Perhaps you’ve wondered what a web host actually does. Or what a server is. You are not alone in this. Most of us use the internet on a daily basis but never really consider how exactly all this information comes to us. While we think of the internet as nebulous concept existing in cyberspace, web hosting and servers, however, are rooted in the real world and rely on huge mechanical operations.
It is easy to think of a blogger or a personal website developer writing and designing content that is immediately released into the slip stream of the internet. This isn’t exactly the case. All websites exist on a server. A server is essentially a huge computer with an extremely large hard drive. Space on this server is œrented by users who want to create a website. It is in fact the server that is connected to the internet and is responsible for making it possible for content to be published online.
Each server has a exclusive IP address that is represented by a string of numbers. The server is like an apartment building. Each tenant pays rent for a unique apartment and address. That address, however, is housed within the building itself. Like an apartment, you can be reached by a domain name which includes the name of your website and the Top-Level Domain Name which indicates what service your site provides (.com, .gov, .edu, .org).
There are many different options and services that web hosting companies provide. Basic web hosting can consist of a limited amount of interactive functions known as scripts. Other scripts can consist of guest books, bulletin boards, and forms that allow visitors to your site have an interactive experience with it. If you are looking for a more customer intensive site many web hosting companies can offer packages that include a variety of business tools that allow visitors to buy things directly from your site and access point of sale functions.
The possibilities for web hosting are seemingly endless and only increase in function and use.