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Hosting FAQ

What is dedicated web hosting?
Dedicated web hosting is distinct from shared web hosting in that the server that your website files are stored on is not shared with others. Normally, the dedicated server is rented and the hardware and operating system provided by the web host. Because you have control over the configuration of the server, what is contained within it and its maintenance, your website performance on a dedicated server should be better than on a shared server.
Dedicated hosting is often used for mission-critical websites or ones that require a high amount of storage and/or bandwidth. Administration of a dedicated server is normally done remotely (eg. through a web-based control panel or SSH).

What is a dedicated server?
A dedicated server is a physical computer with your name on it. You are allowed to perform commands as the “root” or server owner. The only one’s higher than you are those who house the server in their data center, who make sure that your server is going as fast as possible. You may divide your space and bandwidth into smaller amounts, so that you can offer web hosting to your clients and/or customers.

How much data transfer will I need?
It will depend on the type of site you have and the number of visitors you are getting. While it is hard to make an estimate without knowledge of the site itself, in general, most small business and personal sites would use less than one gigabyte of data transfer in a month. The monthly data transfer of small brochure-ware sites can often be measured in megabytes.
The amount of data transfer required will rise significantly if your site is offering downloadable material (eg. large graphics files, music, adult content). The number of visitors to your site will also affect the amount of bandwidth you will need. Large corporate or information sites with over 1,000 visitors per day can use up to 30 gigabytes a month.
For a rough estimate of the amount of data transfer you will need, add up the average weight of your web pages (html page plus images) and multiply this by the number of pages you have, and multiply this, in turn, with the number of visitors you are getting/expecting to get.

Will my site be down during a domain name transfer?
While it varies from registrar to registrar, there is typically little to no downtime associated with the transfer of a domain name from one registrar to another. As long as your contact information with your old registrar is current and you're applying no other changes to your account (such as switching nameservers), you can normally expect a smooth transition.
You can help ensure a trouble free transfer by doing the following:Keep your contact information current with your domain registrar.
Before applying for a transfer, make sure there is no lock in place on your domain name. If one exists, contact the registrar and ask to have it removed so that you may complete the transfer.
Check your domain registrars rules regarding transfers and apply for the transfer long before your domain is set to expire.

What is the difference between "unlimited" and "unmetered" bandwidth?
Unlimited Bandwidth is an unrealistic advertising gimmick used by some hosts to make a quick sale. If unlimited bandwidth offers were real, it would be mean you could use an unlimited supply of resources and have an unrestricted amount of traffic to your site without being charged extra. It's simply not possible.
Unmetered Bandwidth generally implies that hosting companies will not hinder traffic to your site by placing restrictions on the amount of hits you can receive or bandwidth you can use. Those companies that tout unmetered bandwidth usually allow X amount of bandwidth, and then charge for overage at the end of each term, rather than disabling your site for reaching it's allotted traffic limit.

What is data transfer?
Data transfer, sometimes called "bandwidth", refers to the amount of data that is used when visitors view your website. When visitors browse your website, they are technically requesting and retrieving files from the server. If you have a web page that consists of an HTML file and an image file that are 10kb each, then the amount of data transfer that is used when a single visitor views that web page is 20kb.
Other factors can affect the amount of data transfer. Some webhosts include FTP usage (uploading your files to the server) in the calculations of data transfer.
kilobyte = 1024 bytes of data
megabyte = 1,000,000 bytes
gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes

Can I just host my website from my own PC over a broadband Internet connection?
Technically, yes. There are certain limitations that this would produce however. Chances are, your home broadband connection cannot compete with the high-speed network that most hosts have their webservers connected to. In fact, it would be hard to compete with the infrastructure that many web hosts have in place – eg. uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) systems, physical security, etc. Many ISPs will also not allow their lines to be used in this way unless you have a costly business plan with them.

Should I use a Unix or Windows-based server?

Advantages of Unix Servers
A major advantage is that many commercial and freeware server applications are designed for use with Unix machines. The fact that Unix is open-source (ie. the source code is freely available) means that it is constantly being developed, updated and any bugs discovered are fixed in a short space of time. The most significant appeal that Unix systems have is their reliability. The operating system is able to squeeze a lot more out of a lot less resources. The stability of the Unix OS has been its major attraction.

Disadvantages of Unix Servers
The learning curve can be quite steep for those wanting to take advantage of advanced features. Also, some Microsoft server applications cannot be used in a Unix environment (eg. Active Server Pages).

Advantages of Windows Servers
Ease of use is a key advantage that Windows systems have. A user with little experience can get advanced features working relatively quickly and easily, especially considering the various Microsoft tools and programs that are available. Because many people use Windows on their personal machines, they are already comfortable with using Windows.

Disadvantages of Windows Servers
A major disadvantage of running Windows is the cost involved. While the software might be easy to use, the cost of purchasing them is quite high. Windows is also not as easy on servers as Unix. In order to maintain stability, a significant amount of resources have to be made available. This, in turn, impacts on hardware costs.

What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. SSL works by establishing an encrypted link between a website and a web browser. Communications between the site and its visitor is protected from interception in this way. A secure site is evidenced through the use of the https:// in the URL address bar and by the presence of the unbroken key symbol at the bottom of the browser window.

What is a cgi-bin and do I need it?
A CGI-bin is a folder where you can store your CGI scripts and programs. Although some hosts have their directories set up to run CGI scripts from any location, most hosts will limit CGI scripts to the CGI-bin as a safety precaution.
You will only need a CGI-bin if you intend to run CGI scripts. If you want to use things like guestbooks or formmail scripts chances are you will need a CGI bin. The lack of a CGI bin does not necessarily mean you cannot have these features however. Many PHP scripts will achieve the same result and do not have to be placed in the CGI-bin.

What do I need to know about IP addresses?
Each IP (Internet protocol) address identifies a specific computer, server or other device on the Internet; IP addresses are composed of four sets of numbers ranging from 0 to 255, with each set separated by a period (for example, 216.85.239.53 or 205.188.146.88).
Every website on the Internet has a unique IP address, although most of us depend on the easier-to-remember name-based system (URLs and domain names) to access any particular site. Domain names are translated into their respective IP addresses by the Internet’s domain name system (DNS).