What Is a Web Server, How Does It Work, and What Is It Used For?

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 is used for, I recommend continuing to read.

Think of web servers as “regular” computers, except that in this case they are specially designed to remain powered on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Fundamental Role of a Web Server

The primary function of a web server is to store a site’s files and deliver them over the Internet so that users can visit the pages it hosts.

Basically, a web server is a large computer that stores and transmits data through the network system known as 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 across different networks. Your mobile phone has an IP address, just like your PC or tablet. An IP address can be thought of as the sender’s information on a postal letter. When you want to view a website, your mobile phone, PC, or tablet sends a request from your IP address to the server’s IP address that hosts the files for the site in question. 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 see 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 corresponding data management.

Without this leasing system, the Internet would be only a small part of what it is today, since it would be impossible for most site 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 sites 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.