What is a domain name? A domain name is a unique name, kind of like an e-mail address is unique, which is registered in a database called WHOIS through an organization called Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI). The domain name corresponds to a unique set of numbers called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. The reason we use domain names instead of IP addresses is that they are closer to our language. It would be difficult to market a site like this: “Go to 64.233.167.99 or 216.109.112.135 to search the internet!” A much easier way to do this is to say “Go to www.Google.com or www.yahoo.com to search the internet!” (Both Google and Yahoo are trade marked by Google, Inc., and Yahoo, Inc., respectively).

A domain name points to a computer called a “name server”. The name server knows that your domain name corresponds to your web hosting server’s IP address and it routes the person who typed in your domain name to your web hosting server – to your web site. That is how people anywhere in the world can see your web site by typing your domain name.

In 1992, the National Science Foundation granted an exclusive contract to NSI to be the sole registrar of top level domain names. NSI also had a cooperative agreement with United States Department of Commerce (”DoC”). With no competition, consumers were at the mercy of NSI.

In 1998, NSI and the DoC amended their cooperative agreement to allow for competing registrars. NSI was forced to provide domain name registration to the competing registrars at wholesale prices, rather than the standard $34.99 annual fee. NSI still charges $34.99 per year.

In late 1998, the DoC assigned the responsibility of overseeing the transition to a competitive market for domain names and accreditation of new registrars to a new organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

In 1999, ICANN began taking applications from companies who wanted to become registrars – and then capitalism took over: companies had to compete for business. Prices came down and service improved, however some are better than others. For a more detailed history of this transition, visit www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation-history.htm.

Even with the positive effects of competition in the domain name marketplace, the process of internet domain name registration remains a mystery for many.

There are a lot of companies that want to charge you hundreds of dollars to do the simple task of domain name registration for you. There are some registration companies who will charge you $35 just to register a domain. And there are web site consultants who charge over $100 to do the work for you. But you can do it yourself in about 15 minutes and it can cost as little as $1.99 for a year. If you do some research, learn a little and work smart, you can save yourself some money – and some headaches.

Nicholas LaPolla
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/the-history-of-domain-names-186982.html

You’ve made yourself a great web site. Through good design and better content, you’ve been able to build up a respectable amount of traffic. And then your web site is linked from Slashdot. Traffic to your site soars to levels you had only dreamed of. However, before you get the chance to benefit from your newfound popularity you exceed your bandwidth allocation and your hosting company takes your site offline. If you’re relying on virtual hosting, it may be time to switch over to a dedicated hosting service.

Most people who are new to web hosting use a virtual, or shared, hosting service. In a virtual hosting service you rent space and bandwidth on a common server. Your site will be just one of many on a single physical server. More experienced users will often use a dedicated hosting service. While with virtual hosting you are pretending that you have your own server, with dedicated hosting you actually get the whole server to yourself.

Although dedicated hosting can be significantly more expensive than virtual hosting, it has many benefits. Nonetheless, dedicated hosting is not necessary for everyone. It is therefore necessary to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each type of hosting when deciding what type of hosting service is best for you.

The main benefit of using a virtual hosting service is it is fairly cheap. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive way to get your content onto the Internet, virtual hosting is for you.

However, along with the cheaper price comes many disadvantages to using virtual hosting. Because you are sharing the server with other web sites, the amount of space and bandwidth you can use will be limited. And because you are sharing our server’s resources, if one web site starts to slow down under excessive traffic or server processes, your web site’s performance will also be affected.

You will also be limited in what types of software you want the server to run because you will not have any access to the server. If you want to install something on the server that is outside of the usual parameters, you will have to ask your server administrator to do it for you. And in many cases, it will not be worth the server administrators time to do it for you. Your web site will also be more vulnerable to security breaches, since a hacker just has to be able to get into one of the web sites to be able to access all the web sites on the server.

A dedicated hosting service will avoid all the disadvantages of using a virtual server. The only disadvantage to using a dedicated hosting service is the price, especially if you are not particularly knowledgeable about server upkeep and have to use a managed service.

It is important to seriously consider what your budget is and what your web site needs to be effective. If your web site is just a blog or does not have a lot of content, than it will probably not use a lot of the servers resources and you will likely be fine with virtual hosting. For complex e-commerce sites, or web sites that receive a large amount of traffic, it may be more economical in the long run to use a dedicated hosting service.

Stephen Dolan
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/dedicated-hosting-is-the-only-way-to-go-86831.html

There are currently over 70 million registered Internet domain names across the globe according to Web Host Industry Review.

Jim Croce’s famous song “I got A Name” may one day need to be changed to “I got a Cheap Domain Name” if current Internet growth rates remain the same. Today there are over 70 million registered Internet domain names across the globe.

While more and more businesses are taking advantage of the innovation and power offered by the Internet by registering domain names, an equal number of individual users are registering domain names as well. In fact, with the Internet becoming such an ubiquitous part of everyday life and commerce, one can imagine a day when every individual and every corporation will have domain names and hosting just as they do a social security number or corporate tax ID.
Cheap domain name registration is on the rise as a result of the growing online community and more affordable domain names and hosting, and online services marketed and offered by companies such as the World’s Largest Registrar – GoDaddy.com. According to the most recent Verisign reports, 8.5 million new domains registered were registered in the 3rd quarter of 2005, a 33% increase from 3rd quarter 2004 and a 94% increase from 3rd quarter 2003. Internet use worldwide reached the landmark number of 1 billion users in the 3rd quarter of 2005.
While some may have the perception that all the good cheap domain names are gone, the reality is that what we are seeing today is only the frost on the tip of the iceberg. It’s still very much a buyer’s market as far as online real estate goes. Years from now, those who have purchased and registered cheap domain names today – whether for business or personal use—will look back at this time period as a golden opportunity to acquire the cheapest domain names of their choice and put their e-stake in the ground.
Part of the growth in cheap domain names is being fueled by small businesses such as an independent local grocer or dry cleaner that, by effectively establishing a presence on the Internet today, are building a foundation for their future while expanding their business reach and competing as never before. Companies like iPower.com, who provide the full spectrum of cheap domain names and hosting services, enable small businesses to establish a powerful site quickly and more affordably than ever.
ICANN, now performing the functions of previously U.S. government contracted entities, is responsible for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions.
Recently, the World’s Largest Registrar – GoDaddy.com announced that it, too, had been named a Gold Certified member of the Microsoft Partner Program. Go Daddy provides a range of Microsoft-based hosting solutions, including three different shared hosting plans and several options for dedicated and virtual servers.

Shana Shane
http://www.articlesbase.com/domain-names-articles/registering-domain-names-and-hosting-53757.html

If you’re exploring hosting options, surely you’ve thought about dedicated hosting and you may have even thought that a dedicated server is a little pricey, but do you know all the benefits of dedicated hosting?

First let’s face a simple fact; many websites are hosted on a shared web hosting server. The main reason is the cost. A shared web hosting server costs a lot less than a dedicated server. The number of sites on a shared web hosting server can vary between a few hundred sites to a couple of thousand sites. Although shared hosting is reliable and has few problems, there are advantages to hosting your sites on a dedicated server.

You should consider a dedicated server when you find that the traffic to your site has increased substantially and your site is taking too much time to load. An analysis of the traffic to your site will tell you whether you should go to a dedicated server. The main thing to understand is that when you have many users accessing your website, you should replace your shared web hosting with a dedicated server web hosting.

Since a dedicated server does not share its server with other websites (like shared web hosting), you will find that you have a lot more control over your server operation. One of the advantages with a dedicated server is you have greater control to make changes to the server i.e. upload programs, add extra features and general tweaking is a lot easier when you have your own server. The only obstacle is the cost. You are required to pay a lot more for your dedicated server as compared to your shared web hosting. Nevertheless, the facilities more than compensate for the cost.

A dedicated server for your web hosting allows you to have a server solely dedicated to your sites. In addition, a dedicated server will allow you complete authority to control and administer your server. When and if you decide on a dedicated server for your web hosting, you should have a fair understanding of dedicated servers. Although most dedicated server hosting providers will provide technical support, you will find it a lot easier if you have the technical expertise to manage the server yourself. However, if you find that you will not be able to manage your server by yourself, you may opt for a managed dedicated server. This option is especially for those who want to have dedicated hosting but do not have the required expertise to manage it. This service allows you to have an entire server managed by a specialized hosting company. The cost of a managed dedicated server is more expensive than an unmanaged server. Therefore, if you think that you can run and manage your website server by yourself, you should opt for an unmanaged dedicated server web hosting rather than a managed dedicated server.

When you choose a hosting provider, you should keep in mind that it should provide you good network stability, reliable operation, and the ease of operation of sophisticated applications. A dedicated server hosting provider can be the perfect solution for anyone who is serious about their online presence.

Rene Spronk
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/advantages-to-a-dedicated-server-55481.html

Web Hosting Guide – Dedicated IP or Shared IP

An IP address is a 32-bit numeric address usually expressed as 4 numbers from 0-255 separated by dots, for example 192.168.0.123. Each computer connected to the Internet is assigned a unique IP Address for the purposes of communication. There are billions of addresses possible, however, the number is finite.

In the Web hosting industry there are two types of IP address:

Who Needs a Dedicated IP Address

Generally, having a website on a shared IP address will not cause you any harm. However, there are a few cases when a dedicated IP is required:

Dedicated IP and Search Engines

There are some well-known debate in SEO industry about whether we need to provide a dedicated IP for your web site, and part of them is true before but not right now, and part of them are still applicable now.

Conclusion

According to the discussion above, in most cases, you won’t need a dedicated IP. But it will be required if you want to have some sort of special access to your web site, like SSL or Anonymous FTP. And for almost all the e-Commerce web site which need to accept Credit Card online, dedicated IP is required.

The cost of dedicated IP is very low, it won’t cause you more than $2 per month and you can go for it if you want. Here, I would like to recommend a very good web hosting company which will offer dedicated IP with no extra fee. It’s IX Web Hosting. IX Web Hosting is one of my favorite web hosting companies since in it’s web hosting plan, you will only find the items required for hosting. It doesn’t like some other companies which put a lot of items which you might never use in the web hosting plan. It’s just hosting.

Reference

Web Hosting: Guides, Compare Prices, Hosting News, Consumer Review, and Web Marketing

Find a Reliable Web Hosting Plan

Web Hosting Guide

lin.zheng
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/web-hosting-guide-dedicated-ip-or-shared-ip-120689.html

Web Hosting Guide – Dedicated IP or Shared IP

An IP address is a 32-bit numeric address usually expressed as 4 numbers from 0-255 separated by dots, for example 192.168.0.123. Each computer connected to the Internet is assigned a unique IP Address for the purposes of communication. There are billions of addresses possible, however, the number is finite.

In the Web hosting industry there are two types of IP address:

Who Needs a Dedicated IP Address

Generally, having a website on a shared IP address will not cause you any harm. However, there are a few cases when a dedicated IP is required:

Dedicated IP and Search Engines

There are some well-known debate in SEO industry about whether we need to provide a dedicated IP for your web site, and part of them is true before but not right now, and part of them are still applicable now.

Conclusion

According to the discussion above, in most cases, you won’t need a dedicated IP. But it will be required if you want to have some sort of special access to your web site, like SSL or Anonymous FTP. And for almost all the e-Commerce web site which need to accept Credit Card online, dedicated IP is required.

The cost of dedicated IP is very low, it won’t cause you more than $2 per month and you can go for it if you want. Here, I would like to recommend a very good web hosting company which will offer dedicated IP with no extra fee. It’s IX Web Hosting. IX Web Hosting is one of my favorite web hosting companies since in it’s web hosting plan, you will only find the items required for hosting. It doesn’t like some other companies which put a lot of items which you might never use in the web hosting plan. It’s just hosting.

Reference

Web Hosting: Guides, Compare Prices, Hosting News, Consumer Review, and Web Marketing

Find a Reliable Web Hosting Plan

Web Hosting Guide

lin.zheng
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/web-hosting-guide-dedicated-ip-or-shared-ip-120689.html

For any webmaster, the choice of a domain host is one of the most important aspects in the operation of their websites. Depending on the size and the importance of your web site, you have two main options when deciding the type of hosting. You can choose to go with a shared host or opt for dedicated hosting.

There are several differences among the two types of hosts available to you, but one feature differentiates the two. With a shared host, there are many other web sites hosted on the respective server in addition to your own. By contrast, dedicated hosting offers you the advantage of “renting” a whole server for your own purposes without having to share bandwidth with other webmasters.

The differences between the two in terms of the service you can expect are obvious. The advantages in speed and customization are impressive in the case of dedicated hosting. While shared servers offer reliable service, your website may operate more slowly due to sharing bandwidth with others being hosted. dedicated servers however tend to cost a great deal more than shared servers.

Which type of server is right for you? First consider the purpose of your website. Do you have a serious, expanding and profitable business online? Or are you just making a personal web site or running a small business? Depending on the answers to these important questions, you will decide on a shared or dedicated server. There are a few other parameters you will need to consider before choosing one company or another, as well.

You will be provided with a certain amount of hard disk space for your website by a server, measured in GB. Don’t think just in the immediate present if you intend to expand your business site. Think on the long run about how much disk space you will need to allow your business to expand without having to switch servers right away.

BANDWIDTH

Check to see if the company you are considering provides you with enough bandwidth for the needs of your site. This is very important, because if your potential customers see a slow loading web site, they will automatically exit it.

DIRECT PANEL

You must be able to access this feature easily. Most hosting services provide you with cpanel, while others customize it. Whatever the case may be, make sure it is easily accessible and usable.

So, is your business a small one, a big one, or is it just a hobby? Before choosing shared or dedicated hosting or one company over another, decide what you hope to achieve with your website. It is entirely possible your needs may change in the future, and it might make sense to start with a shared host.

Re-evaluate the demands and needs of your business often whether you start small or start big. You can then switch servers responsibly in response to economic demands.

Ray La Foy
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/the-sensible-choice-for-your-website-server-129375.html

A dedicated hosting service contains a single server which is used to host the website. A dedicated hosting service involves a system whereby the information on a website is stored and given out on demand from a remote location. In a dedicated hosting service, we have one computer which is in charge of one server only. Thus you can gain more control with regard to the operation and maintenance of your website. Selecting a dedicated web host is found to be expensive. But with dedicated web hosting service you can get your website loaded fast. Those users, who own big websites and have heavy flow of traffic, should definitely opt for a dedicated host.

A dedicated hosting service consists of a significant number of positive features. This is the main reason whereby users do not mind paying extra for customized services, even if it sounds expensive. With dedicated web hosting service, hardware and software requirements can be changed, based on the needs of clients. The owner can easily get access and change the contents as per the need. The service provider of a dedicated host takes the responsibility of updating and maintaining the equipment. It is the service provider who looks after it. A dedicated web hosts also facilitates longer website uptime. These days, dedicated hosting sites are being treated as an online shop where the customer or client engage themselves with various online shopping activities and thereby end up buying products of their choice.

In case of a dedicated server, the customer has full rights to the server’s bandwidth, memory and storage space. A dedicated server is suitable for companies and also individuals who deal with high web based traffic and good amount of bandwidth. dedicated servers can be used for hosting gaming sites, database Management, etc. In a dedicating web hosting service, the customer gets the freedom to choose a particular operating system and hardware as per his or her choice. In other words, if the company wants to change the concerned operating system or hardware, it can be done accordingly. More services such as backup etc are provided in a dedicated host. A dedicated web hosting service consists of customer service facility, whereby representatives are ready to take up all issues and inquiries. Customers, who want to switch from a shared server to a dedicated web server, will find dedicated web hosting a promising option. However, those who desire to have a better control over their website, by using dedicated web hosting service, should take into consideration about the basic qualifications that they need to possess. You as a customer should have a basic understanding towards dealing with a dedicated web hosting server. One of the biggest issues that one may face towards a dedicated web hosting service is dealing with technical issues. It may so happen that with dedicated web hosting service, you may realize that you will not have the opportunity of having all of your technical problems answered by a support team. You might face a situation where you may find no one besides you to be around to help you in uploading particular new software, which may be needed at that time. In short, if you do not possess sufficient programming skills or be tech savy, you may then have to face a lot of technical issues while using a dedicated web host. You could solve your technical issues relating to dedicated web host, by hiring someone to assist you. However, a reliable person is required. Otherwise, you will land up in having an incompetent person who will disrupt the flow of your site, rather than helping you towards enhancing the traffic for your website. Whatever may be the factor involved, ensure that you will be able to handle issues that you may come across, after having purchased the concerned dedicated web hosting service.

webhostinggeeks
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/moving-towards-a-dedicated-web-hosting-service-700686.html

What is a Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated server and why is
it different than normal web hosting. Web hosting offers you
limited control of how the server your web site is hosted on
behaves. Normal hosting plans put many customers’ accounts on a
single server and you upload your files to that Server.
Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated servers allow you to actually
control your own server where you receive Admin access to
install and run virtually anything YOU want on the server. You
can host multiple web sites on the one server account, and even
sell hosting and host other sites on your server.

I have referred to Dedicated and Virtual Dedicated Servers. You
may ask, what is the difference? Virtual dedicated servers are
similar to Dedicated servers as they offer many of the same
features, but at a much lower price.

With a virtual dedicated server, the customer shares the server
space with a limited number of other customers using the same
server box. Each virtual dedicated server is isolated from the
other accounts giving the user full control of their own server.
Virtual dedicated servers are useful for companies and
individuals that run complex applications that need the
bandwidth, consistent performance, and flexibility of a virtual
dedicated server.

With a dedicated server, you actually lease a server box that is
dedicated to only you and is set up to your preferences. The
dedicated server customer has exclusive rights to the server’s
bandwidth, memory and storage space. Also, a dedicated server
account provides full control of any software installation on
the server. dedicated servers are useful for companies and
individuals that run very-high-traffic Web sites or applications
that need the bandwidth, versatility, and consistent performance
of a dedicated box.

Dedicated / Virtual dedicated servers are an excellent choice to
use for gaming sites, database management, shared hosting, and
hosting of Web sites that receive high amounts of traffic.

Companies now offer your own customization of your Dedicated /
Virtual Dedicated Server. This allows you the flexibility to
choose one of their popular pre-packaged plans, or go wild and
customize and configure your own virtual dedicated server by
selecting your own options.

One bonus that can help you decide on where to get your server
from is the

support they offer, the value they give you when signing up and
what system

you will actually be running the server on. With support, the
standard now

is to be offered 24×7 email, telephone and Web-based tech
support, as well

as you having access to modify your server 24×7. Sometimes a
free offering

when purchasing the server is given. You should look for
companies that

offer Free and quick setup of the server, so you may be running
in no time.

So you have decided you need a Virtual Dedicated Server or
Dedicated Server. Now what? You need to choose a company to
purchase your Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated Server from. Here is
a company I recommend for purchasing your Dedicated / Virtual
Dedicated Server from.

domains at Retail – offers 24×7 email, telephone and
Web-based tech support for your Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated
Server, allows you to pick a pre-configured server or to
customize your own server and will set up your account for free.
Visit domains at Retail at
http://www.domainsatretail.com/wholesalehosting.html for your
Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated Server needs!

Good Luck with the purchase of your Dedicated / Virtual
Dedicated Server and start running your server today

Michael Kralj
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/dedicated-virtual-dedicated-servers-and-its-benefits-2830.html

What is a Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated server and why is
it different than normal web hosting. Web hosting offers you
limited control of how the server your web site is hosted on
behaves. Normal hosting plans put many customers’ accounts on a
single server and you upload your files to that Server.
Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated servers allow you to actually
control your own server where you receive Admin access to
install and run virtually anything YOU want on the server. You
can host multiple web sites on the one server account, and even
sell hosting and host other sites on your server.

I have referred to Dedicated and Virtual Dedicated Servers. You
may ask, what is the difference? Virtual dedicated servers are
similar to Dedicated servers as they offer many of the same
features, but at a much lower price.

With a virtual dedicated server, the customer shares the server
space with a limited number of other customers using the same
server box. Each virtual dedicated server is isolated from the
other accounts giving the user full control of their own server.
Virtual dedicated servers are useful for companies and
individuals that run complex applications that need the
bandwidth, consistent performance, and flexibility of a virtual
dedicated server.

With a dedicated server, you actually lease a server box that is
dedicated to only you and is set up to your preferences. The
dedicated server customer has exclusive rights to the server’s
bandwidth, memory and storage space. Also, a dedicated server
account provides full control of any software installation on
the server. Dedicated servers are useful for companies and
individuals that run very-high-traffic Web sites or applications
that need the bandwidth, versatility, and consistent performance
of a dedicated box.

Dedicated / Virtual dedicated servers are an excellent choice to
use for gaming sites, database management, shared hosting, and
hosting of Web sites that receive high amounts of traffic.

Companies now offer your own customization of your Dedicated /
Virtual Dedicated Server. This allows you the flexibility to
choose one of their popular pre-packaged plans, or go wild and
customize and configure your own virtual dedicated server by
selecting your own options.

One bonus that can help you decide on where to get your server
from is the

support they offer, the value they give you when signing up and
what system

you will actually be running the server on. With support, the
standard now

is to be offered 24×7 email, telephone and Web-based tech
support, as well

as you having access to modify your server 24×7. Sometimes a
free offering

when purchasing the server is given. You should look for
companies that

offer Free and quick setup of the server, so you may be running
in no time.

So you have decided you need a Virtual Dedicated Server or
Dedicated Server. Now what? You need to choose a company to
purchase your Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated Server from. Here is
a company I recommend for purchasing your Dedicated / Virtual
Dedicated Server from.

domains at Retail – offers 24×7 email, telephone and
Web-based tech support for your Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated
Server, allows you to pick a pre-configured server or to
customize your own server and will set up your account for free.
Visit Domains at Retail at
http://www.domainsatretail.com/wholesalehosting.html for your
Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated Server needs!

Good Luck with the purchase of your Dedicated / Virtual
Dedicated Server and start running your server today

Michael Kralj
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/dedicated-virtual-dedicated-servers-and-its-benefits-2830.html