What is Web Hosting ? Types of Web Hosting

Web Hosting is a means of hosting the web-server application on a computer system through which electronic content on the Internet is readily available to any web-browser client.

Accessing information on the web requires data communication between a web-browser client and a web-server application. Web Hosting is linked to this very thing.

The computer system providing the web-hosting is known as the web-server or the web host.

Basically, the web hosts allow their customers to place web documents, such as HTML pages, graphics, and other multimedia files, etc. onto a special type of computer called a web server, which maintains a constant, high-speed connection to the backbone of the Internet.

One can choose from various types of web hosting services such as free or virtual or shared or dedicated hosting.

let us talk about these types of web-hosting, one by one.

1. Free Hosting.

This type of hosting is available with many prominent sites that offer to host some web pages for no cost. Examples of such sites are Geocities, tripod, homestead, etc.

Free is for fun. If you want to experiment with a site or put up a small, personal site for the fun of it, a free package will suffice.

2. Virtual or Shared Hosting.

This type of hosting is provided under the one's website domain name, www.yourname.com. With a hosting plan with the web hosting company, one can present oneself as a fully Independent identity to his/her web audience.

Virtual hosting is where one's website domain is hosted on the web server of the hosting company along with other websites. One can access and update the site and its files are carefully secured. Through a logon-id and password, one has 24-hour access to maintain one's site.

Go "Shared" if you are serious about doing some business or have a professional website that is much better off "standing on its own." Or if you simply prefer your own domain name and space.

3. Dedicated Hosting. 

In this type of hosting, the company wishing to go online rents an entire web server from a hosting company. This is suitable for companies hosting larger websites, maintaining others sites, or managing a big online mall, etc.

Dedicated is for large, high-traffic sites, or for those with special needs such as e-commerce or security. They are also good for those folks for whom money is no object.

4. Co-Location Hosting. 

For those who do not fit the dedicated-server mold, hosting companies offer a similar, but less-restrictive hosting, known as co-location hosting. In this type of hosting, the company actually owns the server on which its site is hosted. That is, the company owning the site rather than the web hosting company, is responsible for all server administration. The web-hosting-company is only responsible for providing rack-space for the server and meeting its physical needs. This generally includes a high-speed connection to the Internet, a regulated power supply, and a limited amount of hands-on-technical-support, such as data backup or hardware upgrades.

Co-location hosting is similar to that of dedicated hosting except for the fact that the server is now provided by the user-company itself and its physical needs are met by the hosting company.

Co-location hosting is suitable for those with complex needs and for those who require the ability to make changes as per its changing requirement as and when.