Web Host

A web host is commonly known as a web hosting company or web hosting provider, meaning that the different terms brandable to a company that provides web hosting services can be in some cases confusing since more than one term can be used. It is the job of a web host to supply customers with a reliable web hosting service so that they are able to host their websites and domains along with any other services needed in a secure web hosting environment. Web hosts can normally supply clients with a wide range of web hosting plans that in most cases include basic shared web hosting packages, low cost web hosting packages, reseller web hosting plans, VPS servers and dedicated server hosting servers. Web hosting providers also supply other web hosting related services in some cases; examples of this could include domain registration and SSL certificates, some may also offer extended support services for those who are on semi-managed hosting plans or unmanaged web hosting plans.

A web host in most cases provides clients with web hosting plans which is the service that any web hosting provider sells as its main product, which is in fact a service instead of physical goods. Web hosting companies use their own servers that are located in professional data centres to host the websites and domains of their clients, meaning that people using a professional web hosting provider can also be assured a professional web hosting service from a web host that is using high specifications in a proper data centre environment. High specification servers are need by web hosts since web hosting providers can’t always the sure of the content or exact nature of the websites that their servers are going to be hosting; for example one web hosting server could end up hosting multiple resource intensive websites meaning that the performance of the server could be compromised, where as another web hosting server could be hosting basic websites only.

Web hosts normally use control panels for their web hosting solutions since it allows them to manage web hosting accounts on a server by server basis with ease and normally from a web based control panel. A control panel also allows web hosting clients to utilize the services of their web hosting account using a web based interfact that can be access from any internet computer, allowing remote management of their websites and domains. If you have chosen to host with a professional web hosting provider that offers Linux based web hosting, then you will find that you are provided with access to the cPanel control panel; being one of the best web hosting control panels around, and being used by some of the best web hosts, cPanel is the best solution available for Linux web hosting. If you are using a Windows web hosting package for the hosting of ASP.NET web pages for example, then you will be provided with access to the Plesk control panel. Plesk allows advance management of all the different aspects associated with Windows based website hosting.

A web host in most cases is able to provide both Linux and Windows based web hosting for both existing and prospective website hosting clients. Linux web hosting is based on open source Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and CentOS, meaning that Linux web hosting is normally cheaper than its Microsoft Windows counterpart. Windows web hosting on the other hand is more expensive than Linux web hosting because web hosts have to pay licensing fees for the Microsoft Windows Server operating system required for Windows web hosting. Linux web hosting is also much more reliable than Windows web hosting in general since when new software is installed the server doesn’t need to be rebooted in most cases; the opposite is applicable to Windows since most pieces of software require a system restart once they have been installed on a Microsoft Windows server.

A web host should also be able to provide a reliable web hosting service through the means of customer support for clients that need it. Although in some cases web hosting providers sell web hosting packages strictly with no support meaning that only experienced individuals or businesses with their own IT support teams should consider such plans. Web hosts normally have their own support teams for those web hosting plans that do come with support, although you may find that your web hosting provider has outsourced its support to a third party company. Some of the best web hosting providers, as well as many professional web hosting companies, provide clients with 24×7 support on all their web hosting plans meaning that if a client has an issue or a query at any time of the day, it is guaranteed to be answered in a respectable amount of time.

In conclusion, web hosts have many different roles to play in the web hosting industry as well as offering standard web hosting. In most cases they are also responsible for domain registration on the behalf of clients and the registration of SSL certificates for those clients who need to ensure that their websites are as secure as possible. Web hosting providers also need to ensure that their customers are provided with an acceptable level of web hosting support, since at the end of the day most recommendations made in the web hosting industry are based on customer service amongst other factors such as the reliability of the web hosting servers used.