Types of Hosting Servers
There are three price levels of web hosting: free, less expensive and expensive. However, at the same time there are many different types of hosting. The first type of hosting is free hosting, this type of hosting is very limited because of the fact that it is free. Furthermore, you usually will not be able to get all of the features you want such as mySQL and PHP without paying. Also, since you are not paying anything, you have no uptime guarantee and your website may go down without notice. You should never use free web hosting services for a serious website!
Shared Web Hosting: This type of hosting is used when the hosting company places your site on a server with other people. Mostly, sites that are similar in topic are grouped together. This service is less expensive because it is shared. Unless you are running a very intensive and highly trafficked website, shared web hosting will be fine.
Reseller Web Hosting: This style of web hosting allows the customer to resell web hosting through the company’s server. The reseller can put up individual domains and they can also offer other types of hosting as well. The accounts can be very large and range from the dedicated server to the co-location server. This is a great way to start a small web hosting service.
Virtual Private Server (VPS): This is a server that has the user feeling like they have their own server but in reality they are sharing a server, it is like paying for virtual space. VPS servers give you the power of a dedicated server without the complicated hassle of a dedicated server.
Dedicated Hosting Service: The user who chooses this type of hosting is paying for their own server. You are renting the server, but not owning it. You have complete access to the server at any time of the night and day and you are responsible for security and maintenance. Dedicated servers are recommended for advanced users only!
Managed Dedicated Hosting Service: This type of hosting is the same as a dedicated service except the hosting company will help secure and maintain the server. Since the hosting company must maintain the server, managed services are more expensive that regular dedicated boxes.
