Web Hosting Not a Name Only Enterprise

A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Emily Selden

A Web Host Broadcasts Sites

Any service provider that places a web site on a computer to allow access to the site via the internet is called a web host. Web surfers can then access the website via the web host. The web hosting company typically uses a computer that is a clone of a home computer only it is configured to be utilized with multiple amounts of web sites. This computer is then referred to as a "server".

Extremely fast connections to the Internet and hosting thousands of web sites on several servers are typical characteristics of a web host. Essentially, the web host is renting out space on their servers to broadcast the websites on the world wide web.

Many larger web hosting companies own their own collection of servers- called a datacenter. While other hosts rent servers from another web hosting company with more capacity. They resell this rented space under their own company name. In this case the web host will manage your account on the server, but they will be renting the actual web space from another much larger company.

Web Host Becomes Name Genie

Every website has a name, this is usually seen after the www in the web address. This name points to the space on the internet where the website is physically located. The website will also have a set of numbers which is the actual address the computer uses. This address is called an IP address, an example: 555.22.555.22. An IP address is a unique address (just like a street address) for the website location. Domain names like www.myexample.com are virtually a mere pointer to the IP address. This allows the computer to remember websites easier.

When purchasing web hosting it is usually simpler to allow the expert, a web hosting company, to handle everything associated with an IP address. The website name is supplied (www.SiteName.com for example) and, if that name is available, the web hosting space will be successfully built. When web surfers type in the address, the server will automatically direct the computer to the website. To verify a domain name is available go to any domain registration page and type the desired name in.

A Domain Transfer with Web Hosts

To transfer a previously owned domain name to a web hosting account the domain records have to be pointed to the web hosting company handling the hosting. Most web hosts will handle these details, however, if not, contacting the company where the domain name is registered and providing the Nameserver address of the web hosting provider will be required. A web hosting provider furnishes the Nameserver address information.

The web hosting plan is not truly needed until a website is ready to be broadcast. Purchasing the website name early to prevent someone else from controlling it, however, is a wise choice. Almost all companies that sell domain names will allow a domain to dwell on their servers until the owner is ready to purchase the web hosting.