Web Server and Web Host

Key Difference: A server is a system where one gets information of whatever he needs which is provided by a server’s network. On the other hand, a Web Hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals, firms and organizations to provide their own website accessible via the World Wide Web.

There are three basic parts which makes any current website -

- The domain name.

- The web-hosting or server.

- The site files themselves.

‘Servers’ became common during the 1990s. It is basically a machine offering services to other machines. It is kind of a datacenter from where all the information is taken. Server is quite a broad term, used in the world of IT (Information Technology). There is a transcoder through which a browser can connect to the web sever - Browser-transcoder-Web server.

In a simple form, web servers are computers that deliver (serves up) web pages. Every web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter the URL w3schools.com/hosting/host-types.asp in your browser, this sends a request to the Web server whose domain name is w3schools.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to your browser.

There are many different types of servers.

For example:

◉ File server: a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server.

◉ Print server: a computer that manages one or more printers and a network server is a computer that manages network traffic.

◉ Database server: a computer system that processes database queries.

A ‘web host’ is the name given to the company hosting a site on a server. It is the company that sells or rents the machine and keep them running. It is basically a software providing services to a computer that provides services on smaller or larger scale. Without a domain, having a site or hosting is impractical. A domain is like a phonebook when one needs to make an entry. It is must so that people can communicate with other. IP address, using number, etc is all needed to communicate.

There are different types of web server and web host:

Types of Web Server	Types of Web Host
Proxy Servers	Free Host
Mail Servers	Shared (Virtual) Host
Applications Servers	Dedicated host
Server Platforms	Collocate host
Real-time Communication Servers	Reseller host

They all play a different role in some or the other way, but in this, the focus is on web server and web host. They are the most important factors which is a must in an organization for their network systems. The main difference between both of them is that, Web server is a computer program that upon the request from a web browser, it delivers Web pages to a user’s computer. It can be either a software or a hardware. Web host is the business of providing various services, hardware and software for Web sites, as storage and the maintenance of the site files on a server.

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Difference Between URL and IP Address

URL and IP Address

In order to find what you want on the internet, you need to have a pointer of where to find it. URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) and IP addresses are just identifiers used for this purpose. The main difference between URL and IP address is what they point to. An IP address basically points to a computer, whether it is the physical hardware or a virtual one as in the case of shared hosting. In comparison, a typical URL contains the protocol to be used (i.e. HTTP, FTP), the domain name or IP address, the path, and optional fragment identifier. It is obvious to see that an IP address can be part of a URL, although it is more common to see a domain name instead of an IP address.

Because majority of URL use have the domain name instead of the IP address, it is necessary to process the request through a Domain Name Server (DNS) in order to convert the domain name into an IP address. Without the DNS, the request would fail as the computer would not be able to find the host. The development of URL stemmed from the fact that IP addresses are a lot more difficult to remember than words that are related to the site’s content or purpose.

One thing that the internet is facing right now is the rapid depletion of the IP address pool due to the rapid growth of the internet. That is why IPv6 was developed to increase the maximum number of IP addresses that can be used. On the other hand, there is virtually no limit to the number of possible URLs because there is no limitation to the name. It is also very common for larger sites to have multiple URLs point to the same site to ensure that their users are not misled by people who might register the similar domain name.

To sum it all up, a URL is a more comprehensive pointer to what you want on the internet and where it is found. An IP address is just the address of the computer. Some computers may have a default behavior when accessed and typing the IP address on a browser would immediately use the HTTP protocol and go to the index page of the site.

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