Introduction
“Web hosting” (or often just “hosting”) refers to the provision of storage space and server resources for websites. For a website to be accessible to the public, it must be stored on a server that is connected to the Internet at all times.
Theoretically, you can run such a server yourself. In practice, however, it’s much easier and cheaper for individuals and smaller companies to leave this task to a specialist provider. This way, you don’t have to worry about all the hardware and software, including maintenance for them. In addition, web hosting providers ensure that your website is available around the clock and is best protected against attacks and malware. In return, you pay a monthly fee for this service.
In addition to web hosting, many providers – including Hostpoint – also offer
a variety of other products and services that are essential for websites. This includes, for example, website builders, security certificates, domains, e-mail addresses and much more.
What do web hosting and domains have to do with each other?
A functioning, accessible website requires not only storage space on a server, but also an internet address (e.g. hostpoint.ch). This address is also referred to as a domain. The combination of a domain and web hosting forms the backbone of a website.
What types of web hosting are available?
Web hosting is usually divided into the following types:
- Shared hosting
In everyday situations, web hosting usually refers to “shared hosting”. This is when multiple websites are stored on the same web server and resources such as storage space and processor capacity are shared among them. - WordPress hosting
WordPress hosting is a special form of shared hosting that is specifically tailored to the needs of WordPress websites. - Managed hosting
With managed hosting, a dedicated server is provided (physical or, as with Hostpoint, virtual) that is still managed and maintained by the provider.
How exactly does web hosting work?
If you enter a URL (e.g. https://www.hostpoint.ch/) into the address bar of your browser, a request is sent to the responsible name server via the domain name system (DNS). The name server then searches its database for the IP address of the server on which the website is stored and transmits it to the browser. The browser then sends a request to the responsible web server, which processes the request and sends the required files (HTML, CSS, images, etc.) to the browser. The browser, in turn, processes this data and displays the website correctly. Usually, the entire process is completed in less than a second.
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