Web Hosting Package
Web Hosting Package
A web hosting package is what is purchased when someone chooses a web hosting account that suits their needs. Web hosting packages are used by many to host their websites and other content on the internet so that it can be accessed by the general public, and at the same time giving them a wider audience due to the fact that the internet is available in all parts of the world. Web hosting packages come in many different forms, mainly because there are so many different factors and features that web hosting packages can be supplied with it is impossible to supply them under one web hosting account.
A web hosting package typically comes with some sort of control panel so that the customer is able to manage their website with ease. A control panel also makes it easier for the hosting company to manage its users and the hosting server. There is a separate market for web hosting control panels that has gradually grown over the years. Currently, the most popular control panels for web hosting packages that you may come across include:
• cPanel – cPanel is at current the most popular control panel for Linux web hosting packages, and is set for a Windows release in 2008
• Plesk – Plesk is the best known and most popular control panel for Windows web hosting packages, and is also available for Linux web hosting packages
The purpose of a web hosting package is to allow you to host your website, regardless in the language or environment in which you have developed it. A web hosting package that suits your needs should be able to serve your needs adequately, for example you would expect a Linux web hosting package to have the ability to host your PHP pages and scripts. For example, the purposes of a Linux web hosting package, in most cases, would be:
• The serving and hosting of PHP web pages and scripts
• The serving and hosting of MySQL databases
• Access to cPanel control panel for website management
• Access to a mail server, such as Exim, for the hosting of email accounts
Similarly, the main purposes of a Windows web hosting package would include:
• The serving and hosting of classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages and scripts
• The serving and hosting of Microsoft SQL Server databases
• Access to Plesk or a similar control panel for website management
• The usage of a mail server, such as MailEnable, for mail accounts
A web hosting package is normally taken out with a web host, although if you have your own co-located or dedicated server, you are able to host your own websites without the need for any intervention from a web host. There are many different types of web hosting package for you to choose from, so it is important that you choose a package based on your needs so that you get what you want; the main types of web hosting package are:
• Shared web hosting package – a shared web hosting package is the most form of web hosting package, and has the most basic functionality – you are sharing the hosting server with a number of other accounts
• Reseller web hosting package – with a reseller web hosting package, you are able to create your own client accounts and sell of your web space to others by creating web hosting packages
• VPS hosting package – a VPS web hosting package is a virtual server hosted on a physical node with a number of other VPS servers
• Dedicated server package – a dedicated server web hosting package is a physical server on which you are the only user.
Knowing the right web hosting package for you is important, and the web hosting market is a full one with many competitors racing to offer you their best deal. It is important that you ensure that you choose a web hosting package that comes with a control panel such as Plesk or cPanel so that you can easily manage your web hosting package, and access to some sort of mail server so that you can create email accounts under your web hosting package. You should also make sure that the hosting environment that you are buying into will be able to host your website.
