( sometimes called internet site hosting, website and Webhosting), is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites. More important sites. More important than the PC space that is provided for Web site files is the fast connection to the Net. Most hosting services offer connections on T-carrier system lines. Often an individual business hosting its own site will require a like connection and it would be expensive. Using a website hosting service lets many companies share the price of a fast Web connection for serving files.

A number of Internet access suppliers, for example America Online, offer customers free space for a little site that is hosted by one of their PCs. Geocities is a site site that offers registered visitors similar free space for a Web site. While site. Whilst these services are free, they are also very basic.

A number of net hosting companies describe their services as virtual hosting. Virtual hosting usually implies that their services will be clear and that each Web site will have its own domain name and set of e-mail addresses. In most uses, hosting and virtual hosting are synonyms. Some hosting corporations let you have your own virtual server, the appearance that you are controlling a server that is dedicated entirely to your site.

Dedicated hosting is the provision of a dedicated server machine that is devoted to the traffic to your site. Only really busy sites need dedicated hosting. Many firms purchase their own servers and place them on a site that provides fast access to the Internet. This practice is called colocation.

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