What is web Hosting?
Client - Server Relationships
In this section we will attempt to explain web hosting.
When it comes to the internet, the computer that you use to
access email and internet services is known as a client computer.
It is capable of connecting to the internet through an Internet
Service Provider (ISP) who would commonly charge you for
accessing the internet. An ISP also provides you with a set of
one or more basic email addresses which can be used in
conjunction with your account and other features that vary from
supplier to supplier.
Typically you require a couple of programs which are included free with Windows in order to access your Email and the internet. The first is some kind of email client. Outlook Express is a commonly used program. The second is a browser. A browser takes information from a variety of sources and makes it readable on your computer. The most commonly used browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera.
How does Web Hosting Work?
Both your email client and your browser retrieve information by connecting to the internet through your ISP. This gives you basic access to online services. The information they retrieve is held on another computer called a server. The end user - you - use a client computer and software (Outlook Express and Internet Explorer) to retrieve and display information from a server on your monitor.
There are hundreds of thousands of servers all storing information all connected together through some means like telephone lines, cable lines, fibre optic lines, or wireless transmission. This is what is known as the internet. Throughout the internet there are junction points called hubs. These hubs contain all the information on where to send your request for specific websites. Every website has a unique identity and address. This address is established when you register a domain name. For instance, our address is 24-7webs.com. All the routers on the internet know how to find this site because it is associated with a specific set of numbers called an IP address. This IP address is reached based on a set of nameservers used to identify a specific computer or server which contains all the information your are viewing on this site.
24-7webs.com information exists on a server along with a number of other sites This server is known as the host server. It holds our complete web site, so that when you request information from our website, it is delivered from this server. We receive and send email through this server as well although that could vary under specialized circumstances.
Definition of Web Hosting
Web hosting is simply the product used to host a website being stored or hosted on a web server. Web servers can store data and information for hundreds of different websites depending on their size (How much storage they use compared to how much storage is available on the server), the processing power, usage by individual sites and the amount of bandwidth available.
Advantages of Web Hosting
Owning
your own domain name and creating your own website gives you
complete control over what is displayed on the internet about
you or your organization. You get to choose the message that is
delivered. It becomes an anchor point for your online
activities.
Under most circumstances, it is not cost effective to buy, set up and maintain your own server, It requires a high level of technical knowledge and a commitment to monitor the system 24 hours a day. That's where a web hosting service comes in. They lease or own the servers, the infrastructure, the local routers, firewalls, redundant power supplies, and the data pipelines connecting those servers. When you lease a web hosting plan to put your site on a server, you are leasing a small portion of that infrastructure, software and support services.