Internet hosting services maintain servers and offer various services, from basic web hosting to domain name control and email access. DNS hosting deals with the domain name system, while specialized hosting is required for different industries. Utility computing and application service providers also offer hosting-like services.
An Internet hosting service is a company or group that maintains servers and sells both access to those servers and related e-mail access and support for website content. Everything displayed online is supported by an internet hosting service. Website owners and content developers contract with Internet hosts for a variety of different services, from ad sponsorship support and data transfer capabilities to domain name control and private email access .
The Internet is, in its most basic sense, a network of domains and page groupings that are based on servers located around the world. One of the easiest ways to join the Internet is to connect to an existing site. Subscribing to web-based email or registering web page creation rights within an established blog or content creation site are some of the simplest and most popular examples. However, to actually control a website or email server, you need to contract with an Internet hosting service.
Hosting services typically offer a range of different services. The most basic packages are little more than a server space where site owners can place their pages and route and filter traffic. This is known as a web hosting service. These types of services allow for basic web hosting, which gives people who already own a domain name a place to put their page. Technical support for basic upload and download functions is also usually included.
Website hosting is different from domain service hosting. A hosting service known as a domain name system (DNS) is a specialized type of Internet hosting service that deals exclusively with the domain name system. The domain name system is the technological infrastructure that translates numerical Internet addresses into web addresses that Internet users can easily type into browsers. It consists of names in various top-level domains, most commonly or including .com, .org, and .edu.
DNS hosting services handle naming within the system. They work closely with domain name registrars. Registrars are companies that have control over the sale of specific names and addresses within top-level domains. Most of the time, buying a domain name from a registrar comes automatically with DNS hosting services, but not always.
Many of the largest domain name registrars in the world are also some of the most profitable Internet hosting services. When users buy domain names, they usually buy Internet hosting services as well, whether they know it or not. Basic DNS coordination and bandwidth functionality is usually included with new registrations and renewals. Domain name buyers can typically choose to upgrade their packages to include email hosting services, ad serving support, and increased bandwidth for faster transfers. All these are the products of internet hosting services.
Different industries require more specialized Internet hosting services. A hosted service provider, for example, might need more storage capacity and web development skills than more casual website owners. Internet gaming sites and virtual world hosts may also require special game server support from their hosts.
There are also a number of internet related services that can overlap with an internet hosting service. Web users who host extremely high traffic volumes and need to support numerous pages and email accounts, traditionally large international corporations, may be candidates for utility computing services. Utility computing services often offer special bundled offers for major customers that include cloud computing and cloud storage services, email security, and bandwidth access. Depending on the provider, these packages may include hosting.
An application service provider also provides hosting-like services to clients on a network. These services usually include things like payment processing systems, time card processing, and download support service. Application services and Internet hosting services are usually subscribed to separately, but can sometimes be bundled together.
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