Web Hosting FAQ

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is the act of renting space and bandwidth through a company so that you may publish your web site online.

You can either opt for free hosting that is usually supported with banners and pop ups, or may opt to get paid web hosting, which gives you complete control over your site contents.

What is Virtual Hosting?

Also known as shared hosting, this form of web hosting should suffice for most everyone.

Virtual hosting simple refers to the fact that your site is on one server, and that this server hosts multiple sites. You are virtually shared - your site will not be the only one on this specific server.

Very few sites would actually need the power of a dedicated server, so this option provides to be a reliable and cheap solution.

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is a word along with a TLD that uniquely identifies your website.
Please visit our domains page for more information.

How Do I Register a Domain Name?

Registering a domain name is very easy.

First you will have to make sure that the domain you want is available - using something called a WHOIS lookup at sites like Register.com or Whois Source you can make sure the domain you want is available for registration.

Afterwards, you simply need to visit a registration site such as DirectNIC or Register.com to purchase your domain name.

My host offers unlimited bandwidth/space/transfer

As we explained on our scams page, it is not possible for a web host to offer 'unlimited' bandwidth or diskspace. Such hosting plans always come with clauses that restrict how much bandwidth you can transfer at a given moment, how much CPU usage you can use (which is arbitrarily decided), and so forth.

What exactly is space and bandwidth/data transfer?

Diskspace is the size your website can be. Every single letter on your website has to be stored somewhere on your web host's server. Each letter is one byte, and a megabyte is roughly one million bytes. HTML pages are usually very small, but it is the extra images, scripts, and even databases that can take up large amounts of disk space.

Bandwidth/Transfer is the amount of data the server will allow your site to send in a month. Transfer is usually measured in gigabytes - billions of bytes. Once you go over your monthly limit, a host may either shut your site down for the remainder of the month or it can charge you 'overage.' This overcharge is usually about $2.00-$5.00 per extra gigabyte of transfer.

Web Hosting FAQ 1

What do I need to do to put Flash on my website?

Flash is a client side feature - it runs on the user's computer, not on your web host. As long as the user's browser has the correct plugin installed, it will run on their computer.

How do I track how many hits my website gets?

There are a few things that need to be cleared in terms of terminology:

• Hits - this simply refers to the number of 'elements' loaded on your site. If one page has five images in it, viewing that page once adds 6 hits (one page + five images).
• Impressions - the number of times all the pages on your site are seen (also simply called page views). Impressions are sometimes referred to as 'hits' which can cause confusion
• Unique - the number of people that visited your site

So to clarify, if I visit your website, look at two pages, and each page has 5 images on it, then your stats increase by one unique, two page views, and 12 hits.

Tracking on your site can be either done server-side or remotely. With server-side statistics, log files are used to generate visitor information. This is usually much more accurate than remotely hosted solutions. In such cases, you usually have to add some JavaScript to your site. This javascript is then used to track visitor data.

If your host provides it (and many do), server-side statistics are a good solution. Otherwise, companies like Site Meter can be used to remotely track your visitors.

What are PHP, ASP, perl, etc?

These are all programming languages which are referred to by their acronyms.

PHP - PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
ASP - Active Server Pages
Perl - not an acronym

Each programming language has its own benefits and uses. It is best that you research on your own to find one that best fits your needs.

What is MySQL, MS SQL, etc?

MySQL and MS SQL are database systems. Depending on what your host provides, you can use a database to organize your data.

To help you out, we have lists on hosts that provide MySQL and hosts that provide MS SQL.

Do I have to change my domain if I get a new host?

No. Provided that the domain is registered in your name (as it should be), you can simply update your namservers (from where you manage your domain names) to that of your new host.

Will there be forced advertising on my site - things like banner ads or popup ads?

Not at all. You are paying for webspace that is only yours - no one may put ads on your site except you.

What is Domain Parking?

Domain parking lets you buy a domain and then have a 'coming soon' page on it. This is not needed - if a domain is not parked it will simply be inaccessible to anyone.

Most domain registrars provide this by default.

How can I pay for web hosting?

This depends on which host you decide to go with. Most web hosts will accept credit cards, and some will accept PayPal and/or a Money Order / Check.

What is PayPal?

Simply put, PayPal lets anyone with email address send money to anyone else with an email address.

Each user signs up with PayPal and then enters their necessary banking and credit card information. Once registration is completed, your email address is all you need to send and receive money.

PayPal is owned by eBay.

What are sub domains?

Consider sub domains as an extension of your domain. For example, your site is www.example.com. A sub domain would be test.example.com, and another would be webhosting.example.com.

Sub domains are usually treated as separate sites from the main domain site.

How do I upload my site online?

Uploading your site can be done in many ways, but the most popular is FTP.

When your hosting account was created, you should have been provided with an FTP account. Using software such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP, you can log into your host. Then, using the program like a normal windows program, you can drag and drop files onto your web host. These files become live online instantaneously.

There are other ways to upload your site such as using SSH or uploading files through your browser

What is uptime?

Uptime is literally what it means - it is the amount of time your site is online throughout the entire month.

The best uptime would be 100%, but because things can break, many hosts offer 99.9% uptime guarantees. This means that if your site is not accessible for more than 43 minutes in a single month, they will reimburse you, depending on their terms of service.

What is the difference between UNIX hosting and Windows hosting?

Depending on which operating system to go with depends on your needs.

If you need to support Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice.

There are some things to remember.

First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a UNIX server.

Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Just because it's free does not mean it's not as good - Linux is an excellent product too.

In order to help you, we have created a list of web hosts using Unix and a list of web hosts that use Windows.

I have a fast internet connection (DSL/cable) - can I just host my own site?

You could, but that's definitely not recommended.

First of all, most ISPs have clauses that do not let you use your internet connection for web hosting - doing so will result in termination of your account.

Second of all, think of the headaches it can provide: making sure your system is secure so that no one can hack into it, having your computer on 24/7, and other such problems.

Third of all, think of the performance. Most good web hosts use powerful servers with lots of RAM and high performance hard disks. Furthermore, they have multiple internet connections at speeds far higher than what residential DSL or cable service can provide.

Lastly there are all the issues of support. If something goes wrong, it will be your job to fix it - you will not have a professional to correct the problem.

Web Hosting FAQ 2

Why would I need a dedicated IP?

For most people, a dedicated IP is not required. But for people that want to provide anonymous FTP or a website using SSL, a dedicated IP can make that easier.

Why don't I just go with the cheapest hosting?

A host has to make a profit to continue operating. Some hosts do not properly understand the market, and may be pricing themselves too cheap.

We provide a more detailed explanation here

I am using too much bandwidth! Is there any way for me to make it less?

In most cases, yes.

You should first try to optimize the graphics on your website. Many GIFs look just as good with fewer colors, and many JPEGs look just as good with a higher compression level. NetMechanic offers an image optimizer program online.

You should also analyze the HTML of your site. Make sure you use relative paths, so that images are not downloaded more than one time. Remove any extra spacing and when linking to other pages, use relative paths and not absolute links.

While many hosts already have it, you could also see if your host has mod_gzip installed. This can save you a lot of bandwidth.

Best of all, optimizing your page like this makes the user experience better as your site will load faster for them!

Can I keep my domain name when I change a host?

Yes. We recommend that you register your domain name with a separate registrar before getting a hosting plan (please see our Domain Name Guide). Then, when you need to move to another host, you just need to point your domain's name servers to this new host. If you registered your domain name with a host and now you want to move, you should find your registration records or contact this host and ask them how to control your domain name. If you have a problem, you can usually see the name of the registrar by performing a "Whose" query on your domain name and contact them.

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.

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.

I don't have any experience in creating a site. Who can help me create and host my site?

There are services such as 1001designs.com, OCWebdesign and CityMAX that do that. Please also see our Quick Start Guide.

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 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.

How do I pay for web hosting?

The methods of payment which are accepted depend on each individual host. Almost everybody accepts credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard. Vast majority of plans require periodic (usually monthly up to yearly) payments.

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.

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.

Even if you use FrontPage and its extensions for your site design, you can find many web hosts that will support these extensions on a Unix system using our Advanced Search page.

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.

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.

Web Hosting FAQ 3

Do I need stats?

Probably not If you can access raw logs, you could download them and analyze them on your home computer with a stats program yourself. However, the log files can get quite large for popular sites, so having the server analyze them may be more convenient. You could also use a service like Web Trends, theCounter.com, or Site Meter to get more detailed stats on your users than any host's stats program can provide.

My site is database-driven and uses 50 GB per month in transfer. Can I simply use a host with an unlimited transfer plan for $10 per month?

No. Most hosts are in business to make money and they would lose money hosting your site. They have to pay from $0.3 to $5 per GB of transfer to upstream providers themselves. Almost all hosts that have "unlimited" plans specify in their acceptable use policies that no site can use an "excessive" amount of resources. If you use too much disk space, bandwidth, or CPU time, these "unlimited" hosts will ask you to upgrade or leave.

Is there any advantage to a host that uses a Cobalt RaQ as opposed to one that uses a normal Linux computer?

No. RaQs are made specifically for hosting and they have pre-installed software that is optimized for hosting but experienced hosts can build and administer their own server just as well for less money. RaQs do have an advantage of being physically smaller.

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.

Do I need to use host's search engine submission service?

No. Some search engine submission tools are better than others and some big search engines don't like automated submission. You should submit manually to major directories like Yahoo!, ODP, or Look smart, and you may also prefer to submit manually to major search engines.

Should I simply choose a cheapest plan?

We wouldn't recommend choosing any plan below $5 per month if you expect to get a reasonable level of technical support.

Will the bandwidth prices fall soon?

Bandwidth prices are gradually decreasing. It is now possible for hosts to pay less than $1 per GB of transfer in chunks of 100 GB. New companies like Cogent Communications are building fiber-optic networks and promise 100 Mbps of bandwidth across their network to multi-tenant office buildings in major cities for $1,000/month. The question is whether they will be able to peer with established telecoms without raising prices.

How can hosts make money offering high transfer limits for low prices?

They count on the fact that the majority of sites won't use anywhere close to the full amount of transfer available. This overselling is usually a valid assumption and it is done in many other businesses (ex. airlines).

Are there any extra costs involved in hosting a secure site?

Yes, you'll need to get a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority such as VeriSign, Thawte, or Equifax Secure.

Should I worry that my host is a reseller?

Probably not. It is quite possible to get better support or prices from a reseller than from a base company. Resellers are usually smaller companies and since they don't own the server, sometimes they have to wait for the parent company to perform some tasks.

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.

Are there any advantages to getting a domain name with Network Solutions instead of a cheaper company?

No.

I don't want my site to be down. Ever. What host should I use?

No host can provide 100% uptime. We monitor uptime for many hosts and you could use this data as a guide.&bnsp; But even the biggest and best multi-million dollar sites go down from time to time due to various unforeseen circumstances. The best you can find is an uptime guarantee, where the host offers refunds for downtime.

Can I reduce the amount of data transfer my site needs?

Usually yes. Try to optimize all the graphics on your site. Many GIFs don't look noticeably worse with fewer colors. Don't duplicate graphics files, let the browser cache them. Try to clean up your HTML by using relative paths, short filenames, less extras, and reducing the number of spaces and new lines. If your site is mainly text-based, ask your host about using an HTTP compression module like mod_gzip.

Can I keep my domain name when I change a host?

Yes. We recommend that you register your domain name with a separate registrar before getting a hosting plan (please see our Domain Name Guide). Then, when you need to move to another host, you just need to point your domain's name servers to this new host. If you registered your domain name with a host and now you want to move, you should find your registration records or contact this host and ask them how to control your domain name. If you have a problem, you can usually see the name of the registrar by performing a "Whose" query on your domain name and contact them.

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.

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.

I don't have any experience in creating a site. Who can help me create and host my site?

There are services such as 1001designs.com, OCWebdesign and CityMAX that do that. Please also see our Quick Start Guide.

Web Hosting FAQ 4

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 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.

How do I pay for web hosting?

The methods of payment which are accepted depend on each individual host. Almost everybody accepts credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard. Vast majority of plans require periodic (usually monthly up to yearly) payments.

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.

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.

Even if you use FrontPage and its extensions for your site design, you can find many web hosts that will support these extensions on a UNIX system using our Advanced Search page.

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.

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.

Do I need stats?

Probably not. If you can access raw logs, you could download them and analyze them on your home computer with a stats program yourself. However, the log files can get quite large for popular sites, so having the server analyze them may be more convenient. You could also use a service like Web Trends, theCounter.com, or Site Meter to get more detailed stats on your users than any host's stats program can provide.

My site is database-driven and uses 50 GB per month in transfer. Can I simply use a host with an unlimited transfer plan for $10 per month?

No. Most hosts are in business to make money and they would lose money hosting your site. They have to pay from $0.3 to $5 per GB of transfer to upstream providers themselves. Almost all hosts that have "unlimited" plans specify in their acceptable use policies that no site can use an "excessive" amount of resources. If you use too much disk space, bandwidth, or CPU time, these "unlimited" hosts will ask you to upgrade or leave.

Is there any advantage to a host that uses a Cobalt RaQ as opposed to one that uses a normal Linux computer?

No. RaQs are made specifically for hosting and they have pre-installed software that is optimized for hosting but experienced hosts can build and administer their own server just as well for less money. RaQs do have an advantage of being physically smaller.

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.

Do I need to use host's search engine submission service?

No. Some search engine submission tools are better than others and some big search engines don't like automated submission. You should submit manually to major directories like Yahoo!, ODP, or Look smart, and you may also prefer to submit manually to major search engines.

Should I simply choose a cheapest plan?

We wouldn't recommend choosing any plan below $5 per month if you expect to get a reasonable level of technical support.

Will the bandwidth prices fall soon?

Bandwidth prices are gradually decreasing. It is now possible for hosts to pay less than $1 per GB of transfer in chunks of 100 GB. New companies like Cogent Communications are building fiber-optic networks and promise 100 Mbps of bandwidth across their network to multi-tenant office buildings in major cities for $1,000/month. The question is whether they will be able to peer with established telecoms without raising prices.

Web Hosting FAQ 5

How can hosts make money offering high transfer limits for low prices?

They count on the fact that the majority of sites won't use anywhere close to the full amount of transfer available. This overselling is usually a valid assumption and it is done in many other businesses (ex. airlines).

Are there any extra costs involved in hosting a secure site?

Yes, you'll need to get a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority such as VeriSign, Thawte, or Equifax Secure.

Should I worry that my host is a reseller?

Probably not. It is quite possible to get better support or prices from a reseller than from a base company. Resellers are usually smaller companies and since they don't own the server, sometimes they have to wait for the parent company to perform some tasks.

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.

Are there any advantages to getting a domain name with Network Solutions instead of a cheaper company?

I don't want my site to be down. Ever. What host should I use?

No host can provide 100% uptime. We monitor uptime for many hosts and you could use this data as a guide but even the biggest and best multi-million dollar sites go down from time to time due to various unforeseen circumstances. The best you can find is an uptime guarantee, where the host offers refunds for downtime.

Can I reduce the amount of data transfer my site needs?

Usually yes. Try to optimize all the graphics on your site. Many GIFs don't look noticeably worse with fewer colors. Don't duplicate graphics files, let the browser cache them. Try to clean up your HTML by using relative paths, short filenames, less extras, and reducing the number of spaces and new lines. If your site is mainly text-based, ask your host about using an HTTP compression module like mod_gzip.

What are "free webspace and free web hosting providers"?

These are online web hosting companies who offer to host your website on their web server at no cost to you (you pay no money). The free webpage hosting servers usually have several drawbacks over paid hosting servers (see next question), but they are especially great for beginner webmasters (newbies) to learn, for those who can't afford paid web hosting, for developing and testing PHP scripts in different webhosting server settings, or possibly even for "doorway pages" to your other web sites (always check the free web space provider's Terms of Service [TOS] first).

Why are these website hosting services free?

Most of these "free" services make profit from hosting your website, either by: (1) placing banner ads on your free web pages, (2) placing banner ads on the administration pages which you use to upload files and other website maintenance, or (3) by sending you email from advertisers. This is to your benefit in a way, since if they make money, they will probably continue to offer the "free" web space. The more traffic your website gets, the more their banners are viewed and the more money they make. (4) Some websites offer free hosting in hopes visitors to your website will visit the homepage of the URL you are given. (5) Many recent free web page hosting sites require forum posting, which gives their website free content. (6) Several commercial hosting services offer free webhosting in hopes you will want to upgrade to their paid hosting. These are often unreliable, as they usually end up ceasing their free service. (7) A few free web site hosts are run as hobbies by the owner, and are the least reliable. (8) There are several services, such as Community Architect, which allow websites to offer cobranded free webhosting at no charge to the cohost (cobranded host). These are not recommended, as your website will then depend on at least two services continuing their free service.

What are the best free website providers?

That depends a lot on the webhosting needs of your free web site (do you need CGI, PHP, ASP, SSI, unlimited bandwidth, domain hosting, FrontPage server extensions, large file sizes, FTP upload, ecommerce with SSL, free cpanel hosting, etc.). If you serious about having a website, buying your own domain name is recommended. Look for a free web hosting service which has been in business a long time, and is making profit. See our web page listing free web hosting ratings (based on user reviews and voting), and our list of best free web hosts.

How do I search for free web hosts which meet my needs?

If you know exactly what services you need, the best method is the advanced free web hosting search - choose only the features you need, click on the "search" button, and the free web space hosts meeting those requirements are returned. The simple search is best if you are looking for a particular free website provider, or a feature not listed in the advanced search. You can also browse the full list of unique free webspace providers. If web hosting features aren't as important as the URL name you will use, also check out the cobranded hosts, such as Community Architect, which aren't listed in the searchable database using the default settings. There is a separate section for a list of free image hosting and free file hosting service providers.

Where do I find what these webhosting words and terms mean?

See our webhosting terms and definitions page.

How do I add new free hosting services to this website?

Just go to our contact page and submit the URL, and preferably as much info as possible about it. We always double-check the information, but it makes the process faster.

Do I need a UNIX or Windows platform?

The choice between a Unix or Windows platform will depend on your personal needs, Unix is the most common platform providing excellent security and a wide range of features. If you need a Windows specific feature such as ASP (see below) or are going to be using an Access database then a Windows platform would be needed.

Do I need FrontPage extensions?

If you intend to use MS Front-page to manage your WebPages and you use any front-page components (such as the hit counter) then you will need this feature.

What is ASP and do I need it?

ASP (Active Server Pages) is a feature similar to CGI that allows dynamic web pages to be generated utilizing Active X scripting. ASP is ideal for people who want to use Visual basic or Jscript scripting languages to enhance their web sites.

How much web space do I need?

The amount of web space is how much physical space you need to store your web pages and images. If the site is going to be less than say 200 pages then 50Mb will be ample as the average web page should be between 2Kb and 50Kb, so this would leave plenty of room for any images you want to use (200 times 50Kb is around 10Mb), if you intend to be using a large database or storing lots of pages/images then you will need more space.
Hosting companies are flexible and will allow you to increase your web space as your web site grows.

Web Hosting FAQ 6

How much bandwidth do I need?

Bandwidth is a measurement of how much data (information) can be transferred over a set period of time, for instance every time someone looks at a page / image on your website this increases your bandwidth use. The average hosting company offers between 1Gb (1024 Mb) and 5Gb a month, which should be plenty if the site isn't going to be another Amazon ! So the calculation for the bandwidth would be the size of the pages/images viewed by each visitor times how many visitors per month.
Hosting companies are very flexible with bandwidth and will allow you to increase your quota if necessary.

What is CGI and do I need it?

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is a standard feature that allows the user to interact with your website. It provides a special directory where you can keep CGI scripts and then call them from the web page, if you intend to have any type of interaction on your web site for instance contact forms or database integration then CGI is essential.

What is PHP and do I need it?

PHP (Pre Hypertext Processor) is a scripting language similar to Perl that allows the developer to create dynamic web pages, the PHP script is embedded within the HTML code enclosed between PHP tags. PHP can be used for many tasks and is a question of personal preference as to whether you use PHP instead of Perl for any scripting applications.

What is SSI and do I need it?

SSI (Server Side Include) is a feature that allows the web developer to pull data from another file and insert it into the web page through use of a tag, a common use is to pull page headers and footers from one file, this enables any changes to be made to the headers and/or footers by updating just one file instead of every page. Another use is to insert the result of a script into a html page.

What is SSL and do I need it?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) provides a secure connection to your website, this is essential if you intend to store or transfer any information that requires maximum security (for instance credit card numbers). If you intend to use a shopping cart (see below) then it is imperative that you have SSL.

Do I need a shopping cart?

Shopping carts provide ecommerce capabilities; if you intend to sell anything on your web site then having a shopping cart is the best solution. Shopping carts need to be used in conjunction with SSL (see above).

Do I need database support?

This decision will depend on whether you intend to store any information in a database. Most hosts provide this feature so you can always add a database at a later date if your requirements change.

What database platform?

There are two main types of database platform supported by web hosting companies; these are MS Access and MySQL. Your choice will depend on personal preference as they both offer virtually the same features. If you decide you want an Access database then it is advisable to choose a windows hosting plan for compatibility.

What is webmail?

Webmail provides you with the capability of reading and sending your emails via a webpage (much like yahoo or hotmail), you will be provided with a web address where you can logon to read or send email.

What are graphical statistics?

Graphical statistics give you reports on how many visitors there are to your site in any given period. They can also provide you with other reporting information such as the phrases people use to find your site in search engines, the different types of browsers people use and other demographic information.

Do you put adverts on my website?
Vision Internet Limited never place adverts on any hosting packages.

If I buy hosting from you, can I use any ISP to upload my files?
Yes, you can use any ISP of your choice.

Can I use flash animation (.swf files) on my hosting?
Yes, you can use flash animation with any of our hosting packages.

What type of servers are you running?
Our servers are custom built to our own specification. They run Linux operating systems with Apache web server. This makes them very reliable and fast.

How do I get my files to my web site?
You need to use an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) package such as Cute FTP or WS_FTP. Internet Exploror can also be used to upload files to your space.

I have uploaded my site but I still see your site reserved page. Why?
There could be one of two reasons. You may have uploaded your site to the wrong directory. Your web site should be uploaded to either the html or mainwebsite.html directory. Alternatively, you may not have overwritten (replaced) the index.html file already in the html directory. If your home page is called index.htm, make sure you delete the index.html file currently there.

I keep getting an error 403 - Forbidden message when I visit my site.
You've removed the index.html file. If you have a file there called index.html, make sure that it's in lower case. Linux based servers use case sensitive characters. Some web servers will list all the contents of folders that don't have an index.html file. This is incredibly bad for security and we don't allow this on any of our servers. Hence the error message.

I wish to sell your hosting on at a profit. Is this allowed?
Certainly, no problem. We only contact the administrator of an account and not the registrant of the domain name.

Can I upgrade my hosting?
Certainly. You can do this at any time. Please contact us as we calculate the time left on your present package and trade that in against the time difference on the new package. We will confirm the price with you, send you information on how to pay for this and upgrade the account.

What is your uptime rate?
We are one of the top hosting companies in the UK for reliability. It would be unusual for us not to have a 100% figure for any given month. Obviously we occasionally need to take the server down for planned maintenance. When this happens, we inform our clients that the service will be down and try to give an indication as to how long for.

How secure is your server?
We take security very seriously and apply patches and new versions of software when available.

My current 'free web space' provider is too slow. Will your hosting be faster?
We're likely to be faster than your free hosting provider due to server location and less over-crowding of hosting accounts.

My website is currently down and my hosting and domain name provider cannot be contacted. Is it possible to move my site to you?
In most cases, yes. You will need to move the domain name over to us. Please see our page on moving a domain name or contact us with more details.

I don't really like trust hit counters. Is there an alternative?
If you have a hosting package with us that include site statistics, then yes. This will give you an indication as to the number of visitors on all your web pages rather than one with a hit counter on it.

Web Hosting FAQ 7

My stats report 'file not found' for robots.txt and favicon.ico. Any clues?
Robots.txt is a file that the web spiders (robots) use to check if they are allowed to check through all links of your web site. If they cannot find the file, they assume they are allowed. Favicon.ico is an icon files that old version of IE check for when someone tries to bookmark your site. We now believe that only Netscape browsers use this correctly.

I've had 140,000 requests made to my site. Are these all different visitors?
No. Hits or requests are not the same as visitors. The number of hits includes all images and buttons on your page as well as the page itself. If you had 10 buttons and 5 images, that's 16 hits including the page itself. To get a better idea, you need to look at distinct hosts served.

My stats say I've served 251 distinct hosts. Does this mean I have had 251 individual people visiting the site?
Not exactly, although it's usually a good indicator. There may be more than one person at a single host going through a proxy server. Our server will only log the IP address of the proxy and see this as only one person. Equally, one person may have revisited your site using a different IP address.

Is there any way of not including me in the stats as I visit 6-7 times daily?
Unfortunately not. Our servers aren't aware of your IP address when you check your site.

Someone has told me my website is down. He recommends I buy some monitoring package.
It's likely to be a scam to make you buy this package. Do not trust the word of anyone who tells you your site is down and are selling anything. It's incredibly rare that our hosting is down.

I've tried to upload folders and the remote site has created a folder called XYIZNWSK. What is this?
Dreamweaver creates this directory automatically on the server and should remove it after use. It's most likely used in synchronising the online files with your local files.

Do you support FrontPage and ASP?
We support MS-FrontPage with most of our web hosting packages but we don't support ASP.

I'm debugging a perl script but the full errors are not shown in the error log. How can I see the full error details?
To see the full error details, please add the following line directly under the first line of your perl script...
use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);

Some of my jpg pictures have bands of corruption running through them and others don't appear at all.
Please check your FTP settings and make sure that you're uploading these in 'binary' mode rather than 'ascii'.

404 error pages don't work with php5.
Add the following to your .htaccess file... RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT_ROOT}%{REQUEST_URI} !-f
RewriteRule ^.+\.php$ bogusfile

Find the answer to what is web hosting.

Web hosting is the process of putting your web site on a web server or web host, so everyone connected to the Internet can see it. If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you could host your web site on your own computer, but that is in general not a good idea. A good web host is a real server in a datacenter with a fast high bandwidth connection to the Internet. And, to make sure you can move your web site to another web host, if necessary, you need a web hosting provider that supports domain hosting.

Fortunately, with shared hosting, hosting your web site with a domain name in a reliable datacenter environment is no longer expensive.

Find the answer to what is domain hosting.

Most Internet Service Providers (or ISP) will give you a free web site when they provide you with access to the Internet. They do this because they don't want to give you a permanent IP address, which is what you need if you'd like to host a web site on your own computer. Unfortunately, most ISPs don't support domain hosting with their free web sites. Hence, the URL of your web site is an extension of the URL of your ISP. So what happens when you change ISP? You will have to change the URL and nobody can find you anymore.

The use of a domain name for your web site is absolutely necessary for a professional web site, and to host your own domain you will need to find a real web hosting provider with domain hosting. Many web hosting plans actually include the price of a domain registration, so don't register your domain before you have chosen your web hosting company.

Find the answer to what is a sub domain.

A sub domain is an extension of a domain name that normally points to a subdirectory of a web site. Instead of using the URL http://www.how-to-guides.com/faq/ , which points to the directory FAQ on my site I could have created a sub domain http://www.faq.how-to-guides.com/ to point to that FAQ directory. In this particular example the sub domain is not that more attractive than the original URL, but in some cases a good choice of a domain name and sub domains can result in a big improvement.

Find the answer to what is shared hosting.

In shared hosting a single web server can host hundreds of different web sites instead of just a single web site. As a result, the cost of web hosting is reduced drastically. If the load on the server is properly managed, there is no reason why shared hosting cannot be high quality hosting.

Shared hosting will also normally imply that you share the same IP address with the other web sites, and there is some concern that a web site that does try to spam a search engine may get that IP address blocked. I have used shared hosting for several web sites for many years and never encountered any problems. I must assume that the search engines are clever enough to realise that most web sites use shared hosting. However, if you like to avoid this potential problem you might consider virtual hosting with your own IP address.

Find the answer to what is virtual hosting.

Virtual hosting is often used as a synonym for shared hosting, e.g. you host your web site on a web server with hundreds of other web sites and you share the IP address with these web sites.

The term virtual hosting should imply, however, that while you share the web server it looks from the outside world that you are the only web site on that server. That means that with virtual hosting you should not only have your own IP address, but also a dedicated bandwidth to the Internet and a dedicated slice of the computers processing power. So, if a web hosting provider uses the term virtual hosting, have a close look if these features are offered before you decide on paying a premium price above standard shared hosting.

Find the answer to what is UNIX hosting.

UNIX hosting is the predominant form of cheap hosting based on servers running a Unix like operating system. Unix (or its free cousin Linux) is an alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating systems and has become very popular because of the availability of a many free or low cost tools and applications such as the Apache web server software.

Whether your hosting provider uses a Windows server operating system or a UNIX operating system is in most cases not important for your web hosting situation, but does reflect in the price. So, even when you run Microsoft Windows at home, you can still host your web site on a UNIX server to save money.

Find the answer to what is a webmaster.

A webmaster is someone who has the responsibility of managing a web site. Most web masters not only oversee the day to day running of the web site and its web hosting, but also develop new pages for the web site and optimize and promote the web site for the search engines. So, when you decide to design your own web site and start looking for a suitable web hosting provider, you have become a web master.

Web Hosting FAQ 8

Find the answer to what is a good web host.

A good web host is one that offers reliable hosting with superior support and whatever other features you need for your particular situation. And, of course, most of us webmasters want this also at the lowest price possible.

The only obvious first distinction between the good and the not so good web hosting plans is the bandwidth they allow you to use. The more bandwidth, the more visitors your web site can have. Any web hosting plans with less than 5Gbit of bandwidth allowance per month (or with unlimited bandwidth) are simply not worthy of your considerations.

Most hosting providers now a day’s offer very similar web hosting packages at very different prices. And while some of the very cheap web hosting providers, under about US$5, have to cut corners to provide you web hosting at that price - which will reduce their service and reliability - many of the more expensive web hosting companies don't necessarily provide better support or service. Believe me, I have seen some bad ones.

If you want a recommendation for a good web host, I recommend this cheap web hosting guide.

Find the answer to what is a web server.

A web server is either a special computer or server for reliable hosting of web sites, or the software application that runs on that server. The two main web server applications used by most web hosting providers are
Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) for windows hosting and Apache for Unix hosting. Both use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to transfer web pages to your web browser.

Find the answer to what is bandwidth.

Bandwidth is a measure that reflects how much data can be transferred over a data communication channel.

In web hosting plans the allowed bandwidth generally indicates how much data can be downloaded from your web site per month, and therefore indicates how many web pages and pictures your visitors are allowed to download. If the average amount of page views per visitor is assumed constant, the allowable bandwidth restricts how many visitors you are allowed to have per month.

Just as important, however, is how fast the communication channel between your web host and the Internet is. The amount of data that can be transferred per second is also called the bandwidth of this channel, and this bandwidth is shared by all the web sites hosted by the same provider. If this bandwidth is insufficient, you'll sometimes notice a slowdown in the display of your web pages. In most cases, however, such a slowdown is more likely to be caused by an overload on the web server itself.

Find the answer to what is a dynamic web page.

A dynamic web page is a web page that uses some scripting language, such as PHP or ASP, to allow the web server to adapt the content of the web page to a particular situation. Dynamic web pages can also be used to upload information from the browser to store it on the web server. Examples of web based applications that use dynamic web pages are guest books, chat rooms, web logs, and forums.

The information content that is displayed on the web page in your browser will normally not be stored in the file containing that web page on the web server, but in a separate database. When the page is requested from the server, the web server will retrieve such a dynamic web page, process it to retrieve the relevant information from the database, and then puts that information in the HTML of the web page.

With dynamic web pages, the same information can be displayed on many different web pages, but only needs to be managed in one place: in the database. At the same time, we can create another web page to manage the information in the database (change it, update it, etc), as well as upload new information to enable users to create new web pages on the fly.

Find the answer to what is a static web page.

A static web page is a normal web page that is written in HTML and therefore needs no pre-processing on the web server. They are called static web pages to differentiate them from dynamic web pages. Static web pages can still contain JavaScript, Flash, Shockwave, Java, and other non-html code to be executed in the web browser or in web browser plug-ins.

Find the answer to what is a web robot.

A web robot is a program that automatically retrieves web pages by following the links on web pages that it has already retrieved before. Web robots are used by search engines to find web pages for inclusion in their search database. Other web robots, however, will try to harvest any email addresses on your web pages to include in their email database, which they then use or sell to email spammers.

Through a special file on your web host, called robots.text, you can tell a web robot which pages you would like it to ignore. Most email harvesting robots will, of course, just ignore the instructions in your robots.txt file.

Find the answer to what is the robot.txt file.

The robot.txt file is a file in your main (root) directory of your web site that is retrieved by web robots, such as search engine spiders, to see if you would like to exclude them from accessing any part of your web site. If you don't feel the need to restrict these web robots, it is best to have an empty robots.txt file in your root directory, so the failed accesses are not recorded in your web stats and hide the other reasons for failed access, such as accidentally deleted pages.

Find the answer to what is SSI or Server Side Includes.

SSI or Server Side Includes are directives in your web pages HTML that are evaluated on your web server just before the web page is served. SSIs are often used to include small files with common text for all your web pages, such as menu's or footers. This allows you to maintain this text in a single file to prevent having to edit all your web pages if you want to add a menu item or change the footer text.

SSI's can also be used to create simple dynamic web pages, for instance by putting the time or date on your pages, but for larger dynamic applications you are better of using CGI scripts or PHP / ASP pages.

Find the answer to what are Front-page Extensions.

Front-page extensions in a web hosting plan offer support for Microsoft's Front-page application for the development and uploading of web sites. Unless you intend to use Front-page, there is no need for these extensions. Most other web authoring environments simply use FTP to upload your pages, and almost all web hosting providers support FTP.

Find the answer to what is Web Mail.

Web mail is a web based interface to your own email directories on your web server. If you use domain hosting, your web hosting provider will also offer to support a number of email accounts based on your domain name. You can download the email in those accounts to your own computer, using Outlook Express or a similar email client, or, if your web hosting company offers web mail, you can access your email with web mail as you would access a hotmail account from any computer you happen to have access to.

Find the answer to what is FTP or File Transfer Protocol.

FTP or File Transfer Protocol is a way of transferring files between computers. Most web hosting companies also implement an FTP server on their web servers to enable you to upload your web pages and image files to the web server. You will need an FTP client, such as the WsFTP program, on your computer to connect to the FTP server, or you can use a web authoring environment that has an inbuilt FTP client to "publish" your web pages. Many web hosts also support an alternative called front-page extensions, which allows you to use Microsoft's Front-page web development program to create and publish web pages.

Find the answer to what is a datacenter.

A datacenter is building, or part of a building, which offers a professional environment for running computer servers. A datacenter will generally have high speed connections to the Internet and other networks, as well as good security to protect against natural hazards, such as fire, and other hazards, such as intruders and hackers.

How long does it take to get reviewed and listed?

Getting listed in our directory takes about one business day, once the review process has been completed. It takes about one to two days to perform the required tests. Once your application has been received and processed, it is placed in a queue, where it will then be routed for a full review of your services. We will notify you once your company has been accepted for inclusion in our directory, or if your application has been declined, along with a valid reason.