Introduction

If you can't distinguish between your internet service provider (ISP) and a web hosting service, then perhaps you should read this quick introduction to bring you up to speed on basic website hosting concepts.

It's true, many people have trouble distinguishing between their ISP and a web hosting service. ISP stands for internet service provider, which is the company that provides you and all its customers with access to the internet. Many ISPs also provide hosting services, which leads some people to think that an ISP and a hosting service are one and the same. While ISPs can and usually do provide hosting services, it is not a prerequisite. Many companies provide hosting services only and have nothing to do with the ISP business.

What is web hosting?

Web hosting is a service that allows your website to be viewed on the internet. In order for that to happen, your website needs to be located on a server-type computer that has a fixed, public IP address. An IP address, like a phone number, consists of a series of numbers. In the case of an IP addres, those numbers are arranged as follows: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. Since it's public, the address must be unique in order to avoid conflict.

Think of web hosting in terms of renting an apartment. The apartment building is the web hosting server, your website is the apartment space you're renting, and Totalnetqc is the janitor, making sure everything is working as it should.