What Does Shared Hosting Signify?

Possessing your very own personal online portal is a necessity today. The entry of the Internet in our everyday lives signifies that, in order for somebody to be noticed, or to make his voice heard, one needs to set up a site and post it online. In order to accomplish that, you virtually demand two things - a site and a hosting service. Prior to establishing a web portal, though, it's crucial to realize that there are various kinds of website hosting services and that not all sites can perform with a randomly picked shared hosting. In order to explain this better, let's begin with the main issue:

What is Web Hosting?

Hosting, or otherwise famous as 'web hosting', is a name that relates to the actual web hosting server, or the hosting company that possesses the web hosting server. A hosting server is a computer that's connected to the World Wide Web and that's set up to work with PHP, MySQL, Perl, etc., which allows the customers to upload their web files on the server and to have them published on the web. There are two major kinds of web hosting servers, depending on the OS of the hosting server - Windows and Linux. The two Operating Systems are very different and, in most cases, not at all compatible with one another. That's why, prior to selecting the correct service, one should first determine what type of web hosting server is required for their online portal.

If you haven't set up the web site so far, then let's have a more comprehensive glimpse at the difference between the two varieties and at what their benefits are.

What solution should you go with - Windows or Linux?

As pointed out, there are web app frameworks, which are only consistent with a certain OS. For example, JAVA scripts, .ASP pages, .NET Framework, Adobe ColdFusion are all Windows based and will not operate on a Linux web hosting server. Hence, if you intend to design your site using any of the above, you should be seeking a Windows solution. Windows, though, is not an open-source software platform, which indicates that it offers limited possibilities as far as server security and privacy are concerned. For this reason, Linux is favored by web server admins worldwide and most hosting suppliers use it on their hosting servers. Utilizing Linux, the administrator can configure the web server in a totally customizable manner, and if the web hosting server is properly set up, it can guarantee complete security against computer hackers and malicious software. Besides, the flexibility of Linux permits for greater software optimization, which leads to better web site functioning. Hence, if you want maximum security and server functioning, then you should develop your website in such a manner that it works with a Linux-driven web server. This is not a troublesome thing to fulfill, as the most widespread Content Management Systems, also popular as CMSs, like Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Moodle, and so on, are completely compatible with Linux servers and are known all over the world for being one of the best software applications for designing and managing websites. By all means, this doesn't mean that each and every web host that's using Linux will have administrators who are capable to appropriately administer a Linux web hosting server. Choosing the appropriate web hosting vendor is quite tough at present, as most of them do not possess the capability to engage a professional, experienced administrator. A Linux web server that hasn't been appropriately configured can be quite hazardous to your site and private information. For that reason, when picking a hosting service provider, it's invariably advisable to pick an established hosting provider that's been in business for at least a few years.

How to recognize the appropriate hosting provider for my website?

These hosting companies are easily recognizable by the manner in which they are distributing their services. Experienced hosting corporations offer custom-developed features, diverse PHP-driven scripts or frameworks. The most experienced, however, possess even their very own personal custom-devised web hosting CPs made especially for their system. A website hosting Control Panel is an online-based panel, through which the customer handles the entire web hosting account. Smaller-sized web hosts use ready-made CPs like cPanel or DirectAdmin. In order, though, to guarantee ultimate safety and efficiency for their website hosting services, the biggest hosting service providers furnish their clients with their very own custom-developed Control Panels created by their own administrators. We, at 'Steinmetz Hosting', don't simply offer our own custom-made CP, but have also set up a free script package, which enables our clients to effortlessly activate any of the abovementioned content management platforms. Specs such as these certify that we have the ability, the resources and the necessary experience to be entrusted with preserving your personal info private and your web site - up and running on the Internet.