Dedicated Hosting Terms: What do they all mean?

Server space, data transfer, control panels – what do they all mean? All of these terms are just a few that you’ll come across in your search for the right web host for your website. And if it’s the first time you’ve ever created a site, or you’ve just taken control of your own, you’ll need to know what they’ll mean. Here’s a list of the most common web hosting terms, and their definitions.

Server space: This is the amount of space on a host’s server that they’re willing to allot for your website. Your website has a lot of information on it; and every bit of that information needs to be stored somewhere. With a dedicated server, the amount of space on the server is the amount of space you’ll receive because your site will be the only one  on that server.

Data transfer: This is often referred to as “bandwidth,” and bandwidth is the number of people that can visit your website. Every time someone does, bandwidth is required to download your website onto their computer. While web hosts typically put a limit on the amount of bandwidth you can use, this won’t be the case with dedicated servers.

Domains: Your website’s domain is the address at which it resides. Every time you enter “twitter.com” or “Hotmail.com” into a web browser, you’re entering a domain name, telling you and the computer where you want to go. There are many third-party domain registrars, but many web hosts also offer domain registration as a feature of their web hosting packages.

Server technologies: MySQL, PHP, ASP, Linux, and Windows are just a few of the terms for different server technologies. Some, such as Linux and Windows platforms, may be self-explanatory, but others are often databases and support software for those databases. Different scripts can also be used, and these will also have their own list of options and technologies. If you’re going to be managing and creating the website yourself, you’ll need to become more familiar with all of these terms. If however, your website is being maintained by an IT consultant or firm, you could probably leave these to the team working on your site.

Control Panel: The control panel does many things but quite simply, it’s your gateway to being behind the scenes of your website. Once you enter the control panel you can create pages, edit information, and do just about anything else to your site that you’d like. Most web hosts provide some type of control panel, unless you’re using shared hosting, which has limited options. Typically control panels can be accessed via a website using a login and password.

You’re likely to come across many different terms when you’re searching for web hosting; and you’re likely to be unfamiliar with many of them. It’s worth taking the time to learn about them so you can understand what they are, and know that you’re getting what you need out of your web hosting.