Internet Terminology or Terms
Please Select A Letter to Jump To That Part of The Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Adult Websites Allowed
Some web hosting companies block access to websites that contain adult content. Some web hosting companies will not host websites that contain such adult content. If you plan to launch a website that contains adult content, this is a feature that should be considered.
Alias
A name that points to another name. Aliases are used to make the original name easier to remember or to protect the website's identity.
Applet
An applet is an embedded program on a website. Applets are usually written in the coding language called Java. They are normally used for creating a virtual object that may move or interact with the website. An applet is like a small piece of executable code that needs a full application to run it.
Active Server Pages (ASP)
Active Server Pages allow web developers to make their websites dynamic with database driven content. The code is mainly written in VB Script, and it is produced on the internet server of the website instead of the browser of your website visitors. The internet server reads the ASP code and then translates it to HTML or HyperText Markup Language.
Audio Streaming
The term audo streaming is the process of providing audio content on a website. This takes up a large amount of bandwidth, especially if you get a lot of visitors at your website. Some web hosts do not allow audio or video streaming because of this.
Auto Responder
An automated program that acknowledges receipt of an email message, and then sends back a previously prepared email to the sender, letting them know it was received. Once you configure your autoresponder, it sends email with no further action required on your part, making your website interactive around the clock. Most web hosting companies let you set this up through their control panel.
Availability (Uptime)
Refers to the amount of time within a 24 hour period a system is active or available for servicing requests. For example, if a web hosting company says it is available 99.9% of the time, they are claiming that your website will up all the time except for about 8 seconds each day. Over the course of a year, in this example, the web hosting company is claiming that your website will only be unavailable (couldn't surf to it) for 48 hours.
Backbone
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small network will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network. In general, the better the backbone of the web hosting company, the better the availability of the websites that run on their computers.
Colo Colocation and Web Hosting Service provides Level 3 ™ and Internap Network as backbone to its internet servers. The Level 3 ™ and Internap network is programmed for fastest route for data and avoids the internet's points of transfer congestion. Colo provides a secure full service network operation data center with 24-7-365 on location remote hands by certified engineers to keep your business' mission critical services online. You can read further about Colo’s Colocation Center Hosting Features here or contact our team of web hosting specialists, we’re ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page (top right).
Backups
Web hosts back up data on their internet servers. Many web hosting packages offer backups every 24 hours. This is supposed to prevent the loss of data should something happen to the internet server. If you think you may need to restore old data in case of a disaster, it may make sense to choose a web hosting company that performs regular backups.
Browser
This is the client software that displays (interprets) the HTML or HyperText Markup Language code it receives from the internet server. All browsers work slightly different and one may not display the webpages correctly if the code was developed exclusively for another browser. Today the two main browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape.
C+ or C++
C+ and C++ are programming languages. Some web hosting companies provide access to C+ and C++ class libraries if your website contains these types of program modules. Once your website has been constructed, you will know whether access to C+ or C++ will be required.
CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
A CGI is a program that translates data from a internet server and then displays that data on a webpage or in an email. CGI involves the transfer of data between a internet server and a CGI program (called a script). This allows HTML or HyperText Markup Language webpages to interact with other programming applications. These scripts make webpages interactive. Page counters, forms, guest books, random text/images and other features can be driven by CGI scripts. Some internet servers have pre-installed/pre-defined CGI scripts, meaning that the scripts are already installed on the internet server for you to use on your website. Some internet servers permit user-defined or custom CGI scripts, which means the website owner creates his/her own CGI script and runs this custom made script on the website. Not all internet servers allow user-defined (custom) scripts for security reasons. Almost all web hosting companies offer CGI today. If you think you will need forms on your website, CGI could be a key requirement.
Chat Server / Software
Some web hosting companies allow you to develop a chat room or other type of chat service for your visitors. Be sure to check with the web host company about the details of the chat services offered. Some internet servers permit you to configure the service, and others pre-configure everything for you while others do not allow chat rooms at all.
Click Through
This term is used to describe the ratio of clicks to impressions on an advertisement, usually a banner ad. If a banner has been shown 100 times and 3 people click on it, it will have a 3% click through ratio.
ColdFusion
An application which simplifies database queries by allowing for a simpler programming language to handle functions between the user's browser, the internet server, and the database. After you have developed your website, you will know whether ColdFusion is a requirement. If you have not used ColdFusion to develop your website, you should ignore this feature.
Co-Location or Colocation
The term co-location, also called colocation, means housing a web or internet server that you own in the facilities of a web hosting provider. This option is perfect if you want to own your own internet server, but do not want the hassle or security risk of maintaining that internet server.
Colo provides the ultimate data center colocation solution for those seeking a secure, protected environment for their rackmount & non-rackmount equipment. Further questions? You can read further about Colo’s Colocation Center Hosting Features here or contact our team of web hosting specialists, we’re ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page (top right).
Control Panel
An online package of tools permitting easy website management and editing. Almost all web hosting companies provide this option today. It is a very important feature to have. By having your own control panel, you can maintain basic information about your website, mail boxes, etc. without having to send emails to the web hosting company or call them on the phone.
Cookie
The term "cookie" is a message given to a web browser by a internet server. The web browser stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt. The message is then sent back to the internet server each time the browser requests a page from the internet server. The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized webpages for them. When you enter a website using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same website, your browser will send the cookie to the internet server. The internet server can use this information to present you with custom webpages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome webpage you might see a welcome webpage with your name on it.
Credit Card Billing
Credit card billing is generally relative to ecommerce websites or a merchant account. What is a merchant account? Why do I need one? A merchant account gives a business the ability to accept credit cards as payment for the company's products and services. It provides your customers with an extremely popular payment option, beyond cash and checks. This is usually done via a 3rd party merchant account provider.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Used to add more functionality to simple HTML (HyperText Markup Language) webpages. Internet Explorer 3.0 and up support a good portion of CSS, while Netscape 4.0 and up supports a small amount of CSS - a fully compliant browser does not exist yet.
Database Support
If your website will leverage a database to store information, database support by the web hosting company will be required. After you have developed your website, you will know which database will be required. Some commonly used database programs are SQL Server, MySQL, Access, Oracle, and FoxPro. Databases can be difficult to configure properly. Before you sign up with a web hosting company, first inquire if the web host can support your database needs.
Data Transfer
The term data transfer is the amount of data that is transferred from an account as visitors view the webpages of the website. If you have a website with lots of video, audio, and images that gets many visitors per day, you would have to make sure that you choose a web hosting company that will allow large amounts of data to be transferred. If you choose a web host that only allows 200 MB of data transfer per month, and your website transferred 500 MB per month, then the web host may stop half of your visitors from viewing your website and you could lose potential customers. Your best bet is to try to find a web hosting company that offers unlimited data transfer or at least a Gig of transfer. A gig is more than enough for most websites. As a general rule, 500 MB of data transfer is equivalent to 20,000 page views.
Dedicated Server or Dedicated Hosting
A more expensive type of account in which the web hosting company provides you with an entire web hosting setup including your own internet server hardware that only you can use. This usually means a much faster loading time for your website because the entire computer is "dedicated" to running the internet server software. This is different from most other web hosting accounts in which your website will share space on a internet server with many other websites, called a virtual server. A dedicated server makes sense for websites that require higher availability and higher data transfer rates.
Colo provides you with a managed support solution on all dedicated hosting server plans. This will include the installation of your operating system, provisioning, testing, deployment of security patches. We closely monitor your internet server to identify and resolve any issues to provide the highest uptime and performance. We are working hard to earn your business. You can read more about Colo’s dedicated hosting standard features and Tier options here or Contact our team of dedicated hosting specialists, we’re ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page (top right).
Disk Space
The term disk space indicates the amount of disk space that will be available to you on the web host’s server to hold your website files. Normally because HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files are small, a website (unless it has extensive graphics or database functionality) will be small, as low as 1 or 2 MB in most cases. When you do a search on Service Providers and select disk space as a factor in the search you are indicating a minimum level that you want a plan to offer. As an example, the Service Providers website, not including the database (i.e the webpages and graphics only) is about 3MB.
Use windows explorer to check the total MB of your website while it is still on your development machine. Then perhaps double your websites current size so that you have room to grow. When you check the total MB of your website don't forget to include the total MB of your graphics files.
A good rule of thumb is to assume approx. 50 KB per page (1 MB = 1000 KB, 1 GB = 1000 MB). 50 KB per page is on the high side so it's a conservative estimate for the average size of a webpage.
Often web hosting companies will charge an extra fee if disk space exceeds the plan limits. If you think this could happen then either go with a higher MB limit from the start or check with the web hosting provider to understand their policies on Disk Space. Remember, the addition of a database can significantly increase your requirements for disk space.
Domain Parking
Many web hosting companies give you the option to 'park' your domain name without actually having your website up and running. This is a nice option if you want to acquire a domain name for your website well ahead of having the website itself designed and constructed.
Domain Name
The term domain name is the unique name that identifies an Internet website. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general (Service Providers). Technically, the domain name is a name that identifies an IP address. To most of us, it simply means www.yourname.com. Because the Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names, web or internet servers depend on a Domain Name System (DNS) to translate domain names into IP addresses. Simply stated, domain names allow people to find your website by name rather than by its numerical (IP) address.
Domain Name Registration
Is a term used which means to register your chosen domain name unique to your website with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). An end-user cannot directly register and manage their domain name information. A designated registrar must be chosen. As of 2008, the cost generally ranges from a low of about $7 per year to about $35 per year. Often a web hosting company will offer to register your domain name at the time you sign up for a web hosting plan. This normally incurs an additional charge but may be cheaper and more convenient than using a separate domain name registration service. We recommend that you go ahead and register your domain name as soon as possible, especially if you think it will take some time to develop the website itself.
Domain Name System (DNS)
The term Domain Name System (DNS) is a model for tracking other machines (that contain websites) and their numeric IP addresses. Translates domain names (for example, www.Service Providers into a numerical IP address such as 216.119.81.205). When a computer is referred to by name, a domain name server puts that name into the numeric IP address assigned to that computer. So when you buy a domain, say www.yourname.com, it does not become accessible until it gets assigned an IP address from a web hosting company. Once the IP address is assigned, a cross-reference record (DNS record) is created that points your domain name to the numeric IP address.
Colo is a full service network operation data center and provides its clients a wide variety of secure server internet services. Colo can register and manage your website's domain and Domain Name System (DNS) servers so you don't have to. Further questions? Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page (top right). Contact our team of web hosting specialists, we’re ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
Email POP Account
POP (Post Office Protocol) is an actual email account on your web host’s email internet server. Think of each POP account as a unique email address (john@Service Providers, contact@Service Providers, etc.) Before you choose a specific web hosting plan, you should know exactly how many email accounts are required to meet your specific needs.
FrontPage (Microsoft)
Front Page is an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) editor made by Microsoft. It is commonly used to create websites
Frontpage Extensions
Frontpage extensions can be thought of as "mini programs" that allow features of a website created with Microsoft Front Page to operate smoothly. It is possible to use Microsoft Front Page to create a website and host that website on a internet server that doesn't offer FP extensions, however some of the powerful features of the program cannot be used in these web websites. See Microsoft's Front Page website for more information. After you design your website, you will know whether Frontpage extensions will be a requirement.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
The term File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used to describe a way of transferring files (uploading and downloading) across the Internet. Most websites are uploaded to the Internet by means of an FTP program. This is how the website you create on your computer at home is transferred (uploaded) to the Internet. Some software, such as Microsoft Front Page, does not require use of an FTP program but the use of most any other HTML (HyperText Markup Language) editor requites the use of and FTP Program. There is a free FTP program called WS_FTP and you can download it at download.com. There are many Internet websites that have established publicly accessible repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using the account name anonymous, thus these websites are called anonymous FTP internet servers.
Host (Name Server)
When you hear the term "host" in the Internet world, it is referring to an Internet company that has the required internet servers and software to connect domain names to (IP) Internet Protocol numbers so that your website can be viewed by the public when they type your domain in their browser window. Basically this is where you house your website, and you usually have to pay a monthly or annual fee for this service. The purpose of Service Providers is to help you find the web host that is right for you!!
Host Country
Specifies which country the web hosting company resides. The internet is a very complex web of internet server computers connected through telecommunication devices. In general, it is best to host your website in a location closest to the users that access it. For example, if you plan to deploy a website that will attract mostly German visitors, it may makes sense to choose a web hosting company located in Germany.
Host Platform
This is the platform of the web hosting providers internet servers. Web hosting companies will typically have a web hosting platform based upon Windows 2000 (Win2K), Windows NT or Linux. If you have a basic website that does not make use of internet server side applications such as a database then you do not need to worry which platform is used.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
The term HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. This is the code that webpages are written in and the browser interprets to turn into the webpage you view on the screen.
Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)
The term http (Hypertext Transport Protocol) is the protocol for transferring hypertext files across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP internet server program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW). You see it every time you type a website in your browser http://...
IP Address
A unique number used to specify web hosts and networks. Internet Protocol (IP) numbers are used for identifying machines that are connected to the Internet. They are sometimes called a dotted quad and are unique numbers consisting of 4 parts separated by dots, They would look something like this 216.119.81.205 Every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number - if a machine does not have an IP number, it is not really on the Internet. Most machines also have one or more Domain Names that are easier for people to remember.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company or institution that provides access to the Internet in some form, usually for money. They will usually allow users to dial up through a modem, DSL, or cable connection to view the information on the Internet Access is via SLIP, PPP, or TCP/IP. Picking your ISP is an important decision but has more to do with how you access the Internet rather than which web host you choose.
Javascript
A scripting language which enables web designers to add dynamic, interactive elements to a website.
Java Servlets
A servlet is an application or a script that is written in Java and executed on a internet server, as opposed to on a client. It is analogous to CGI, although servlets are more than simply CGI scripts written in Java.
Mailing List Software
A mailing list or email list software is application to form a discussion group based on the email system. You may want to set one up - they're very useful promotional web tools. Even if you don't want to host a discussion group, you can use a emailing-list software program to distribute a newsletter. Many companies have emailing-list software available for their clients to use -- if so, ask whether there's an additional cost, how many emailing lists you are allowed to have, and how many members per email list.
ODBC Sources
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is term used in a generic way for applications to speak to a database. ODBC acts as an interpreter between an application (say a Cold Fusion or ASP application) and a database (like Microsoft Access). By using ODBC, a connector can be created that will allow a web application that you create to read data from and insert data into an Access database that you've created. An ODBC source is a directory entry that specifies database information. This ODBC source (or DSN Source) allows your website to point to the correct database located on the web or internet server.
It is possible to connect to a database without ODBC, but it is a safe bet to assume you need 1 ODBC connection per individual database you will have.
Perl (Practical Extraction and Report Language)
The term Perl is an interpreted language optimized for scanning arbitrary text files, extracting information from those text files, and printing reports based on that information. It's also a good language for many system management tasks.
PHP
PHP is another scripting language. Like ASP, it's commands are embedded within the HTML or HyperText Markup Language of a webpage. The commands are executed on the internet server, making it browser independent. The web browser only sees the resulting HTML or HyperText Markup Language output of the PHP code.
Post Office Protocol (POP)
This is a method of retrieving email from an email internet server. Most email applications (sometimes called an email client) use the POP protocol, although some can use the newer IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). There are two versions of POP. The first, called POP2, became a standard in the mid-80's and requires SMTP to send messages. The newer version, POP3, can be used with or without SMTP. The newest and most widely used version of POP email is POP3 email. You will see the term POP3 in most of the web hosting plans available today.
Price
The monthly amount that you will have to pay a web hosting company to provide the web hosting services requested. Paying monthly is normally perfectly acceptable, but discounts may be available by paying quarterly or annually. Service Providers will always list plans in order of price, lowest to highest. If you enter a price as part of the search then any plans costing more than what you enter will not be found.
Reseller Plans
The term reseller plan or affiliate plan,sometimes partner plan, is a term used to describe a avenue web hosting providers allow you to be a reseller of hosting space earning a commission off of each sale. If you intend to be a provider of web hosting services, you should investigate this option as you decide where to host your website. Many web hosting companies offer discounts (in addition to revenue opportunities) to companies that wish to remarket their web hosting services.
Colo provides full-service Affiliate or Reseller Hosting, allowing you to provide your clients web hosting transparently or as your own company brand name. Set your own rates and provide your customers the plans they want. You keep 100% of what you charge for your affiliate or reseller hosting service. Further questions? Contact our team of web hosting specialists, we’re ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have. View Reseller or Partner Features here or Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page(top right).
Root Server
A computer that has the software and data needed to locate name internet servers that contain authoritative data for the top-level domains.
Setup Fee
Some web hosting companies charge a one time setup fee to set up your web hosting account. It is worth to also take this into account when looking at the monthly fee. If you select the 'No Setup Fee' checkbox in the search then any plans that involve a setup fee will not be found.
Server
The term server is a computer or internet server with a software package, that provides a specific kind of service for the clients software running on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software, such as a WWW or HTTP internet server, or to the computer on which the software is running. A single internet server machine could have several different internet server software packages running on it, thus providing many different internet servers to clients on the network. More specifically, a internet server is a computer that manages and shares network resources.
Shell Account
The term shell account is an internet account for creating offline files. Its an internet web hosting account plan experienced computer users often request. A shell account permits you to edit your files online in real-time, rather than making changes to your website offline and then uploading the changes. If you intend to manage the internet server your website runs on, a shell account should not be needed.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
The main protocol used to send electronic mail on the Internet. Most Internet email is sent and received using SMTP. SMTP consists of a set of rules for how a program sending mail and a program receiving mail should interact.
Server Side Includes (SSI)
Commands that can be included in webpages that are processed by the internet server when a user requests a file. The command takes the form <!--#include virtual="/path/to/file"-->. A common use for SSI commands is to insert a universal menu into all of the webpages of the website so that the menu only has to be changed once and inserted with SSI instead of changing the menu on every page.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
A protocol designed by Netscape Communications to enable encrypted, authenticated communications across the Internet. It is used mostly (but not exclusively) in communications between web browsers and web or internet servers. URL's that begin with "https" indicate that an SSL connection will be used. SSL provides 3 important things: Privacy, Authentication, and Message Integrity. In an SSL connection each side of the connection must have a Security Certificate, which each side's software sends to the other. Each side then encrypts what it sends using information from both its own and the other side's Certificate, ensuring that only the intended recipient can decrypt it, and that the other side can be sure the data came from the place it claims to have come from, and that the message has not been tampered with.
Shopping Cart Software
A software program which acts as a "virtual store front". Such software typically allows a website user to create and manage a virtual shopping cart to which items can be added or removed. Once a customer is ready to "check out", this same Shopping Cart Software typically includes interfaces to allow customers to pay with their credit card directly on the website. Shopping Cart Software is critical for those websites that intend to sell products and services directly over the Internet without human intervention.
Statistics
The term statistics is used describe the analyzed trends about your website. Many web hosting companies run software on their internet servers that collect usage information about your website and compile it in a user-friendly, easy-to-read format for you to analyze trends about your website. Having access to statistics is critical if you need to know how many visitors are coming to your website, which webpages receive the most attention, how much time people actually spend browsing your website and more.
Support
The term support is used to describe additional assistance. When relative to the internet, a telephone or email technical support provided to a web hosting company’s customers. When there's a problem with your website or your email, you want to be able to get an answer promptly by email or on the phone. Some web hosting companies offer email only support, telephone support, or a combination of both. Some web hosting companies provide 24hr 7 days a week support (24/7). This is important if your website is an ecommerce website with a lot of daily visitors.
TCP/IP
This is a set of communications protocols to connect web hosts on the Internet.
Unix
A computer operating system designed to be used by many people at the same time (it is multi-user) and has TCP/IP built-in. It is the most common operating system for internet servers on the Internet.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
The standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web (WWW). An example for a URL would be: www.ServiceProviders.com.
Unique IP Address
In many web hosting plans, you share an IP address and you will be able to view your website through your domain name only. Obtaining a unique IP address (see IP Address) provides a one-to-one relationship between your domain name (www.yourname.com) and an IP address.
Video Streaming
The term video streaming is the process of providing video data or content via a webpage.
Virtual Server Hosting
The term virtual server hosting describes a web or internet server which shares its resources with multiple users. It's another way of saying that multiple websites share the resources of one internet server. If you do not need your own internet server (i.e. your own internet server class computer), you will use a virtual server to host your website on the internet.
Virtual web hosting is often used on large scale in companies whose business model is to provide low cost website web hosting for customers. Colo is a full service network operation data center and provides its clients a wide variety of secure server services. View Virtual Server Hosting Features here or Call toll free at 1-866-316-2656 or email us through our request a call back form on this page(top right).