A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HOSTING
Websites, domains, email and servers do different jobs. Learn what you are buying, what you still need to manage, and what the plan’s promises really cover.
START WITH THE FOUR DIFFERENT JOBS
A bundle may include these together. They can also be managed by separate companies.
Reserves your name for a registration term.
Read the explanation ↗Publishes records that point to your web and mail services.
Read the explanation ↗Runs and delivers the website that visitors open.
Read the explanation ↗Stores mail and provides sending and receiving for your accounts.
Read the explanation ↗How they connect: registration delegates your DNS. DNS points browsers toward your website and mail systems toward your email service. Moving the website does not require moving the mailboxes.
THE SERVICE FIELD GUIDE
Purpose, typical uses, responsibilities, privacy, real limits and questions to ask. No provider rankings or “best host” lists.
Space and software for serving your website to visitors.
Understand the service ↗DIRECT THE TRAFFICPublish the records that send browsers and email to the right services.
Understand the service ↗CONTROL A SERVERA virtual server with an operating system and a defined resource allocation.
Understand the service ↗RUN YOUR MAILBOXESMailboxes, sending and receiving for addresses on your domain.
Understand the service ↗RESERVE PHYSICAL CAPACITYRent a physical server—or place your own hardware in a data center.
Understand the service ↗ASSEMBLE FLEXIBLE RESOURCESProvision computing, networks and storage as separate services.
Understand the service ↗DEPLOY THE CODERun applications without managing every server underneath them.
Understand the service ↗STORE, DELIVER AND RECOVERThree related services that solve different data problems.
Understand the service ↗DECIDE WHO DOES THE WORKA defined set of operational tasks added to a hosting service.
Understand the service ↗KEEP CONTROL OF THE NAMERegister the name people use; connect hosting through DNS.
Understand the service ↗CONNECT THROUGH A PRIVATE TUNNELPersonal subscriptions, remote access and network-to-network connections.
Understand the service ↗BEHIND THE HEADLINE
The count in the headline may be unlimited while the resource that matters to you is not.
See the numbers and buying questions →LOOK BEYOND THE FIRST MONTH
Not sure what a term means? The hosting glossary explains the vocabulary without the sales pitch.