Shared web hosting is a cheap way to host your websites if your websites do not need very high performance and bandwidth. In shared web hosting, the web hosting server is actually shared by many websites. Number of domain on one shared web hosting server can be thousands. It is because the web hosting cost is shared by many websites, the web hosting cost is cheap and affordable.
The administrations of shared web hosting are all managed by the web hosting provider with professional skills. Shared hosting web servers are monitored by IT professionals of the web hosting provider to minimize downtimes.
Shared hosting servers are always run on Linux web hosting platform and each website hosted on the web hosting server is given a separate web hosting account. All websites hosted on the same shared web hosting servers have the same IP address.
Advantages of Shared Web Hosting
- Cheap web hosting cost
Since many websites are hosted on the same web hosting server, web hosting price are really affordable when it is shared by all websites. The average cost of shared web hosting is below $5 per month today. Many shared web hosting plans now have unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth, you can also host more domains to fully unitize all resources.
- No technical experience is needed
Since shared web hosting servers are fully managed by IT professionals employed by the web hosting provider, you can focus on your own business without worry about maintenance of your own web hosting server.
- Easy management of websites
In the shared web hosting environment, webmasters can manage their websites by web hosting control panel provided by the web hosting company. Webmasters can upload files, remove files, add database, check web statistic, etc.
Disadvantages of Shared Web Hosting
- Slower Responses time
Since shared web hosting server can host many domains, response time will be slower than dedicate server or virtual private server (VPS).
- Reliability
If one websites hosted on the shared web hosting server install bug program or script, it can bring down the whole web hosting server. All websites on the same shared web hosting server will be down.
- Sharing The Same IP
Moreover, even if just one website in your shared web server got banned by ISP or search engine all websites in the same shared web hosting server will be banned as a result because they are all sharing the same IP address. Although you may solve this problem by just buying a dedicated IP.
Before you decide to purchase a shared web hosting plan, you should understand more of your own needs so that you can find out the best web hosting solution for yourself.
Featured Shared Web Hosting Article
Co-locate With Caution
There is nothing like having one's very own server in their premises, and having complete control over it, and there are hosting services that will agree to this type of arrangement. It would seem like the best of both worlds, the business gets to use the bandwidth and facilities at will, be able to lease a high grade, tier one network access from the host and be able to dictate the software and operating systems at the same time. Until one realizes that it may be too much to handle unless the company has a veteran webmaster in their payroll.
Aside from a webmaster, co-locating would also mean purchasing hardware, software and signing up for services. The only thing that a web hosting company will provide is the actual server, Ethernet connection, and a block of IP numbers. Turning all those things into something that would work for a company is the company's responsibility, like loading up the operating system that they want, as well as web server software, and getting connected to the World Wide Web.
Put in another way, it's like receiving all the components one needs to make a car, a few wrenches, no manuals, and a good luck pat on the back. If the company would need help in setting up these components to get them up and running, it will often cost them extra.
In a nutshell, co-location is not an option for webmasters who will need to have their hand held through the process. It is something that is best left for people who already know what to do, with enough skills and competencies to work on the project with little or no supervision.
Web hosting company that provide co-locating services will make the assumption that if a company would want that kind of arrangement, the company would know what to do. They will not be too keen on learning about that company's server configuration, nor will they be over eager to fix the equipment in case the novice web manager messes it up. These things are not part of the contract that they signed.
There are measures that a company can ask for from a web hosting provider for their co-location services. One of which is a free "reboot", in case the server needs to be physically restarted. That option can become necessary if the company is operating on a Windows based platform. Still, even if this reboot is part of the package, it will never hurt to ask the web hosting provider nicely when the time comes.
Another thing that a client can ask for is the proper scalability of the web hosting server. That is, it should be able to handle the load that the company will be demanding it to carry. Aside from that, the company should also have the guarantee that the web hosting servers are new and under warranty for repairs on-site, especially if the cause of the damage is not attributable to them.
The company client should also ensure that the co-location service will provide at least a minimum of T3 connectivity. An established server firm will often have inside deals with powerful broadband providers, and the company would benefit well from such relationships.
Big broadband providers and telecom companies will often have many NOCs or network operation centers that are interconnected to OC-12ATM or 45mps DS-3 lines with peering points, and there are web hosting companies that also have their own NOCs, or "meet me" facilities.
A company should also consider the web hosting provider's experience in dealing with concerned parties should the company need to procure the services of tier-one providers. If they have been in the business long enough, they will probably "know some people who know some people."
In relation to having an expensive piece of equipment lying around in a web hosting company's property, it would be good if the web hosting company finds a good business insurance plan that will indemnify them in case of loss or damage due to risks that are present in their locality. This is a good way to minimize the company's loss if in case the cause of the loss is unforeseen or inevitable. There are even insurances that will cover the risks associated with travel when a company ships the server for deployment.
The main reason for wanting a co-location is to keep the company's web presence, give it the speed and quality of services that it requires, things that are crucial for heavy traffic sites. It is best to keep these things in mind before choosing to colocate.