A control panel is the application used to maintain and administrate your web hosting account, and ultimately your domain. Control panels will allow you to maximize your website’s productivity by making server/domain maintenance and administration a simple task. There are many choices a user has in regards to choosing a control panel, however the following five control panels are considered the most popular and useful control panels in the industry today.

cPanel

cPanel is by far the most popular and maybe even the most user-friendly control panel around. Cpanel provides more services and features than any other control panel in the industry, and it’s customer service is said to be second to none. Cpanel is an all-in-one web hosting solution, allowing it’s customers to administer all aspects of domain hosting, including FTP, email creation, and database maintenance. Cpanel customers also have the option to resell the web hosting services with a reseller’s account. The cPanel interface is so well designed that becoming an expert at using it takes only a few hours at the most. Since cPanel is the most popular control panel, it also has the most tutorials available online. All of this combines to make cPanel the most favored web hosting control panel on the internet.

Plesk for Linux

The Linux version of Plesk is said to be one of the most stable and powerful control panel on the market today.  Though Plesk does not carry as many attributes as cPanel, the learning curve for this control panel is very short. In fact, most of the functions are specifically designed to automate any administration function. Plesk for Linux is capable of controlling up to thirty domains by default, but you have the option of upgrading to an unlimited amount of domains if you’d like.

ServerCP

ServerCP is another user-friendly control panel that often comes integrated with VPS and dedicated  hosting packages. ServerCP is also an extremely powerful Linux-based web hosting solution, equipped with countless useful features.  ServerCP supports unlimited domains by default and also comes with a very user-friendly installation application that lets you install various popular web hosting applications such as blogging platforms (like Wordpress), photo galleries, and even e-commerce shopping carts.  ServerCP is currently available as a free edition (ServerCP Lite, or you can upgrade to the premium version of the software.

Virtuozzo Power Panel

Virtuozzo Power Panel is made by the company Parallels. This control panel is available in multiple  versions designed to support Windows and Linux VPS’s (virtual private servers).  The virtuozzo power panel allows you to access all administrative functions directly from your web browser. Some of the functions that can be accessed via your web browser include web service management processes, server reboots, backup restoring, log data viewing and server resource monitoring . The Virtuozzo Power Panel allows you to have an unprecedented amount of control via your web browser, and is said to be the most optimal control panel for users of Virtual Private Servers.

ISPmanager is a powerful, but easy to use control panel designed for automating the management of shared, VPS, VDS (virtual dedicated server) and dedicated hosting environments.  Originally launched by ISPsystem in 1998 as an in-house solution, it has become one of the leading server control panels on today’s market.  A few clicks of the mouse is all it takes to create web hosting plans, manage user accounts, mailboxes, databases and much more.  ISPmanager takes a centralized approach that enables streamlined administration from a single location in a fast and intuitive way.

ISPmanager Features

ISPmanager is used by major hosting providers all over the world, giving them the automated power to efficiently manage their servers while allowing clients to easily administer their own websites.  The software has four login levels that give administrators, clients, domain owners and mail users extensive control of their respective environments.  Aside from management capabilities, ISPmanager offers a host of features that make it one of the most complete control panel solutions available.

Core Features

- Support for all major Linux distributions including, Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS and Debian.  ISPmanager also supports Unix-based operating systems such as FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows as well.

- Support for both Apache and nginx web servers.

- Support for a wide range of mail servers, including CommuniGatePro, Exim, Postfix and Sendmail.

- Support for MySQL and PostgreSQL database servers.

- Multilingual support

- Flexible API and plugins allow for the integration of various new services.

Management Features

- Ability to automatically update time zones and other network settings.

- Compatible with PHP and Perl programming languages.

- Built-in cron job management facility.

- Ability to create and manage mail lists.

- Integrated file manager complete with extensive editing capabilities and data backup support.

- Instantly configure websites and updates application settings.

Advantages of ISPManager

There are both pros and cons to using ISPmanager as a server control panel.  One of the greatest advantages is that the software acts a multi-server solution that enables the streamlined management of web, database, FTP and mail servers.   It is also much lighter on system resources than other control panels and installs easily without needing changing your operating system configuration.  End-customers benefit as well with a host of useful features such as one-click application installers, database management with PHPMyAdmin, web stat tools and much more.

Disadvantages of ISPmanager

The major downside to ISPmanager is that the software does not come cheap.  If you want the Pro version, a one-year license will cost you a steep $453.16.  You can save yourself a lot of money with the lifetime license for $333.20.

Conclusion

ISPmanager is a fully featured control panel that offers plenty of advantages to the web host, server administrator and web hosting customer.  Though already equipped with an extensive set of features, ISPsystem is constantly incorporating new additions in its continuous mission to the make the software more powerful and easy to use.  Track record means a lot in the hosting business, and this mature control panel has the solid reputation you can count on.

While wading through the ever-expanding list of web hosting companies out there for those looking to place their business online, it can be rather overwhelming when faced with not only which company to choose but also which type of hosting would best fit the needs of one’s business.  There are essentially seven types – which one works best depends on the needs of the business.

Free and paid shared hosting

Free and paid shared hosting accounts are the most common type.  With free shared hosting one can expect to have advertising – often this can be a bit intrusive.  If one is on a tight budget and doesn’t mind possible unrelated or competition advertising, free shared hosting may be the way to go.  With both free and paid shared hosting, many different online businesses and entities share one server.  The downside to this is the possibility of web sites not being available due to heavy load processes being utilized by one or more sites at the same time.  This type of hosting is also known as virtual hosting as more than one domain is hosted on one server and occasionally even on the same ip address.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated hosting is where a web hosting company allows a client to lease an entire server without needing to share with another client.  The advantage to this as compared to shared hosting is having complete control over the server in question.  This allows for a great deal of room in as far as what services can be run, software to be installed and also a lot more control over the type of hardware being used.

Co-location hosting

Co-location hosting is similar to dedicated hosting except businesses pay only for the space they require.  A lot of the same services apply as in dedicated hosting but instead of being responsible for an entire server, an online business is only required to attend to that specific section where their site resides.

Virtual dedicated server and virtual private server hosting

The final two types of hosting are virtual dedicated and private server hosting.  These two are the same thing with just two different names.  Web hosting companies offering this service partition a server into multiple instances of servers – giving the appearance of a separate server instance for each client.  VPS clients have the run of their own private “server” and can even reboot their virtual server much the same as physical server.  VPS accounts run in the same way as a dedicated server account and clients can add in software as needed and control the “server” in the same manner as a dedicated client is able.

Conclusion

What is all comes down to is the needs of the business that is going to be hosted online.  If a very small amount of space and not a lot of control is needed, free or paid shared hosting is the way to go.  If the business in question is going to need a lot more control but maybe not as much as what is allowed with an entire server, VPS or VDS hosting may apply.  Lastly, if the needs of the online business will require quite a lot of control, extreme flexibility and room to expand as needed, a dedicated hosting option should be considered.

E-commerce is a prime of example how the internet can be leveraged as a platform with endless potential.  Although success is not guaranteed, this medium has no boundaries, meaning there are infinite possibilities for your online business.  While there is a lot of money to be made out in cyberspace, you do not have to break the bank to get an e-commerce solution that allows you to sell products or services from your own website.  There are several options available to you, but shared and dedicated hosting are easily two of the most popular.  Shared hosting makes a fine choice for some, but there are many reasons why it may not be the best option for your business.

Potential Security Issues

One of the biggest drawbacks of the shared hosting environment is all the potential security issues it presents.  These days, web hosting providers grant their customers a great deal of power and this very factor can make a shared server very unstable and insecure.  All it takes is one careless user who executes a command that compromises the entire server.  And if one site can be compromised, that makes everyone else residing on the platform much more vulnerable to attack.  A dedicated server doesn’t automatically ensure better security, but it can be configured to provide an environment that is far more secure than a shared server.  You do not have to worry about anyone else making any critical mistakes so if the server is compromised, you only have yourself to blame.

Lack of Resources

Some web hosting companies make promises that would leave you to believe they can offer you the world on a string.  This includes critical resources such as bandwidth and disk space.  In fact, it is not uncommon to find a host that they offers you unlimited amounts of both resources.  What you should know is that such offerings do not exist as every network and computing resource is limited in capacity.  A dedicated server has its limitations as well, but since you are not forced to share resources with neighboring users, you have all the bandwidth and space to yourself, which should be more than enough to accommodate most needs.

Limited Flexibility and Control

As we touched on above, web hosting firms do provide their customers with far more power than in past times, but that control cannot compare to what can be obtained from a dedicated server platform.  This type of hosting arrangement gives you control over the entire server, providing the flexibility to run your own operating system, e-commerce software and other technologies you feel are best suited for your business.  If you require the control to make configurations and alterations to the server at any give time, a dedicated hosting package would be the best option for you.

When compared to a shared platform, the advantages of a dedicated server are plentiful.  Keep in mind however, that this type of environment is not made for everyone.  It is more expensive and technically challenging than shared hosting, which can generally be maintained by anyone with basic computer knowledge.  If you are absolutely certain that a dedicated server is the right move, you can benefit tremendously from a solution that provides your business with the best chance to succeed.

If you have been thinking about launching a website lately, web hosting is the critical service you need to effectively launched.  The web hosting provider is the company that allows you to store your website files on their server.  Once your website is up and running, it can then be viewed by anyone in the world with an internet connection.  The good thing is that web hosting companies are abundant.  The bad – the overwhelming array of options can make finding the right service a nightmare.  So, how many types of web hosting are there?  Several, and here are a few you may run across.

Shared Hosting

Shared web hosting is what many refer to as “normal” hosting.  Providers maximize their resources by hosting multiple websites on one computer.  This means that one server may hold thousands of customers, while another may hold hundreds more.  In this arrangement, customers are required to share all the server’s resource, disk space, bandwidth and internet connection included.  Shared hosting is easy to find even though it often comes in several niche variations.  For example, you will find these services packaged around names such as Windows, Linux, ASP, PHP, MySQL or Joomla hosting.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting often goes by the title “dedicated server.”  Though more expensive than its shared counterpart, the dedicated variety offers far more power.  As the name indicates, the server is dedicated to you, meaning there are no other customers to worry about. You can install your own software applications and completely customize the server to meet your specific needs.  A dedicated server gives you better performance and security because of the extra resources you have at your disposal.  You should also know that this type of hosting requires technical skills that exceed the typical personal computing.  Because of this, some customers need to outsource their server to a professional IT team.

Managed Hosting

You can look at managed hosting as the service that bridges that gap between shared and dedicated hosting.  You still have your own server, but instead of dealing with complex administrative tasks, the technical burdens are shifted to the provider.  With managed hosting, you can usually choose the type of services that work best for your situation.  Because the service provider has so much involvement, this type of hosting is often considerably more expensive than others.

VPS Hosting

Short for virtual private server, VPS refers to a virtualization technology that creates multiple servers from a single machine.  This type hosting entails many of the same aspects of a dedicated server but the cost is usually much less.  Most VPS packages allow you to install software with root access and provides the enhanced performance you don’t get with shared hosting.

Conclusion

Regardless of your plans, web hosting will go a long way in establishing your web presence.  It may all seem like a signifigant challenge when first setting out for service, but you will find that research is needed in order to land the most reliable host.