In the previous section on Web Servers and Hosting Services, I talked the different kinds of features and services that you need to consider when you want to select a Web Hosting Company. In this section I'll discuss the different types of hosting that a company might provide.

Web Servers and Hosting Companies

A Web Server is a computer that runs special serving software. That software "serves" HTML pages and associated files when requested by a client, such as a Web browser.

If you want your site to be seen on the World Wide Web, you need to use a company that offers space on their Web server. These companies are called Website Hosting Companies or Internet Service Providers (ISP). An ISP also provides a business or organization with access to the Internet and related services such as Internet transit, dial-up access and leased line access, in addition to hosting and domain name registration

Types of Hosting

Shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated and managed dedicated hosting. As the hosting industry has matured, hosting offers have split into several distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Shared hosting means you share a single server with a number of other clients. The host manages the server and you maintain your site and your account. These hosting providers are able to give the low rates because multiple clients are paying for the use of one server.

However, since other clients are using the resources of that server, this means there could be heavy traffic to one of the other sites on the server which could slow down your site's performance. Each site resides in its own partition or section on the server, so each site is separated from the others.

Also, you usually cannot install special software programs on these types of machines because the host needs to keep a stable environment for all of the clients on the server. This is usually the most economical form of hosting since numerous people share the full cost of server maintenance.

The provider is generally responsible for management of the server including security updates, server software installation and tech support.

Shared hosting is what most individual or small websites will have. The remaining hosting types of hosting will generally be used by businesses.
Dedicated hosting service is where the user (client) gets an entire Web server that is not shared with anyone and full control over it, although the client usually does not own the server. The amount of service provided by the provider depends on whether it is "unmanaged" or "managed" hosting.

This is more flexible than shared hosting, because the client has full control over the server and can decide on things like the choice of operating systems and hardware. Server administration is usually provided by the hosting company as an added on service.
1. Unmanaged (or Self Managed) Dedicated hosting is similar to collocated hosting, except that the client leases an entire server from a host who provides a minimal level of support. Limited support (usually Web-based only) is included but it varies widely from host to host. The main advantage to the client is that they have a dedicated server with no other clients on it. This is usually the least expensive for Dedicated server plans. The client has full administrative access over the server, which means the they are responsible for the security and maintenance of the server.
2. Managed Dedicated hosting is where a client leases a server from a host and has them provide a high level of support and maintenance on the hardware, software, and upkeep of a dedicated server. Generally, that support will include some kind of quality of service guarantee. The maintenance part might also include things like security patch updates, uptime monitoring and hardware warranties.
  
  The Server providers usually employs full time system administrators who maintain the dedicated servers.
  
  The (client) user is allowed to manage their data with FTP or other remote management tools.
Collocated hosting means that a user purchases a server and supplies it to the hosting company. The host provides physical space for the server, connects it to their network and allows it to take advantage of their backup power system. The host is responsible for making their network available. the client is responsible for all support and maintenance of the server.

Some hosts will offer management contracts for collocated clients, so you can contract most of the server support to the provider. So this would be similar to managed dedicated hosting.

The host may provide little or no human support for the server, just electrical and Internet access. Most likely, the client would have their own administrator visit the data center on site for maintenance and upgrades.

No matter which type of hosting you decide on, if you plan on getting specialized hosting (something other than Shared), then you should make sure that your agreement with the hosting provider is very specific and spells out exactly what services are included.

You Get What You Pay For

Dollar bills. Paying for Web hosting service. You've heard the saying "You Get What You Pay For" and it also applies to Web hosting. When getting the lowest price is your number one requirement, then you run the risk of getting a hosting company that will provide you with a connection to the Internet and nothing else, including support. Also, you could end up on a server that is filled above its working capacity and this could cause response time problems or even cause the server to be down an excessive amount.

Just because a Web hosting company is big does not mean it is stable and secure. Many of the biggest hosting companies filed for bankruptcy protection or were saved by being sold to other companies, in some cases causing server transitions problems for the clients.

So when you start looking for a hosting company you need to ask some questions. By doing this, you'll get a feeling for how good of a company they really are:

How quickly do they respond to your questions, either by phone or email.
How complete are their answers to your questions
How understandable are the answers? If you can't understand their techno-jargon now, then how helpful do you think they'll be if you have a real problem and really need their help?
If you can't get an answer within 24 hours, then you'd better look for another company.
Check out Blogs and Discussion Groups on the web, as well as searching for the Company name in one of the search engines.

This is a good way to get some opinions on the company. Look for negative criticism. You have to be careful about depending totally on Good Opinions from online people because they might be promoting a particular company because they are an affiliate. Meaning, they get a commission from the company if they can get you to sign up for services, using a link that they provide.

In the next section on Hosting Companies, I'll recommend some companies that can host your Website.