Web hosts are companies that are connected to the internet and that allow you to store files on their computers. In the previous section, I explained that all computers attached to the internet have an IP address. Your web host is the computer people will connect to when they want to view your website. Here’s how it works.
Now, you might be asking why you need a web host when you already have a computer that can access the internet. Why pay for a web host? Can’t you do it yourself?
The short answer is that unless you are extremely familiar with web server technology, you should never host your own site. Web hosting companies already have the security measures in place to prevent people from hacking into the site and stealing, defacing, or deleting content. They also have numerous spam filters in place to prevent viruses and spammers from damaging their computers. They also already have all the software you’d need to run a successful site already installed, so you don’t have to hunt down and install various features and programs. And, they’re pretty cheap. You’d spend far more money trying to do it yourself than you will paying the few bucks a month.
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