What Are Web Servers and Why Are They Necessary?

The web hosting industry can be complex for most webmasters, especially those who are unfamiliar with certain technical terms. One of the most basic concepts in Web hosting is that of a "server".

Web servers are specialized computers that make Web hosting possible; in other words, hosting or web hosting is the rental of space on a server to store our site's files.

If you have questions about what a Web server is and exactly what it does, I recommend that you keep reading.

Think of web servers as "normal" computers, except that in this case they are specially prepared to remain on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Fundamental Role of a Web Server

The main function of a Web server is to store a site's files and deliver them over the Internet so that the pages it hosts can be visited by users.

Basically, a Web server is a large computer that stores and transmits data via the network system called the Internet. When a user visits an Internet page, their browser communicates with the server, sending and receiving data that determines what they will see on their screen. Therefore, we can summarize the concept as follows: Web servers exist to store and transmit a site's data as requested by the visiting browser.

How Do Servers Work?

Devices and servers communicate through IP addresses. Some are public and globally unique; others are private and can be reused on different networks. Your mobile phone has an IP address, as do your PC and tablet. An IP address can be thought of as the sender's information on a letter. When you want to view a website, your mobile phone, PC, or tablet sends a request from your IP address to the IP address of the server hosting the files for that site. The Web server then responds by returning the data to the requesting IP address. This is what happens all the time while we browse websites on the Internet.

More than 90% of websites on the Internet use a server rented through a Web hosting company.

A server's capacity depends on its hardware—that is, the components that make up the hosting computer. Today, there are very fast servers with multiple CPUs and Solid-State Drives (you can view hosting plans with these features here).

Why Are Servers Necessary?

Without Web servers, the Internet as we know it would not exist. Servers are the repository for all the content that exists on the Internet. The Web hosting industry is simply the service that allows users to rent storage space and provides the associated management of their data.

Without this leasing system, the Internet would become only a small part of what it is today, since it would be impossible for most website creators to purchase a server for their own use. Think of it this way: Web servers are the display window that allows people to publish their websites on the worldwide network that is the Internet.

Now that you have a complete understanding of what Web servers are, we invite you to learn what hosting is.