Comparison of Common Web Hostings

Comparison of Common Web Hostings
There are different types of web hosting:
Shared Hosting
Nine times out of ten, when one is talking about cheap hosting, what one is really discussing is shared hosting. The idea behind the technology is simple, and certainly lends itself to cutting corners in the name of saving dollars. In our eyes, it’s best to think of shared hosting in this way:
Consider your average storage unit complex. There’s only one location which houses all the various units, but at that site you’ll find many individual storage locations. Users come and go, depositing and removing their items at will, but all from a single address: Though their individual unit is blocked off from the others. In much the same way, shared hosting allows users to access a single server—or sometimes a single block of servers—while still utilizing only their individual space. This is made possible by partitioning a server into many of smaller chunks, which can then be sold to a client. The client uploads their data via FTP to their personal directory, and is then free to mangle, change, or edit their website at will.
There are a few disadvantages to this style of web hosting. Primarily, speed and performance are often compromised, as hundreds of users drawing from the same location can reduce bandwidth availability across the board. Likewise, these arrangements typically come with some level of data cap, giving only a set number of gigabytes to the user in both storage and transfer. A good way to think about these limitations is to imagine a shared web hosting server as an apartment complex: If a many users arrive at once, the elevators will be running slowly, as their capacity is quickly met, requiring a slight wait. So is it the same for shared hosting, that is why our next category is so important for business sites.
Webhosting Hub is a reliable shared hosting provider.
Dedicated Server Hosting
In this type of web hosting, the need for shared space and bandwidth contentions is thrown out the window, as a single entity controls the entire server. This is in direct contrast to the previously mentioned shared hosting method, that divides a central server or databank into hundreds of shared units. With dedicated hosting, whichever organization owns the lease also owns all of the server’s power, space, and performance.
There are many benefits and costs to hosting your website in this manner, but no drawback is more noticeable than the overhead cost. If you decide to buy a dedicated server space from a third-party, your monthly rates will be much higher than with a shared hosting provider. However, as you own the entire server, you will experience drastically improved performance and disc availability over a shared host. Any problem that arises with the hardware, all of the repair and maintenance costs rest on your shoulders, as the sole proprietor of the unit.
In Motion Hosting is a reliable dedicated hosting provider.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a newer service, and one that operates on a different scale than both dedicated and shared hosting. In cloud hosting your data and site are spread out across a network of peer-connected server banks and computers. Rather than storing all of your information at a single location, whether that location is wholly owned by you or a third-party, cloud hosting instead spreads your data out across the “cloud.” By doing so, cloud hosts can avoid a number of complications inherent to more traditional hosting methods.
Bandwidth constraints and a lack of scalability are no problem with a cloud-based provider. If your content is suddenly put on high demand due to an unprecedented number of media requests, a cloud host can simply scale up the number of available points your data can be reached from. This is called scalability, and is a service that a single server simply cannot provide. Likewise, as the site is stored across an entire network of computers, there’s no need to worry about space limitations. Should you require more disc space to work with, your provider can simply open up a few more locations, ensuring your media is open for distribution.
With cloud hosting, you are also guaranteed a perfect uptime. Because your site is available at a multitude of locations around the world, there’s little to no chance your data will disappear with an unexpected power failure. Should a single IP location go down, another will be added to the network map, delivering your media as if nothing had happened.
Rackspace is a reliable cloud hosting provider.