What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting is a well known hosting type that is done on a shared server. A shared server is a server that has more than one websites hosted on in. So in shared web hosting more than one web sites share the same web server. This type of hosting has several benefits including its cheap cost. It is much more economical to run a website on a shared server for both host and customer. Due to the shared features the overall cost of the sever is divided between all the websites, hosted on that server.

A shared host is responsible for the overall management of the server and provides all the basic and advance hosting services and features. In addition to the basic features like disk space and bandwidth, shared hosting provider also provides security of the system and the installation of the software for the server.

Those who do not manage their own server and are looking for a person who can manage their server can benefit from shared web hosting services. But if anyone wants his total control over the server management and other areas may not benefit from this type of hosting.

A shared server has any of the operating systems installed in it i.e. Windows or Linux. If Windows operating system is installed in the shared server then this type of shared hosting is called Shared Windows Hosting. It's up to the demand of the customer. If they like windows hosting then the host should have to provide them Windows hosting and vice versa. Normally shared servers have Linux based system installed in them because many of the control panel products that are necessary are actually made for Linux.

Shared hosting plans are becoming more popular these days. All types of websites including small or large business websites can be found using this type of set up.

Disadvantages of shared hosting

Just like other type of hosting, shared hosting services have some disadvantages.

•  Shared web site hosting is not for those people who want to control the web server.

•  Shared website hosting provides limited disk space, bandwidth and other features.

•  Shared hosting is less secure than dedicated and collocated hosting types.

You must know all the advantages and disadvantages of any type of hosting before choosing the right one for you according to your needs and resources. You must analyze your needs like size of website, bandwidth required and other important things and then choose a plan for your site. If you are just starting your online business, it is beneficial for you to take the low cost shared hosting plan, so that you can learn from it.