Web Hosting is…
CDN biz – What is Web Hosting? Definition, How It Works & Types. In this article, we will discuss in full the meaning of web hosting, web hosting is a computer that is connected to the internet and is used to store website data so that it can be accessed online.
Well, here’s the explanation …
Have you ever thought about how a website can display information? Where is all the information stored so that it can be displayed later?
All information is stored in a place called a web hosting server.
In order to continue to be connected to the internet and accessible to everyone, the web hosting server is managed in a data storage room called a data center. In fact, you can also make the PC in your home a data storage server. However, this method is seen as very troublesome, especially in terms of management, so not many people do it. Typically, website owners use cheap unlimited hosting providers that are widely available on the internet.
If you want to know more about the basic mix of websites, you can check this article.
The term web hosting itself refers to a set of activities or information storage services on a website so that it can finally be displayed when you access it.
Not infrequently, the term web hosting is even used to refer to the web hosting service provider company in general.
How Does Web Hosting Work?
When you access a website (using either an IP address or a domain name) through a browser that uses the HTTP network protocol, the internet will send an access request to the hosting server. Furthermore, the server will send the requested file information to the computer via the internet which is then translated by the web browser in the form of text and images.
When you want to access a website, you need to type in the website address in the browser you are using.
Then, commands from the browser will be forwarded by the internet to the hosting server to be executed on demand. The result of this activity is a display of images and website information that you want to access, which will be forwarded by the internet so that it can appear on your browser. So you get the page views you need, that’s how web hosting works.
Types of Hosting Services
After knowing how web hosting works, you need to know the type of service There are various types of hosting available which use them to adjust the file storage needs of your website, namely:
1. Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is a hosting service where a server is shared by many users at once. The shared hosting service users share server resources & capacity together.
Users have limited access rights to the server and server settings have been determined by the server manager.
Shared Hosting is like renting a house with your friends.
Each has its own room, but the kitchen and bathroom are shared. So if, for example, someone uses the bathroom or kitchen for too long, it has the potential to interfere with the activities of your other friends.
In this example, you and your friends are like hosting accounts, while the bathroom and kitchen are your hosting resources.
The advantages of shared hosting:
- In terms of costs, renting shared hosting is quite economical and economical compared to renting a VPS or Dedicated Server.
- For beginners, using shared hosting is quite easy, because you don’t need to be bothered with your own server settings.
- In terms of support, usually hosting services provide the support that is ready to help you 24 hours a day.
- If there is a problem with your server, you don’t need to get involved yourself, the server provider will fix the problem.
Cons of shared hosting:
- Because they are used together, if one user causes an overload or disruption to the server, the other user could potentially be affected.
- Shared hosting users have very limited access to the server and can only access and manage their own files.
- All limit/limit settings have been determined by the server manager, Violation of the server manager’s provisions can result in detention until the deletion of the hosting account.
Shared Hosting is suitable for those of you who are just starting to create a website but the use of the resource is not too high.
2. VPS Hosting / VPS Server
VPS Hosting / VPS Server is a physical hosting server that is divided back into virtual servers and functions as a separate hosting server.
Users have root access to their respective VPS servers and have full authority to set up their VPS servers. To manage a VPS server, you need basic knowledge of servers.
If likened, VPS is an apartment building.
Each room has its own facilities, such as a bathroom, kitchen, living room, etc. So that all residents have freedom of access in managing and using the contents of the apartment room.
Even so, because each apartment is in the same building, electricity and water sources are still shared and used together.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages if you use a VPS:
The advantages of VPS:
- In terms of price, VPS is still much more affordable than Dedicated Servers.
- You can & are free to customize the VPS server you have.
- In the managed VPS type, there is a support team that will help you 24 hours.
- Have root VPS server access.
- Scalable, you can decrease or increase resources without experiencing downtime.
Disadvantages of VPS:
- Basic knowledge of servers and operating systems is required.
- The costs incurred are higher than shared hosting.
- Have to install the control panel yourself.
VPS hosting is suitable for hosting users whose use of hosting resources cannot be accommodated with regular shared hosting or requires certain modules that in shared hosting services are usually not available/disabled.
3. Dedicated Servers & Colocation Servers
Dedicated server and Colocation Server are actually the same servers, the difference is that the Dedicated Server hardware component rents from the datacenter, while Colocation servers, physical servers, and all components are purchased by themselves, ranging from hardware, software, firewalls to other components and placed in the data center for managed & cared for. The user has the root access server and has full authority to manage the server. To manage Dedicated and Colocation Servers, you also need knowledge of servers.
When likened to a Dedicated Server or Colocation server, it is a building that you occupy yourself.
You are free to use and manage all the facilities therein. This building is located in a complex called a data center. Even though it’s free, if something happens to your data center, the building/server you have can be affected, for example, power failure or natural disasters.
Like Shared Hosting and VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers also have advantages and disadvantages, including …
Pros of Dedicated / Colocation Servers
- 1 Physical server that is only used for you.
have root server access. - You apply the rules yourself.
- Full control to increase own server specifications.
- A great resource for yourself.
Disadvantages of Dedicated / Colocation Servers
- Basic knowledge of servers and operating systems is required.
- The costs incurred are higher than shared hosting.
- Have to install the control panel yourself.
- If you upgrade/downgrade, you will experience downtime because the server must be shut down.
Dedicated / Colocation servers are suitable for large companies that require large resources and have high website traffic, certain modules that are not found in shared hosting services as well as a high level of data security.
Specifications You Need To Pay Attention To When Choosing A Web Hosting Service
Based on our experience, many customers don’t understand the technical specifications which will affect the performance of your website, and in many cases, customers are confused by the many technical specifications that are displayed on the hosting package. But in simple terms, there are some basic specifications that you can use to make decisions.
Here are some specifications that you can take into consideration when choosing a web hosting service:
1. Disk Space
Disk space is the amount of hard disk storage capacity on the server that you can use. The more data that is stored on the server, the greater the disk space usage. Choose a hosting package that has disk space that can accommodate all website file contents, including future updates to your website content.
Also Read: How to Upload a Website to Hosting with File Manager and FTP Client
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer that occurs between the hosting server and the accessing computer. The more users, the greater your bandwidth usage. The maximum bandwidth usage limit will be reset from 0 again every month. When you choose webhosting make sure your monthly bandwidth is able to cover the average number of monthly visitors.
3. Webmail
Webmail is an email management feature on the hosting server that functions to manage incoming & outgoing e-mails and store your e-mail data.
With this feature, you can send messages using an email with the suffix of your domain name (for example [email protected]) without having to rely on email service providers such as Gmail, yahoo mail & the like.
4. Web Hosting Control Panel
Web Hosting Control Panel is a hosting server control panel that functions to manage and manage features on the hosting server with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) display that displays images, icons, and text.
Like you are using a smartphone, the appearance of a smartphone of brand A can be different from a smartphone of a brand B, but basically, the features are the same, there are calls, SMS to camera features, as well as hosting.
With this control panel, novice hosting users can easily manage their website files.
Basically, there are many Cpanel service providers, you can study the comparison of the types of Web Hosting Control Panel HERE. But this time we will discuss the 2 Web Hosting Control Panel that is most widely used by many users, both personal users and hosting services, namely:
a. cPanel
Cpanel is a hosting control panel made by cpanel.net which has an attractive interface, complete features and the most users among other hosting control panels.
The advantages of Cpanel
- User-friendly interface & easy to use.
- Complete features & covers the needs of hosting users in general.
- Guides, tutorials & community support are easy to find for their many uses.
Disadvantages of CPanel
- Not yet supported on Windows servers.
Cpanel is suitable for…
- Novice hosting users who need lots of support information & guidance.
- Hosting users who need easy server switching flexibility & compatibility with many hosting services.
b. Plesk
Plesk is a control that can run on Linux and Windows operating systems, an advantage that provides more value than cPanel. If you are a Windows XP user, then you will feel familiar when using Plesk because the interface is similar.
The advantages of the Plesk control panel
- User-friendly interface and easy to use.
- Complete features & covers the needs of hosting users in general.
- Quite a lot of tutorials, guides, and community support, although not as much as Cpanel.
- Able to be used on servers with the Windows operating system.
Lack of Plesk control panel
- Because of its popularity which is still inferior to Cpanel, it is still quite rare for hosting services to provide control panels with Plesk.
The Plesk control panel is suitable for…
Those of you who want to use hosting with a Windows server.
c. Directadmin
What is DirectAdmin? It is a graphical web-based web hosting control panel designed to make the administration of websites easier. It is an extremely efficient control panel that uses the bare minimum of system resources. This makes it ideal for systems ranging from low-end VPS units to heavily-loaded dedicated servers
DirectAdmin is a tool in the Control Panels category of a tech stack.
DirectAdmin’s Features
- Provides a clean, efficient user interface
- Easy switching between access types, all under the same login
- Allow quick & easy changes to the interface
- Avoids downtime by automatically recovering from crashes
- Complete stand-alone control panel
DirectAdmin Advantages
- Cheap: DirectAdmin is the cheapest among the top five control panels out there. Even though it costs less than the competition, it does not skimp on functions, reliability, or security.
- Speed: it was designed to be fast and compact. The load on the resources is quite low. In restricted hosting environments, it leaves more resources for your website.
- Stability: known for being stable, DirectAdmin needs low maintenance. It uses minimal code. It is easy to expand and maintain. The unplanned downtime is usually low because it recovers automatically after a crash. More often than not, you can modify it without downtime.
- Usability: cPanel can be overwhelming for a first-time user. DirectAdmin benefits from its simple interface. Three main categories “Your account”, “Email management” and “Advanced features” keep things simple and organized.
- Manual configuration: it offers most server configuration through the UI, but DirectAdmin users have to manually configure the root shell. Some server admins prefer to have that kind of control over the root shell compared to the automated approach of cPanel. Needless to say, it is popular among VPS and dedicated server admins.
DirectAdmin Disadvantages
- Advanced user friendly: New users may find it difficult to locate what they are looking for. DirectAdmin menu is divided into three headings and it takes time to locate basic functions. It is organized under these main headings and then under subheadings which can be confusing. It also looks and feels outdated when compared with cPanel.
- Expanding Functionality: at this, DirectAdmin loses out hands down to cPanel. Adding functions is possible but at a steep cost. cPanel on the other hand benefits from the massive community that builds and maintains plugins and modules.
- Small user base: the user base is not as huge as cPanel. You can easily find self-help tutorials, FAQs, or users willing to share their knowledge in the cPanel community. Finding help for your DirectAdmin queries can be frustrating at times.
5. Quality of Data Center
The data center is a hosting server storage location that is equipped with an infrastructure that functions to protect the server from interference, such as sufficiently cooled space, electricity backup, and security from crime and natural disasters.
The data center itself is still divided into several levels called Tier and has differences in the supporting infrastructure.
Examples of Hosting You Can Use to Create a Website
In the previous point, you have got information about what web hosting is, the types of web hosting, and how to choose the right web hosting.
Now at the last point, we discuss examples of hosting for your dream website. There are various examples of hosting services such as Niagahoster, Hostinger, 000Webhost, and Hosting24.
Later when you are going to create a website, you can choose a web hosting service according to the needs of the website that you are building. For example, when you are targeting website visitors with Indonesian market locations, you should choose the best Indonesian hosting server.
Make sure you consult first with the CS web hosting concerned in order to get the right hosting package choice.
CONCLUSION
From the explanation above, at least now you have an idea of what web hosting is, how the website works, what kind of hosting examples you need to what control panel is right for you.
So that when you choose Webhosting you can determine the most effective and economical choice for your website needs.
