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INTERNET, HOSTING,
DOMAIN, SEARCH ENGINE ETC - BASIC KNOWLEDGE
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 "futuretechnocrafts.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).
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