How to Understand the Definition of a Shared Hosting Account

If you need a server for your Web site but don't want to pay for expensive servers, you may choose to get a shared hosting account. In this account, a single server hosts your site and 10 to 100 other Web sites, but it still delivers the same benefits and features as more expensive servers. To further understand the definition of a shared hosting account, read the steps below.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Shared server

1. Research shared hosting accounts. Find a computer book or search the Internet for information about shared hosting accounts and their options.
2. Note the advantages of a shared hosting account, such as the economical price, preconfigured service and unlimited availability.
3. Discover which operating system your shared hosting account needs. Since many use this account, having a freely available operating system is just practical. Usually, a shared hosting account uses Linux, though some use Windows or FreeBSD.
4. Check your account regularly. Since a provider manages the shared hosting account, including the installation of security updates, server software, and other services, you don't have to hire a regular administrator for the account.

Tips & Warnings

• Shared hosting accounts typically will not offer special add-ons, which means you can't easily add any features the preconfigured tools don't already include. So make sure that the shared hosting account that you select meets your requirements.
• Watch out for server glitches due to the many Web sites hosted by the main server. Since many Web sites depend on the main server, all of these share the same bandwidth and disk space. Crowding may slow down the performance.