ptg16476052628 LESSON 23: How to Publish Your Site
have fast connections to the Internet and people to administer the site for you, this situa-
tion is ideal.
You’ll have to ask your system administrator, computer consultant, webmaster, or net-
work provider whether a web server is available and, if so, what the procedures are for
putting up your pages. You’ll learn more about what to ask later in this lesson.Using a Commercial Web Host
You may pay for your Internet access through an Internet service provider (ISP), or a
commercial online service. Many of these services allow you to publish your web pages,
although it may cost you extra. Restrictions might apply as to the kinds of pages you can
publish or whether you can run server-side scripts. You can probably find out more about
the web hosting options offered by your Internet service provider on the support section
of their website.
Many companies specialize in web hosting. These services, most commonly known as
web hosts, usually provide a way for you to transfer your files to their server (usually a
web-based tool, but sometimes FTP or Secure FTP too). They also usually supply the
disk space and the actual web server software that provides access to your files. In addi-
tion, they have professional systems administrators onsite to make sure the servers are
running well at all times.
Generally, you’re charged a flat monthly rate, with added charges if you use too much
disk space or network bandwidth. Many web hosts provide support for server-side scripts
written in PHP and often install some commonly used scripts so that you don’t even
have to set them up for yourself. Most also enable you to set up your site with your own
domain name, and some even provide a facility for registering domain names. These fea-
tures can make using commercial web hosting providers an especially attractive option.
Some popular commercial web hosts include BlueHost (http://www.bluehost.com/),
DreamHost (https://www.dreamhost.com/), and MediaTemple (https://mediatemple.net/).Make sure that when you register your domains, they are regis-
tered in your name rather than in the name of the hosting provider
or domain registrar who registers them on your behalf. You want
to make sure that you own the domain names you register.CAUTIONTo get your own domain name, you need to register it with an authorized registrar.
The initial cost to register and acquire your domain name can be as low as $2 per year.
Thereafter, an annual fee keeps your domain name active. After you have your own
domain name, you can set it up at your hosting provider so that you can use it in your