Shared Hosting Solution
Shared Hosting Solution
A shared hosting solution is the best place for you to start when you are new to the idea of web hosting with both Windows and Linux shared hosting solutions available to meet the needs of anyone who requries a shared web hosting package. A shared web hosting solution may not be the most reliable form of web hosting available to you but will certainly be the most cost effective; to make the most of a shared hosting solution it is a good idea to go for the lowest priced package possible which still suits your requirements, as by doing this you can easily upgrade to a package which can offer you more as and when necessary. A shared web hosting package may not be suitable for you if you are wanting to host a large mission critical website or one which is likely to consume a large percentage of server resources, after all everyone on a shared hosting server should share the server’s resources fairly to ensure that the server remains stable and that all the hosted websites remain reliable. Windows shared hosting services are ideal for web developers who use the classic ASP and ASP.NET programming languages to create their websites; there are also other features available which you will most likely be using to make the most of your web hosting package such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access. Linux shared web hosting services are the most ideal starting place for most people when it comes to web hosting, as not only are you going to be getting a cheap web hosting package but in most cases you will also be getting a fully managed web hosting service; you will also find that you can get good value for money with Linux shared hosting when it comes to the features that are available for you to use.
Why should I choose shared web hosting?
There are several different reasons as to why you should choose shared web hosting solutions, but in short they are able to offer you a level of reliability and a number of different features that you just can’t get from any other form of web hosting without paying a high price. The level of support offered with shared web hosting services is something that can attract those who aren’t so technically savvy, the reason for this being that most web hosting providers offer full support with their shared web hosting solutions which will allow you to get on with other things whilst your web hosting server and account are managed by your web hosting provider. The reliability offered by shared web hosting solutions is also acceptable for most people, although if you are looking into hosting a mission critical web application it may be wise to consider a more reliable and powerful form of web hosting. You may also find that shared web hosting can be effective for you cost wise, with it being the cheapest form of web hosting available from most ordinary web hosting providers. In summary, you should choose shared web hosting solutions for the following reasons:
- Support – most web hosting providers thoroughly manage their shared web hosting servers due to the large number of customers that each web hosting server is likely to be hosting, and because of this many also offer fully managed web hosting services to ensure that all customers are satisfied with the level of service that they are receiving from their chosen web hosting provider – it is a good idea to go with a fully managed web hosting provider as it means that any problems that you are facing are very likely to be dealt with quickly to ensure that both you and other customers hosted on the same server as you don’t experience any downtime or further problems
- Reliability – although the reliability offered by a shared web hosting solution may not be enough for someone who is looking to host a mission critical website or application, the uptime guarantees on offer at most web hosting companies normally suffice for most people who are considering shared web hosting – at the end of the day, for the price you are paying you shouldn’t be expecting something impossible such as 100% uptime guaranteed – however, as most people only want to host one or two simple websites on a shared hosting package you are unlikely to face any reliability issues
- Cost – shared web hosting is most probably the cheapest form of web hosting available, and this is down to the fact that web hosting providers will try and fit as many shared web hosting customers as possible on their web hosting servers – however, the low cost means that you can save money on what you would normally pay for a higher end web hosting package and in most cases you will find that there are many features included with shared web hosting packages that make what you are paying good value for money, although you should have a look at web hosting reviews for different web hosting providers to help you find that best shared hosting available to suit your needs.
Such reasons are why most people choose shared web hosting – the only thing you need to do as a consumer is read web hosting reviews for various web hosting companies as this will help you to choose the best web hosting package to suit your needs. Support is central to most peoples decision on web hosting providers as it is important to choose a company that can offer you 24×7 web hosting support which is not only to the point, but can solve your issues in a short and respectable amount of time. If you are after a cost effective form of web hosting then you should look no further than shared web hosting solutions, and if you feel that you can’t get what you require then you should always consider more powerful but cheap forms of web hosting such as VPS server hosting.
Windows Shared Hosting Solution
Windows shared hosting solutions are popular with Windows web developers or for those who have had their websites developed using either classic ASP or ASP.NET; most shared hosting solutions based on Windows also come with the ability to use Microsoft SQL Server databases and Microsoft Access databases on your shared web hosting package. Web hosting providers normally use the Plesk control panel for their Windows shared hosting services, and with the release of Plesk 9.0 has come the ability for web hosting providers to offer Windows 2008 based shared web hosting services which will allow them to make the most of what Microsoft has to offer including IIS 7 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008. To make the most of a Windows shared hosting solution you should choose a web hosting package which is able to offer you good allocations of both disk space and bandwidth, although it is a good idea to take into consideration the fact that Windows shared hosting services are likely to cost more than Linux shared hosting services, mainly due to the fact that web hosting providers have to pay for Windows operating system licenses. You should also take the following advantages and disadvantages of Windows shared web hosting services:
- Reliability – this can be a disadvantage to an extent as when your web hosting provider applies new security updates to your web hosting server or when a new application is installed by them, they may need to restart the server to ensure that all the new updates which have been applied can take effect – every time the web hosting server is rebooted you will find that a small amount of downtime will occur, although for most people you will find that the downtime concerned is no problem as such updates are normally carried out at off-peak hours such as during the night
- Modern technologies – this can be an advantage as web hosting providers are now able to offer Windows Server 2008 based Windows hosting solutions which will allow you to make the most of brand new technologies offered by Microsoft including Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and IIS 7 – with the support for IIS 7 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 you can create applications for hosting in your web space based on ASP.NET 3.5 and the new Ajax framework to help make your ASP.NET based web applications more dynamic in the way that they function
- Cost – the can be a disadvantage of Windows shared hosting solutions as Windows shared web hosting packages cost slightly more than Linux shared hosting packages because of the fact that web hosting providers have to pay for the right to use the Windows operating system, or in more plain terms they have to pay for a license if they wish to use Microsoft Windows – if you are after a cost effective web hosting solution then you are likely to come to the conclusion that Windows shared web hosting solutions may not be the right choice for you
- Security – security can sometimes be an issue with Windows shared hosting services, but as long as your web hosting provider has the right measures in place to ensure that your website won’t be affected by any server-side security problems then you are unlikely to face any problems – however, as is the case with any form of web hosting it is up to you to ensure that your own code is up to scratch as weak code can be easily exploited by malicious attackers in various ways such as through SQL injections and javascript injections, and ensuring that your own code is secure is something which can be easily done.
In summary you will find that a Windows shared web hosting solution will be your best bet if you are a Windows web developer or are wanting to host a website based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET. Although cost can be an issue in some cases with Windows shared web hosting, you need to take into consideration that web hosting providers need to pay Windows licensing fees; however, this does give you a good reason to search around for the best web hosting package to suit your needs based on how much you are willing to pay.
Linux Shared Hosting Solution
A Linux shared hosting solution is the best form of web hosting to start with as it is not only cost effective in what you are receiving for the price, but you are able to get started in an environment which is not only safe but should be able to offer you a number of different features that other web hosting providers are unable to offer. Linux shared web hosting packages are normally aimed at the small business or individual looking to host one or two websites that are either static HTML sites or based on scripting languages such as PHP, Perl or Java; this aim is reflected in the price as most Linux shared hosting packages are priced to be affordable for more or less anyone with the need for web hosting. Most Linux shared hosting solutions will become with many extra features as standard that you can use to make the most of your web hosting package, and because of this it is a good idea to look for different web hosting providers to see who can offer you the best feature set; such features can include free programs, free search engine vouchers and package-specific features such as script installation libraries and web-builder software. The following are possible advantages and disadvantages of Linux shared hosting solutions:
- Price – this has to be one of the main advantages of using a Linux shared hosting solution as if you choose the right web hosting provider then you will find that a Linux shared web hosting package is the cheapest form of web hosting available to you, and at the end of the day it is always a good idea to save money where possible on your web hosting package – you may also want to take into consideration that US based web hosting services can also be your best bet for budget web hosting, but for the best possible support and reliability you should consider UK based Linux shared hosting services
- Reliability - Linux servers are well known for being reliable and stable, and this is not only down to how well they are managed by web hosting providers but also the specification of the server itself and the fact that Linux isn’t as prone to viruses as Windows web hosting servers are – most applications that are used by web hosting providers to protect their Linux servers are open source meaning that they are free to use, and not only does this mean that it lowers the cost of your web hosting package but it also means that there are many different add-ons and tweaks available, and since Linux isn’t prone to many viruses it also means that the need for such defences is relatively low
- Features – there are many features available with Linux shared hosting solutions which you won’t be unable to find with Windows web hosting packages that can help you out in the long run – such features can include script auto-installers such as Fantastico which will come bundled with your web hosting provider’s control panel that will allow you to take full control of your website by letting you install a number of different open source applications into your web space without the need for you to configure anything technical which could take time and confuse you.
In summary, a Linux shared web hosting solution is the best web hosting package available to you if you are on a tight budget and need a web hosting package that can offer you a vast array of features for a low price. Linux shared hosting solutions are incredibly reliable meaning that reliable web hosting is now affordable for most people, and searching around will allow you to find a shared web hosting provider who can offer you close to 100% uptime.
In conclusion, a shared web hosting solution is the best place to start when you are new to web hosting as you will be getting a cost effective web hosting solution which should come with generous resource assignments and a large array of features to choose from. Windows and Linux shared hosting solutions are available to meet the needs of all of those who use web hosting services, meaning that you should always bare your requirements in mind.
