Types of Hosting:
-Free Hosting: usually sucks, is usually cheapo shared hosting.
-Shared Hosting: this is the cheapest type of hosting. It means that you are stuffed onto another server with hundred or even thousands of other accounts. Also, a shared IP, so if one of the sites is found to be spamming yours is affected too. However, there are some good quality shared hosts out there.
-VPS Hosting: Basically you get an entire "server" to yourself, except that the "server" is really a virual machine on a server with a bunch of other VPS servers. This type of hosting is a little bit more expensive, but it's also really flexible as far as CPU speed, hard disk capacity, etc.
-Dedicated Hosting: This is the most expensive type of hosting. You basically get an entire server for yourself. This is recom
Hosting Lingo:
-Control Panel: this is the GUI interface for controlling any aspects of your web hosting account. The most popula ris cPanel, but it's expensive. There are free options too.
-Bandwidth (also called "transfer") This is how much internet traffic your site uses. Most hosts give you a fixed amount per month. You choose how much you get when you sign up.
-Disk space: how much space your site uses on the server's hard drive(s)
-One-click installs: these are popular with many control panels, they allow you to install things like phpBB and WordPress with the click of a button, instead of manually installing.
Common Scams:
-"Unlimited" disk, transfer, etc...There is no such thing as truly unlimited disk space, bandwidth, etc. Think about it. Now, do you really want to purchase hosting from a company that lies to you before you even pay? That's why I recommend staying away from companies that give you "Unlimited Hosting" for just a few bucks a month.
-Free domains: it is best not to register your domain with the same company you host with, espeically if it is included for free with the hosting packages. It often times becomes very difficult to get your domain if you want to host with a different company or wish to host a site yourself. I recommend using a reputable domain registrar just for the domain.
