Internet, Search Engine, Hosting, Domain,
Isp Etc - Brief Reference Of All

What is Internet?

The vast collection of interconnected networks that all use the TCP/IP protocols and that evolved from the ARPANET of the late 60's and early 70's. An "internet" (lower case i) is any computers connected to each other (a network), and are not part of the Internet unless the use TCP/IP protocols. An "intranet" is a private network inside a company or organization that uses the same kinds of software that you would find on the public Internet, but that is only for internal use. An intranet may be on the Internet or may simply be a network.

What is an ISP?

Internet Service Provider, a company (can be a communications carrier) that has access to the Internet and can provide remote dial server access ports for users to use for connections via modem dial-up. Typically these service providers also have disk space on http servers to hold Web pages that can be used by others. eg. VSNL, MTNL

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a sequence of letters and numbers which determine the address of your site. This site's domain name is "futuretechnocrafts.com" You need to register a domain name before your web site becomes accessible at this address.

What is domain parking?

Domain parking lets you cheaply reserve a domain name for future use and display an "under construction" default page on it. You can register a domain and not park it anywhere but then your site will simply be inaccessible until you get a web host. Some registrar let you park your domain for free.

What is web hosting?

Web hosting refers to the process of publishing a web site so that it is available to the world on the Web. Paid web hosting also involves getting a domain name and not having forced ads displayed on your site.

What is shared (virtual) web hosting?

Shared (or virtual) web hosting is the most fitting way of hosting for 99% of web sites. It means that a web hosting company will have one or more servers (computers constantly connected to the Internet that run a web server software such as Apache or IIS) that will be running multiple web sites (it will be shared). Unless a web site is exceptionally busy or requires a lot of bandwidth, this is the least expensive way to get a real web site. You can still have your own IP address with virtual hosting and the site won't look any different to users. Other options are dedicated, co-location, or doing it yourself web hosting. In those options you have the whole computer to yourself and you can do things like install your own software.

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 is E-mail?

Standard terminology for electronic mail, i.e., messages that are sent by computer network. Email is a much appreciated and indispensable tool of persons whose work attaches them to the Internet, especially computer professionals. Email can be dealt with according to the receiver's own schedule. That could mean immediately, resulting in turnaround times of just a minute or so. But it allows the receiver to prioritize messages. In comparison the telephone is a rude device that interrupts you and demands immediate attention, no matter what you are doing. Another advantage is that when email is saved, it leaves a written record of exchanges that can be built into a substantial information database. That I often receive and send over 200 email messages a day, but only two or three phone calls, usually from my wife, is strong evidence that busy computer workers greatly prefer email to the telephone for most lower priority communications.

What is a Web Site?

A collection of files accessed through a Web address, covering a particular theme or subject, and managed by a particular person or organization. Its opening page is called a home page. A Web site resides on servers connected to the Web network and is able to format and send information requested by worldwide users 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Web sites typically use HTML to format and present information and to provide navigational facilities that make it easy for the user to move within the site and around the Web.

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.

How do I upload my site?

The main method of uploading files to your site's account is by using FTP. When you sign up with a host, you will probably get an FTP account that lets you access files in your account (usually ftp.yoursitename.com, your main account name and password). Then you can use a built-in Windows or Internet Explorer FTP client, or some other software that supports FTP such as CuteFTP, WS_FTP, or Total Commander, to transfer files from your hard drive to your account. If you don't get an FTP account or if you prefer a Web interface, you can use your account control panel's File Manager instead. Yet another method is to use an SSH or telnet client software, such as SecureCRT, to upload using Zmodem protocol (sz and rz commands). All these methods will work fine, but we recommend using dedicated FTP programs as the preferred solution because these programs have the best user interfaces and support advanced options like setting file permissions and resuming aborted file transfers.

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.

What are PHP, SQL, Java, IP, etc.?

Those acronyms refer to various features such as programming languages, databases, etc. that might be available with a hosting plan.

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.

What is uptime?

Uptime is the percentage of time that a web site is working. For example, if some host has an uptime average of 99.86%, this means that your site will be down for a total about 1 hour each month. We monitor uptime of customer websites of many web hosts and we display this data on the host's details page.

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.

Advanced Questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What is a Search Engine?

A "search engine" is a Web site that employs bots to search the Web. Search engines take the information gathered by its bots and use it to create a searchable index of the Net. The "search" in search engine refers to the searching the bots do, not the searching you do to find things on the (search engines are often organized solely by keyword search).