What is web hosting ?

For web sites to be visible to everyone they need to reside on computers that are always connected to the Internet. These computers are commonly referred to as Servers and they host web sites and all other files, such as images, Flash movies, other multimedia content etc. that are associated with the web sites.

Server machines are different from the common desktop/laptop even though the latter is also connected to the net 24/7. The differences lie in the kind of hardware and software installed. Typically, Servers are much more powerful than your home/office desktop and laptops and have specific software. You can read, how is a web hosting Server different from your home/office machine if you want to know more.
Coming back to our topic of what is web hosting; its taking a part of the full hard disk of a Server on rent and placing your web site files on it.
why do  require web hosting? 
To develop a professional web site, you require three things:

1. a domain name;
2. web site hosting;
3. and a web site

Do not confuse web hosting with a domain name or a web site. These are different entities. A domain name is simply a name... that's it! Also, a domain name is not your web site.

When you want to develop a web site for, say, your company, the first step usually is to acquire a domain name. The second step is to get a web site made. You can either create the web site on your own or hire a professional developer to do it. Once the web site files are ready they need to be put on a web hosting server.

And why does the web site need to be on a hosting server instead of your computer? Because even though your computer has 24/7 net connection, the files that reside on it cannot be accesssed by everyone on the web due to the limitations and security features of the machine. You computer also lacks the necessary software for it to behave like a web server. Thus, you need web hosting to make your web site available to all on the Internet.

Let us understand this again. You need to create a web site for your company - what do you do?

First get a domain name. Second, create your web site. Third, put your web site on a computer (Server) for all to see - this is web hosting.

What is a web hosting package?

Typically, web hosting involves purchasing a web hosting package from a reputed and reliable company. This package details the server configurations and the features at your web hosting account. For instance, the web hosting package will tell you how much hard-disk space you have taken on rent, the amount of bandwidth limit you are allowed per month, the software and hardware available to you etc.

How is my domain name linked to the web hosting package?

After purchasing a web hosting package, you need to associate your domain name with the web server, or in other words, point your domain to the hosting server. This involves a little knowledge of domain name management. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to associate your domain name with your web site hosting account.

The final step after successful association of the domain name to the web server, is uploading   the web site files. This process involves copying the files that reside on your system or the computer of the developer you hired to the web site hosting server machine. This process of transfering files is usually done using FTP. Step-by-step instructions for FTP are available on web host.

Posted in: Web hosting