If you are new to web business you will find this article of particular importance. The basic web hosting guide will give you an overview of the terms used when describing hosting, what features you absolutely need for your web site, and the introductory aspects of web hosting. You will find this article full of handy information that will make you a more informed web hosting client.

First lets start off with exploring exactly what is a web host? Hosting is a service that allows for web sites to be displayed on the internet and the world wide web. Hosting companies rent clients special computer systems called servers. These machines are called servers because they “serve” files on the internet. Essentially the server will give a file to the web browser to display. When someone is talking about web hosting they are referring to the service offered by web hosting companies, which is to rent servers, or space on servers to clients in which the client will upload files to be served on the internet.

In many cases the technical aspects of a server are in the hands of the host. Keeping the network up, handling upgrades, errors, unauthorized access attempts, and a myriad of other duties is all handled by the hosting company. Shared hosting and many dedicated hosting plans come managed automatically. For the tech savvy unmanaged dedicated servers are sometimes a better option. In general though most web master will have all of the upkeep of a server managed by their web host.

Where the client does have access to a server is through their account. Client management is handle by a control panel, popular control panels include cPanel, DirectAdmin, and Plesk. Each of these control panels allows web hosting clients to manage their account. Commonly a user can add and remove domains, email addresses, databases and manage various aspects of their account such as checking traffic logs, domain pointing, email vacation responders, billing, and manage files. The control panel lets you customize your account to best fit your needs. All of the control panels found with most hosts are intuitive and easy to use. Most hosts will also have an in depth knowledgebase that will guide you through how to use your hosts specific control panel.

Now that you know what web hosting is and how you can manage your account, lets talk about some of the terms used in regards to basic web hosting. The main areas most web sites need to be concerned with is disk space and bandwidth.

Disk space is the same as the hard drive on your home computer, where all the files are stored on your server. Disk space is commonly offered in Gigabyte sized blocks with plans ranging from 1 GB to 10 GB available with common starter packages. The amount of disk space your site will need is dependent upon how many files, and how big those files are that will be on your server. Simple sites with little in the way of images or videos need less disk space than dynamic script driven sites that are hosting hundreds of videos. Disk space is thought of in terms of finite space meaning if your account allows you 10GB of files you will not be able to upload more than 10GB of files to your account.

Bandwidth or transfer is the amount of data that flows across the connection your server has to the internet, the same as your home internet connection. Every file that is served to the internet uses bandwidth. For example, a simple HTML file with only text is just a few kilobytes in size, whereas a 20 minute high definition video can be hundreds of megabytes in size. Each time someone loads an HTML file or a HD video to watch, it uses bandwidth.

Mush like disk space, bandwidth usage depends on each individual site. To make a rough estimate of bandwidth use you need to evaluate the size of the files that make up your web site, how many visitors your web site receives, how many pages each visitor loads, and many more variables. A quick rule of thumb when it comes to bandwidth is to get more than you plan on needing. The overage fees on bandwidth are usually expensive and an interruption in service due to using your allotment of bandwidth is never a good thing! Bandwidth is zeroed out at the start of each month or billing cycle so when a web host offers 50 GB of bandwidth, that is per month.

Many hosts offer features that are beyond the scope of this article, but with a good grasp of basic web hosting information you will be able to focus in on the important parts of hosting. The ability to manage your account using your web hots control panel, and understanding the terms disk space and bandwidth, give you the primary knowledge you need to understand the basics of hosting.