If you are running a personal website or just a small business site, the best solution for you should be shared hosting. Though it does not have the capability to support heavy traffic, shared hosting will definitely benefit you in terms of cost. Many small business owners have used shared hosting to get their products presented on the Internet and it does offer enough basic facilities to get your business going smoothly.
One thing about shared hosting is that it can only function with a dedicated web server, which can be either obtained from the Web server or arranged for with in-house facilities. The name itself suggests the sharing of space, meaning that many web sites will share space on one particular server.
There are basically two types of shared web hosting, namely, name-based and IP address hosting. For a name-based shared web hosting environment, many host names or web sites make use of a single server, and therefore, with just one IP address. This particular server will be the distribution point for all information and interactive communication between the web owners and their clients. This kind of shared web hosting is also known as shared IP hosting.
The other type of shared web hosting is called IP address hosting. In this case, every web server used by web hosts has an IP address of its own. Each server functions according to multiple physical or virtual network interfaces which is connected to one primary physical interface. IP address hosting allows web hosts to participate in more specific functionalities, which cater to their own business requirements. Sometimes, this is also referred to as dedicated IP hosting.
However, there are certain limitations as far as shared web hosting is concerned. In a shared hosting situation, when one web site experiences technical difficulty, the rest of the sites connected to the same server will also be affected. There are also other limitations which make shared hosting a less favorable option, but it is definitely a better choice compared to free hosting.
The performance of shared hosting web sites truly depends on which web hosting service you choose. To find the best services available in the market, you can refer to shared hosting reviews for reliable suggestions.