Web hosting terminology often seems like a foreign language when you are starting out. Terms like bandwidth and disk space are frequently used, but their meaning isn't always clear. Once you know a little bit more about web hosting terminology, you'll be better equipped to make a decision on which web host is right for you.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth describes how much data is sent back and forth between the user and the server that the website is hosted on. The more traffic (visitors) your website has, the more bandwidth you'll need. Bandwidth takes into account everything the user does on your website. So if your page has 10 megabytes of information on it, you lose 10 megabytes of bandwidth every time someone loads a page of your site. If you exceed your monthly bandwidth allotment, you'll either have your site shut down until the end of the month--or until you upgrade plans--or, you'll be billed for the additional bandwidth that you used.
Disk Space
Disk space is the computation of hard drive storage space that you are allotted. This data is measured in kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. For example, the average digital photo is between 1 and 4 megabytes, while the average DVD movie is just under 5 gigabytes. Each time you add a picture, you use up between 1 and 4 megabytes of storage space away on the hard drive. Disk space determines how big your website can be, and what kind of things you can put on it. For example, a website that has minimal disk space isn't a good candidate to host a lot of video.
Domains
A domain name is simply a name that you purchase from the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), via a domain name registrar such as Go Daddy, Namecheap or Network Solutions.
Chances are, most domain names that you want will no longer available. This is one of the many reasons why registrars offer multiple domain extensions. Depending on your type of business or website, you can select a different extension to get the domain name you choose. For example, .com domain names were originally started for commercial sites, but were quickly snatched up by everyone and became the most popular extension whether it be for commercial, public or other use. Charities commonly use .org domain names. The .info extension is commonly used for informational-type sites. And .net extensions are generally used as a .com alternative.
Some hosting packages let you host more than one domain name on that package before you need to upgrade. Some also allow subdomains, which can be added in front of a main domain name (i.e., www.sports.example.com or www.reading.example.com).
Uptime and Support
Almost every web host has redundant power supplies and automatic backups which make downtime very minimal. With the current advances in hosting technology, many hosts will offer at least a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee.
Technical support is one of the most important things a web host can provide. A good host offers support around the clock, even on Christmas Day. The easiest way to test the support system to see if they actually have 24/7 support is to call the tech support number after normal business hours (10 p.m. usually works), at a later hour or during a weekend.
IP and DNS
Many web hosting packages offer you a unique Internet protocol (IP) address--a series of numbers--so that you can create your own domain name servers (DNS). Name servers tell your domain registrar the correct address of your hosting account so that they can link the domain with the proper host. This is especially useful if you host your domain names with one company, and have website hosting through another company. With a series of numbers and letters, you can tell any domain registrar the proper location to send people who type in your domain name.
POP Email Accounts
Post office protocol (POP) email accounts are a way to retrieve mail from an existing mail server. If you have 30 email addresses, POP would allow you to get mail from all 30 email addresses on one email program. This saves you the hassle of having to check them all, and instead allows you to just log in to one. Many hosts give you at least one free email address (POP enabled); but many have unlimited plans that allow you to create as many email addresses as you'd like.
CGI
Common gateway interface (CGI) is essentially a script that allows you to assign certain behaviors to your website without having to figure out how to code it yourself. Many web hosts offer CGI script libraries that have popular scripts available with one-click installs. An example of one type of CGI script would be one that updates your site automatically with headlines from the New York Times every morning.