What is web hosting?

What it is

Your domain name only points visitors to an address, as explained in DNS. The host is the machine at that address that answers them. The common kinds are:

• Shared hosting: many websites share one server. It is simple to start, but sites can affect each other.
• Virtual server: a dedicated slice of a larger machine. You get more control and more to look after yourself.
• Managed hosting: the provider also takes care of updates, backups and security for you.
• Content delivery network: a network of servers placed in front of your site that keeps copies of pages closer to visitors and absorbs some unwanted traffic.

Why it matters to a business

• Uptime: if the host is down, the site is down. Ask who watches it and who is called when it fails.
• Backups: a backup is only useful if it is a separate copy and someone has tested restoring it.
• Updates: website software and the server underneath need regular patches. Neglected sites are a common way attackers get in.
• TLS certificates: these enable the padlock and https. They expire, and an expired one shows visitors a browser warning.

How KawaConnect works with web hosting

We design, build and host client websites on infrastructure we run ourselves. Backups, updates and TLS certificates are part of the job, and each site has a standby copy on a second server. For the websites we host we use Cloudflare for DNS.

The domain itself is rented from a registrar, covered in domain registrars. We keep track of that side too, so hosting and domain stay in step.

Learn more

• Web hosting service on WikipediaAn overview of hosting types and how they differ, useful for comparing options.
• What is DNS? at CloudflareExplains how a visitor's request finds your host, written for non-specialists.