Shared Web Hosting

Is Shared Web Hosting for you? If you have a webpage or website, you will need to have a web host to get it on the Internet for exposure. One way this is done is through shared hosting, otherwise known as virtual web hosting. Web hosts supply the storage space for the photos, images and offer the capacity for a certain number of visitors to your webpage. Most webpages are through shared web hosting that allows merging several websites in one server through same or different IP addresses.

The virtual web host manages and controls the server, the necessary server software, protection and security updates and the basic administration of the web hosting. Shared hosting is a more affordable way for low traffic websites, as the cost of operation and maintenance of the server are “shared” by other low traffic web sites.

There are numerous virtual web hosting providers across the United States. When you are choosing a shared web host or virtual web host provider, you may want to talk to other customers to make sure there are not capacity problems, especially during peak traffic times.

Shared hosting has usage limits, and usually has reliability features built in. While your web page is a partitioned part of the server, or stands alone, the storage capacity of the server may be limited. Shared hosting used a web-based control panel system such as cPanel, Plesk or H-Sphere, among others. Sometimes the web hosts sell the right to use their control panels to others.

Shared hosting involves a provider who is responsible for installing the server software, security updates, technical support and keeping the web pages of their clients functioning. The virtual web hosting service derives a large portion of their clients from the pay-per click advertising market. There are many virtual web hosting services to choose from, and most of them are a nominal monthly fee.

Shared hosting usually involves sharing in one of two ways, either name-based or IP-based. Some control panels mix both on one server. In name-based hosting, or shared IP hosting, the shared or virtual host serve multiple hostnames on a single machine that has a single IP address.

On IP based or dedicated IP web hosting, each shared or virtual host has a different IP address. The server has multiple network interfaces and connects the customer to the proper webpage by IP address, and each webpage has its own certificate, instead of a shared one. The server figures out which web page to show the customer depending on whether it is on a name-based or IP based system.

Some of the name-based systems have a problem because the websites all share the same IP address and digital certificate. Some shared web hosts require that each customer get their own IP address to eliminate problems.

Whatever shared web host provider you choose, you need to be sure you will have sufficient bandwidth and disk space for your website and the visitors you anticipate. While virtual web hosts charge a monthly fee for their service, it is still more affordable than other options and work well if your website is a low traffic or start-up site.