Frequently Asked Questions

What is Web Hosting?
What is an IP Address?
What is a Domain Name?
What is a URL?
What are the Basic Kinds of Web Hosts?
What platform does Veraciti host?
How to Transfer Your Web Site to Another Host Without Losing It?

What is Web Hosting?
Web Hosting is a term that was coined to explain the services performed by someone that "hosts" a Web site on the World Wide Web. The term "Web Hosting" is simple, but the mechanics behind it are not.

In the case of web hosting, “hosting” involves a computer that is setup to allow a Web Site to display specially formatted documents on the World Wide Web.

A Web Site is a set of documents that are formatted using a special language called HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) that supports mouse click connections to other documents on the World Wide Web. The HTML documents are called Web Pages. A particular Web Site may have one Web page, or it may contain thousands of pages. Web sites are stored on "host" computers that are connected to the Internet and setup to communicate their contents to the rest of the Internet. These “host” computers are called Web Servers.

A Web Host ensures that the Web Servers that contain the Web Sites are functioning properly all of the time. That may include adding a customer's Web sites to the Servers, moving Web sites from one Server to another, deleting old Web Sites, monitoring the amount of Internet traffic and activity taking place and a multitude of other tasks required to ensure smooth operation.

(back to top)

What is an IP Address?
An IP Address is a unique set of numbers that Web Servers connected to the Internet are identified by. An IP (Internet Protocol) address is composed of 4 sets of numbers separated by periods (such as 111.222.33.444).

(back to top)

What is a Domain Name?
IP Addresses are great for computers talking to one another, but the numbers are fairly difficult to remember. Most of us use normal words in our communication; so we assign an identifier, called a Domain Name, to the IP address. The Domain Name makes it easier to remember and use. Most companies select a Domain Name that is representative of the services they provide or the organization name itself, e.g. Veraciti has many domain names including veraciti.com which makes it easier for you to find us on the World Wide Web. Would you like to reserve a domain name for yourself or your business? Register your domain name with Veraciti today.

(back to top)

What is a URL?
Each Web site has a "home" on the World Wide Web and each home has an address. In fact, this is much like your own home where there is an actual physical area where each Web site resides. A Web site address is generally called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). In fact, every page on the Internet has a URL, with the URL being the primary method through which you find the Web site. The URL includes a Domain Name along with the name and path of the actual Web Page document. Like your home address, the URL makes it easy for people to find any Web site on the Internet.

(back to top)

What are the Basic Kinds of Web Hosts?
There are four basic types of Web Hosting options. These four basic types are the foundation of the majority of all Web Hosting on the Internet.

Sub-Domain
Sub-Domains are web plans that do not have their own web domain name. They reside in a sub-directory of a primary domain. For example, www.aol.com/customername. There are no addition costs of registering a domain name. The major drawback is name recognition. Since they are but branches off of a larger tree, the URLs are longer and harder to remember.
Virtual
Virtual web sites are the most common. A virtual web site is one that has a unique domain name and is just one of the Web Sites hosted on a shared server. Unlike sub-domains, you must register a domain name for a virtual Web sites but there is a lot more freedom as to content, size, usage, etc. Virtual web sites are your standard-issue Web site. Veraciti offers a variety of virtual web hosting packages. Sign up today.
Web Server/Dedicated Server
A dedicated server is a server designed solely for either one or a few customers. Because of this, service, space, overall usage, and control are at an optimum level. Dedicated users get a great deal of options and garner a lot of tech support from the web host provider staff. For this, these power users get a highly polished, good quality site, with room for lots of data, and even separate programs for a high cost.
Co-Location Servers
Co-Location servers are almost identical to dedicated servers with one exception. The machine itself is owned by the user (not rented) and is located in the web host provider's server buildings. Co-located servers use the web host provider's links to the Internet and infrastructure investments such as UPS systems, diesel generators, and climate control systems. Users usually have to pay the price of buying a whole server and renting out the location and usage of Internet connections, however single user use and access is guaranteed. Interested in
co-location services, contact us today.

(back to top)

What platform does Veraciti host?
Veraciti exclusively offers Microsoft Windows server hosting. Currently, Veraciti has both Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 web hosting. We feel that by focusing on one hosting platform we are able to ensure a high quality of service and expertise that our customers demand.

(back to top)

How to Transfer Your Web Site to Another Host Without Losing It?
The first step is to ensure that you have a complete copy of your website. This includes any database information that may be "hidden" behind the scenes. Once you have your website, Veraciti will setup a new website location and provide you with logon and IP information so that you can publish your website on Veraciti's servers prior to the final step of the transfer. Once you have published your website, a DNS change will be required to point your website to its new location and IP address.

(back to top)