted on the same server. VPS gives A the flexibility to run on a Unix platform, even as B runs on a Windows platform. A VPS web hosting package generally costs somewhere between 55$-250$ per month or more (including its maintenance).

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is the most advanced and expensive (it generally costs between 250$-500$ per month or even more than that) type of website hosting service available.
A dedicated hosting service is when a client leases an entire server that is not shared with anyone. A single website is run on a single server, giving the webmaster complete control of the site’s administration and functioning. Highly flexible and better than shared hosting in terms of control, dedicated servers give users the choice of operating system, hardware, etc.

Hosting and Domain Names

Can I buy web hosting without a domain name?

Of course!

eDomain offers hosting solutions and services without any obligation to buy also a domain.
However, any hosting package needs to be associated with a domain name to work. You can register a domain name when you buy your hosting package. Or if you already own the domain you want to use, you can transfer it across to us from your current supplier, or simply change its DNS (Domain Name Server).

I already own a domain name. Can I use it with my hosting?

Of course!

If the domain name is already registered with eDomain, and you’re not currently using it with another one of our services, you can add it to your hosting package when you order. If your domain is hosted with another company or has been registered somewhere else, you can transfer it to us to use our services or ask your current registrar to modify the DNS to ours.

Our technique team will be glad to guide you with any questions that you might have.