by Kate Hudson

Created on: July 13, 2008

A virtual private server is one of many options for hosting websites. A website is a collection of files which are located on a host computer. The host computer runs software called a web server to allow people to connect to the website and view the pages.

To host a website, you can run your own server at home, pay a hosting company for a server, or pay for a hosting account.

If you choose a hosting account, you get a certain amount of space on a host computer that is shared between you and other people hosting their websites with the same company. You have access to the part of the computer that your website is stored on, but you don't have access to install, setup or otherwise change any of the software on the computer. This option is popular because it's suitable for most small to medium websites and for people who don't want to have to set up and maintain a web server.

If you choose to pay for a server, you get control of the whole computer. You choose which operating system you want to have installed, and you get full access to the computer so you can set up your own web server and other software. Nobody else hosts their website on the same computer. This option is often expensive, and provides more space and resources than most people need. Having your website on a home server is very similar, but home internet connections are much slower and less reliable than those provided by hosting companies, meaning your website may be slow to load and will probably suffer more downtime.

A virtual private server, or VPS, is an in between option suitable for people who want control over the software but who don't want to pay for an entire server. A VPS is a slice of a server. The host computer is divided into several "sections", each runs it's own operating system independently from the other sections. This means that each customer gets full access to their slice of the computer and can set up their software in the same way as those who have a full server, but they're sharing the host computer with other customers so they get less space and resources and a much smaller price tag.

With a VPS, you are allocated a certain amount of hard drive space and memory, and the CPU power and other resources are shared between you and other people on the server. Most VPSs are unmanaged, which means that the hosting company leaves you to run your own software and deal with your own problems. The amount of support provided varies depending on which company you choose. Some companies

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