Web Hosting: 
Virtual Servers vs. Virtual Hosting

Basic Rules
for Any WEB site

Seven Major Mistakes to Avoid
When Setting Up A Website

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As a website owner, you should be aware of an important difference between the types of shared web hosting offered. Many of the low-priced hosts use what is called "virtual hosting" instead of providing you with a true virtual server. What's the difference? In virtual hosting, you do not receive a dedicated IP, but instead are given a sub-directory of another domain. The server software can "fool" most browsers into thinking you have your own domain name and it will resolve. However, beyond that there are some serious limitations of virtual hosting:

1. Browsers that are not HTTP/1.1 compliant cannot see your domain name. Instead they will see the "root" domain which is often your Web Host's site.
   
   Many search engines cannot detect virtually hosted domains so they cannot index your site. Many major search engines such required a dedicated IP address.
   
   You will not be given your own private cgi-bin so you can run scripts and forms that will make your site interactive.
   
   You cannot use your own username if it is already being used by someone else under the same IP.
   
   You will not have full email capability for sending and receiving email under your domain name. With a true Virtual Server you will have complete POP and SMTP support.
   
   You will not receive telnet/ssh access to your site (which is important for script debugging and chmod commands). You will also not be able to run server daemons and cron jobs.
   
   You will not be able to install an SSL Certificate for secure ordering.

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Although you may save a few bucks per month by going with virtual hosting, your website will definitely be limited and this is not your best choice when you can get a true virtual server, with a dedicated IP, for as little as $19 per month. With a Virtual Server you can be sure you'll have all of the following:

• The ability to setup your own POP Boxes and send and receive mail using your domain.

• Full CGI-Bin access

• Ability to run custom scripts, server-side includes, and cron jobs

• Unlimited email forwarding

• Telnet/SSH access to your domain

• High traffic levels

• Secure Server support

• Access to a development environment - Apache, Perl modules, Java Servlets, mime types, etc.

You will find that many providers that offer true virtual servers charge a premium price due to all of the extras you get -- some may charge you $100 per month or more. However, at OnNet Hosting our Virtual Servers with SSH, CGI-Bin and Secure Server access start at just $19.95 per month! For this incredibly low price you can take advantage of the tremendous versatility and capabilities of a true Virtual Server. See our features page for all the details.

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