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The Different Types Of Web Hosts

Description: Web hosts come in many different shapes and sizes. But it's important for you to understand them in order to choose the one that will work for you.

Surely web hosts are all pretty much the same? Well no, actually they're not, and it pays to understand more about them in order to make sure you know what you are getting into when you choose a particular host to help you get your website online.

First of all, there are two main types of web host. Some web hosts - generally the larger ones - have their own web servers, and it is on one of these that your website will be hosted.

But there are also resellers. These web hosts don't own their own servers; instead they sign up with a web hosting company to be a reseller of their web space. So if you choose a package offered by a reseller you are essentially paying a middleman to use someone else's service.

There is nothing really wrong or underhand about this; it's simply another kind of affiliate scheme. But if you are considering using a web hosting package provided via a reseller, make sure you know who you need to contact in the event of any problems or issues you may have. Do you need to contact the reseller, or will they direct you through to the main web host they are renting the space from?

The problem is that many resellers don't know anything about web hosting, or at least not enough - they are simply doing it as a way of increasing the income they are earning online. So make sure you choose a good one if you go via this route.

Different web hosts also provide different web hosting packages. The most popular package is shared hosting, which lets you share a web server with a lot of other people. This is why shared hosting is cheaper than many other kinds of hosting.

If you want or need a server all to yourself, you will need to opt for dedicated hosting. If you have more than one website on the internet you might want to group them all together and have them running from one server, so this might suit you. It's also a good option if your websites are popular and get a lot of traffic.

Web hosts can also be categorized depending on the kind of servers they use, for example Linux or Windows servers. If you have a preference for either type of system then you may want to pick a web host based on this factor. While it doesn't really have much of a bearing on shared web hosting, it may become relevant if you go for one of the more advanced web hosting packages which allow you to have a server all to yourself.

As a general rule the smaller and more personal your website is, the less of an effect the type of web host you choose will have on your own situation.