Every website that you visit consists of a domain name and a web host. The easiest way to picture it is to think of the domain name as the address and the hosting as the physical building.
When you’re browsing the web and you type in a URL (i.e. http://www.mango.ke), your web browser basically queries that domain name (i.e. mango.ke) and asks it where the website is hosted. The browser then loads up the contents that are stored there.
Hosting is effectively the process of using a server to host a website, and there are all sorts of different types of hosting available out there on the market. Mango.ke, just like most web hosts offers different packages so that their customers can pay for just the resources that they need. The more popular the website is, the more resources it’s likely to need to function effectively.
The good news is that with Mango.ke hosting, you can scale your hosting package as and when you need it, so you can start off with Single hosting plan and gradually upgrade to Business or even VPS plan later.
How does hosting work?
Your website is basically a collection of files and (in most cases) database that are served up to your visitors as they browse around it. Mango.ke will allocate space for you to store your website and database.
When you sign up Mango.ke, you’ll receive login details to access your hosting account’s admin panel.
At Mango.ke hosting, we offer custom built hosting control panel. Using our control panel you can carry out basic hosting management, monitor resource usage, create email addresses and install content management systems (CMSs) like WordPress. Note that this is different to the admin panel for your website, which will be created when you install a CMS. This is the admin panel for your server as a whole.
Are there different types of hosting services?
Yes! Hosting comes in all different shapes and sizes, with different setups suitable for different types of a webmaster. In general, hosting can be broken up into the following categories:
Shared Hosting: This is usually the cheapest form of hosting because it’s the most economical when it comes to the use of hardware. Shared hosting means that multiple different websites are all hosted on the same server, with each user being allocated a certain amount of storage space and a certain amount of resources. This is often the best option for hobbyists and bloggers.
VPS Hosting: A virtual private server (VPS) setup is like a shared hosting setup on steroids. It generally uses more powerful hardware and takes its name from the fact that while multiple websites are being stored on the same physical hardware, each uses virtualisation software to allow them to operate independently as though they were dedicated mini-servers.
Dedicated Hosting: Dedicated hosting is a good choice for the pros, and like its name suggests, it involves the use of a server that’s dedicated to a single website. In other words, unlike shared and VPS hosting, the user doesn’t have to share storage space and resources with other people and they have a physical piece of hardware all to themselves.
Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting allows webmasters to tap into a large bank of servers that are all interlinked and designed to take over from each other if needed. In other words, if you need more resources, the cloud will provide more resources to rise to the demand. Cloud hosting is usually the best option if you want to aim for 100% uptime and don’t care how much you need to pay for it.
Mango.ke hosting provides a mix of shared and cloud hosting. This setup allows us to provide fast hosting with nearly 100% uptime at an unbeatable price.
What are the main differences between shared hosting and a VPS?
Good question! A virtual private server (VPS) is a little bit like a cross between shared hosting and a dedicated server. It’s not quite the best of both worlds, but it is a good compromise and it can help you to keep costs down. Some people compare shared hosting to living in an apartment complex and VPS hosting to living in a condo.
With shared hosting, you’re sharing a server and that server’s resources with a bunch of other websites. With a VPS, you’re still sharing some resources because that’s determined by the hardware, but the software itself is set up in such a way that one machine acts like multiple different servers, providing a different virtual server for every user.
For webmasters, using a VPS means that they get the administrative power of a dedicated hosting setup, including the ability to customize their server to suit them.
If you think VPS will be more suitable for you check out our cheap VPS hosting plans here.