What is Internet?
The vast collection of interconnected networks that all
use the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60’s and
early 70’s. An "internet" (lower case i) is any computers connected to each
other (a network), and are not part of the Internet unless the use TCP/IP
protocols. An "intranet" is a private network inside a company or organization
that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet,
but that is only for internal use. An intranet may be on the Internet or may
simply be a network.
What is an ISP?
Internet Service Provider, a company (can be a
communications carrier) that has access to the Internet and can provide remote
dial server access ports for users to use for connections via modem dial-up.
Typically these service providers also have disk space on http servers to hold
Web pages that can be used by others. eg. VSNL,
MTNL
What is a domain name?
A domain name is a sequence of letters and numbers which
determine the address of your site. This site's domain name is "Terranethosting.com."
You need to register a domain name before your web site becomes accessible at
this address.
What is domain parking?
Domain parking lets you cheaply reserve a domain name for
future use and display an "under construction" default page on it. You can
register a domain and not park it anywhere but then your site will simply be
inaccessible until you get a web host. Some registrar let you park your domain
for free.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting refers to the process of publishing a web site
so that it is available to the world on the Web. Paid web hosting also involves
getting a domain name and not having forced ads displayed on your site.
What is shared (virtual) web hosting?
Shared (or virtual) web hosting is the most fitting way of
hosting for 99% of web sites. It means that a web hosting company will have one
or more servers (computers constantly connected to the Internet that run a web
server software such as Apache or IIS) that will be running multiple web sites
(it will be shared). Unless a web site is exceptionally busy or requires a lot
of bandwidth, this is the least expensive way to get a real web site. You can
still have your own IP address with virtual hosting and the site won't look any
different to users. Other options are dedicated, co-location, or doing it
yourself web hosting. In those options you have the whole computer to yourself
and you can do things like install your own software.
What is full-service web hosting?
Full-service" can refer to a variety of services offered
in addition to providing web space, transfer, and emails for a web site. For
example, it could be 24/7 toll free phone support, web design services, or web
site content maintenance services.
What is E-mail?
Standard terminology for electronic mail, i.e., messages that are sent by
computer network. Email is a much appreciated and indispensable tool of persons
whose work attaches them to the Internet, especially computer professionals.
Email can be dealt with according to the receiver's own schedule. That could
mean immediately, resulting in turnaround times of just a minute or so. But it
allows the receiver to prioritize messages. In comparison the telephone is a
rude device that interrupts you and demands immediate attention, no matter what
you are doing. Another advantage is that when email is saved, it leaves a
written record of exchanges that can be built into a substantial information
database. That I often receive and send over 200 email messages a day, but only
two or three phone calls, usually from my wife, is strong evidence that busy
computer workers greatly prefer email to the telephone for most lower priority
communications.
What is a Web Site?
A collection of files accessed through a Web address,
covering a particular theme or subject, and managed by a particular person or
organization. Its opening page is called a home page. A Web site resides on
servers connected to the Web network and is able to format and send information
requested by worldwide users 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Web sites
typically use HTML to format and present information and to provide navigational
facilities that make it easy for the user to move within the site and around the
Web.
Can I
use Java applets, JavaScript, and Flash pages on my site?
Yes. Those are client-side technologies, so the host
doesn't have to do anything to support or enable them. Any browser (such as
Internet Explorer or Netscape) that supports them is enough, so any host will
do. It doesn't matter whether Java or Flash are listed among the plan's
features, they are supported by default.
How do I upload my site?
The main method of uploading files to your site's account
is by using FTP. When you sign up with a host, you will probably get an FTP
account that lets you access files in your account (usually ftp.yoursitename.com,
your main account name and password). Then you can use a built-in Windows or
Internet Explorer FTP client, or some other software that supports FTP such as
CuteFTP, WS_FTP, or Total Commander, to transfer files from your hard drive to
your account. If you don't get an FTP account or if you prefer a Web interface,
you can use your account control panel's File Manager instead. Yet another
method is to use an SSH or telnet client software, such as SecureCRT, to upload
using Zmodem protocol (sz and rz commands).
All these methods will work fine, but we recommend using dedicated FTP programs
as the preferred solution because these programs have the best user interfaces
and support advanced options like setting file permissions and resuming aborted
file transfers.
What
are the numbers listed under "space" and "transfer"?
Space is the amount of "stuff" you can put on your web
site. Available space is usually listed in megabytes (MB, millions of bytes).
Single letter takes up one byte. HTML files are usually rather small (this file
is about 25,000 bytes) but pictures and programs can get quite big. Your
scripts, emails and stats will also take up space on your host.
Transfer is the amount of "stuff" that visitors to your site can download before
you reach your monthly limit. Transfer is usually listed in gigabytes (billions
of bytes). After the transfer limit is reached for the month, you will need to
pay extra for additional transfer at higher rates. For example, if an average
visitor to your site views 3 HTML pages of 20 KB (thousands of bytes) each and 8
small embedded pictures of 10 KB each, and you get 500 visitors per day, you
will require at least (3 * 20 + 8 * 10) * 500 * 30 = 2,100,000 KB = 2.1 GB of
transfer per month.
What are PHP, SQL, Java, IP, etc.?
Those acronyms refer to various features such as
programming languages, databases, etc. that might be available with a hosting
plan.
Will I
have forced advertising on my site like I do on geocities etc?
No. None of the web hosts listed in our database force
any kinds of ads on your site. In fact you can put your own ads if you'd like.
What is
uptime?
Uptime is the percentage of time that a web site is
working. For example, if some host has an uptime average of 99.86%, this means
that your site will be down for a total about 1 hour each month. We monitor
uptime of customer websites of many web hosts and we display this data on the
host's details page.
Does it make a difference what type of desktop computer I use?
No. This will only make a difference if you develop
scripts that you want to use without changes on your web site. FrontPage
extensions can also be done on Unix (or Linux) servers.
Advanced questions
Should
I use a Unix (Linux, SunOS, BSD, etc.) or Windows NT (Windows 2000) based
server?
Which operating system you decide to use should depend on
what features you need. For example, if you are already using IIS, ASP,
VBScript, Windows Media, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, or Visual
InterDev, and you don't have the time to learn Unix-based solutions, you'll have
to choose a Windows NT or Windows 2000-based host. Just because your desktop is
Windows-based doesn't mean you should use a Windows host. You may notice that
Linux-based operating systems and Apache Web servers are most common among web
hosting companies. This is due to Apache's many shared-hosting features, a good
track record of stability and performance, and because Linux and Apache are
free. In addition to cross-platform products like Java or Cold Fusion, it is
also possible to find hosts that run unusual combinations that for example let
you use Apache on Windows NT or ASP on Linux.
How
much data transfer will I need?
You can figure out how much data transfer you will require
by estimating your average page size (including graphics!) and multiplying it by
the number of page views you expect to have in a month. For example: with an
average page size of 50 KB, and around 2000 page views per day, you will
transfer an average of 3 GB per month. In this case, you should get a plan with
4 to 5 GB of data transfer limit per month, so you don't have to worry about
overstepping your account's limit, which may cause extra per GB transfer
charges.
Should
I go with a big or small hosting company?
This depends on your preferences. Large companies might
be considered to have better chances of staying in business for a long time and
may be able to negotiate better deals for their customers, but small hosts are
usually cheaper, provide better support for individuals and small businesses,
and are quicker to offer new features.
Can't I
just get a DSL line or a cable modem and host the site or my own computer?
Sure, you could do that, but it's not a good idea for
several reasons. First, a vast majority of ISPs won't let you legally use a
residential cable modem or a DSL line to host a public server. You would have
to get a more expensive business package. Second, ADSL and cable lines usually
have lower upstream bandwidth than downstream bandwidth, so your site may appear
to be sluggish under heavy traffic. Third, DSL and cable lines have a much
lower reliability than dedicated T1 or better lines. Fourth, you wouldn't have
the benefit of data security, data backup, UPS power, or technical support that
a host can provide.
Can I
run my own software on my site?
This depends on a web host and a plan. Most plans will
allow running scripts in languages such as Perl or PHP. Some plans will also
allow you to compile program in C/C++ and run them. Some Unix plans will also
allow you to run "cron" which enables you to automatically execute programs or
scripts at a specific time and date. However to get a full control over all
aspects of your server, you will need a dedicated or co-located server instead
of a shared plan.
Do I
need a static IP address for my site?
Maybe. There are some advantages to having a unique IP
for your site. When you change servers, you can point your users to a new IP,
so they don't have to wait for the domain name change to propagate. With a
static IP, it can also be simpler to upload and test your site before
transferring the domain name to a new server. Setting up SSL is also much
simpler. You may also not want to share your IP with some sites that could lead
to your site being banned by search engines or spam lists.
What is a Search Engine?
A "search engine" is a Web site that employs bots to
search the Web. Search engines take the information gathered by its bots and use
it to create a searchable index of the Net. The "search" in search engine refers
to the searching the bots do, not the searching you do to find things on the
(search engines are often organized solely by keyword search).
