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What is PHP, ASP, perl, etc? |
These are all dynamic programming languages which are referred to by their acronyms.
- PHP - PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
- ASP - Active Server Pages
- Perl - not an acronym
Each programming language has its own benefits and uses. It is best that you research on your own to find one that best fits your needs.
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| What is MySQL, MS SQL, etc? |
MySQL and MS SQL are database systems. You can use a database to organize your data.
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| What is Domain Parking? |
Domain parking lets you buy a domain and then have a 'coming soon' page on it. This is not needed, if a domain is not parked it will simply be inaccessible to anyone.
Most domain registrars provide this by default.
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| Do I have to change my domain if I get a new host? |
No. Provided that the domain is registered in your name (as it should be), you can simply update your namservers (from where you manage your domain names) to that of your new host.
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| Will there be forced advertising on my site - things like banner ads or popup ads? |
Not at all. You are paying for webspace that is only yours - no one may put ads on your site except you.
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| What are subdomains? |
Consider subdomains as an extension of your domain. For example, your site is www.example.com. A subdomain would be test.example.com, and another would be webhosting.example.com.
Subdomains are usually treated as separate sites from the main domain site.
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| What is the difference between UNIX hosting and Windows hosting? |
Depending on which operating system to go with depends on your needs.
If you need to support Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then Windows hosting would be better. Furthermore, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how UNIX works, Windows hosting would again be a better choice.
There are some things to remember.
First of all, just because you use Windows at home does not mean you should use Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a UNIX server.
Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Since it is free, Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. Just because it's free does not mean it's not as good - Linux is an excellent product too.
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| What is uptime? |
Uptime is literally what it means - it is the amount of time your site is online throughout the entire month.
The best uptime would be 100%, but because things can break, many hosts offer 99.9% uptime guarantees. This means that if your site is not accessible for more than 43 minutes in a single month, they will reimburse you, depending on their terms of service.
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| I have a fast internet connection (DSL/cable) - can I just host my own site? |
You could, but that's definitely not recommended.
First of all, most ISPs have clauses that do not let you use your internet connection for web hosting - doing so will result in termination of your account.
Second of all, think of the headaches it can provide: making sure your system is secure so that no one can hack into it, having your computer on 24/7, and other such problems.
Third of all, think of the performance. Most good web hosts use powerful servers with lots of RAM and high performance hard disks. Furthermore, they have multiple internet connections at speeds far higher than what residential DSL or cable service can provide.
Lastly there are all the issues of support. If something goes wrong, it will be your job to fix it - you will not have a professional to correct the problem.
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| Why would I need a dedicated IP? |
For most people, a dedicated IP is not required. But for people that want to provide anonymous FTP or a website using SSL, a dedicated IP can make that easier.
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| Why don't I just go with the cheapest hosting? |
At times you will come across deals that are almost too good to be true - cheap web hosting with amazing features!
There are hosts that while offering cheap prices do back that up with excellent performance and service, but there are things to be noted:
- Look very closely to what is written in their terms of service (TOS) and acceptable use policy (AUP) documents. Some hosts try to limit the activity of the customer through these two.
- Unlimited bandwidth or space. Offering either of those two as unlimited is not possible.
- The quality of bandwidth and the overall performance. Some hosts scrimp on these to give you cheaper prices. Do a self test - visit the host's website multiple times in a day to see that it remains fast loading.
- In general, Windows Hosting is more expensive than Unix hosting.
- Test out the support, and take a look over the online documentation. If you are paying less than $10 a month (which is roughly 30 cents a day), do not expect to receive an answer right after email the host. Many hosts now offer flash tutorials online which can be an excellent way to learn how a feature works.
Just because a host is cheap does not mean that you will receive 'cheap' service, but you must be careful.
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