subject: How Web Space Works [print this page] If you would like to create a website and establish your online presence, you ought to learn web hosting basics. What is web hosting, anyway? It's not hard to understand. First, you have to know the concept of IP addresses, domain names, and domain name systems.
Each Internet-connected computer -- whether it's a desktop PC or a large server that houses websites -- has a unique identification number. This number is known as an IP address. Take, for example, this server IP address: 121.101.152.99.. Imagine how tiresome it would be if you had to memorize this number just to visit the website it points to. This is what domain names are for. Domain names are shortcuts that translate IP addresses into names you can easily remember. If the number were Yahoo's IP address, for example, instead of remembering the number, you only have to visit Yahoo's domain name, Yahoo.com.
How does your system know which IP address a domain name is pointing to? This is the responsibility of a Domain Name System server (DNS server). Every time you go to a domain name, a DNS server directs your request to the correct IP address.
How do you obtain a domain name for your website? You have to sign up with a domain registrar. Registrars are granted permission by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to sell domain names. Domain registrars also maintain the DNS servers for their registered domain names.
As mentioned, each web server has its own IP address through which it allows Internet access to websites. But how do you get your website on a web server in the first place? This is what web hosting is for. Websites are made up of data. They may contain code such as HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript; media files such as images, audio, and video; or databases to store information. All this data must be stored in a computer that's connected to the Internet all day, every day. That's why you need a web server. When you sign up with a web host, they let you rent space on their web servers for a fee.
If you want to have a great website, be sure to choose a quality web host. Avoid free web hosts -- they offer limited technical support, limited features, and overcrowded servers. Many of them place unattractive advertisements on hosted websites. Also, you can never tell how reliable they will be in the long term, since they're not making any profit. It's best to sign up with a regular paid web host. Decide on your web host carefully. Consider the amount of storage and bandwidth they provide. Also take a look at their features, such as site building software, design templates, installer scripts, supported programming languages, database support, and many more. Lastly, do some research on the quality of their technical support. A good web host is essential if you want to successfully build and grow your online presence.
