Web Hosting Words Explained Simply | Hostvento Knowledge Base

The basics

Web hosting: a service that keeps your website files on a computer that is always on, so people can visit any time. Think of it as renting space for a shop.
Server: the computer that stores your website and sends it to visitors.
Domain name: the address people type to find you, like example.com. It is like the street address of your shop.
IP address: the number address of a computer on the internet. Computers use numbers, people use names.
DNS: the phone book of the internet. It turns a domain name into an IP address.
Nameservers: the computers that hold the DNS details for your domain.

Disk space (storage): how much room you have for files, pictures and emails.
Bandwidth: how much data can travel between your site and visitors. It is like the width of a road.
Uptime: the share of time your site is online. Higher is better.
Cache: a saved copy of a page so it loads faster next time.
CDN: a group of servers around the world that serve copies of your site from a place close to each visitor.

Shared hosting: many websites share one server. It is like living in an apartment block.
VPS: a virtual private server. One big server is split into private parts. Each part acts like its own computer.
Dedicated server: a whole server just for you.
Cloud hosting: your site runs on a group of connected servers.

Ask Hostvento support which types are available for you.

Control panel: a web page where you manage your hosting. cPanel is a popular one.
FTP: a way to upload files to your server.
Database: an organised store of information, such as posts and customers. MySQL is a common type.
SSL certificate: a digital lock that protects data between your visitor and your site. Sites with it start with https://.
Backup: a saved copy of your site that you can restore if something breaks.
Email account: a mailbox that uses your domain, like name@example.com.

Tip: You do not need to learn every word at once. Come back to this page whenever you meet a new one.