Localhost and Web Hosting – In making a website, of course we need to learn first, starting from localhost. Localhost is a learning medium for novice developers who play an important role in providing assets and simulating website creation using IP addresses and connections on their own computers.
Before reading further on Localhost and Web Hosting, for those of you who want to know more about Netdata, you can contact us directly via the link below.
And also localhost is related to web hosting and website creation online. So, what’s the difference between localhost and web hosting? For more details, you can see the article below.
Table of Contents
What is Localhost?
Localhost is a computer program that is used to serve as a virtual server on a local network.
Making this website locally, localhost cannot be accessed online, alias only on your own computer.
As the name suggests, this localhost can be used as a virtual server which is a device that can be used to store data but has quite qualified specifications.
Computers and laptops themselves can actually be used as servers, but of course they have limitations in specifications and performance that are still below the server computer. Therefore a localhost solution was created for local server needs.
Before using localhost for web hosting needs, you should look at the several types of localhost below.
Localhost Server Application Type
This hosting server is for website needs that cannot run without a web server, until now there are two web servers with the largest number of users, namely NginX and Apache.
Like localhost, it still uses a web server. There are several types of localhost servers that you can choose from, including:
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XAMPP
XAMPP is one of the localhost types with the largest number of users to date. This application was developed by the Apache Team which consists of the Core Team, Development Team and support team.
XAMPP can be installed on various operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac OS and Solaris.
XAMPP is a combination of several words whose meanings we can see in the following explanation:
X is an operating system that runs on various types of operating systems. A is Apache, M is MySQL, P is PHP, and P is Perl.
The license to use XAMPP is open source, which means you can use and download it for free at apachefriends.org.
There are several important parts of XAMPP that you need to know, namely:
Localhost is the prefix that must be written to access offline websites which is then followed by the folder. For example like http://localhost/tokoonline
Htdoc is the folder used to store website files in XAMPP. The naming of the folder needs to be considered because it is case sensitive.
phpMyAdmin is a dashboard or interface for managing MySQL databases that can be stored on a computer.
Control Panel, a control panel in XAMPP that has the function of managing services and features in XAMPP. Then the control panel has a start and stop function on all functions of the localhost server.
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AMPPS
AMPPS is a XAMPP application that has an application which is an open-source localhost application made by softaculous.
This AMPPS feature may be somewhat more complete than the features XAMPP has, namely PHP, MySQL, Apache, Apache, Python, Perl and Softaculous auto installer.
AMPPS can be used online or online, because AMPPS supports softaculous applications that require an internet connection to be able to install the required applications.
- WampServer
WampServer is a type of application that is used to create an offline virtual server on your computer.
Like XAMPP, this application can create websites offline but only Windows currently supports operating systems.
Uses of Localhost for Websites and Servers
Localhost functions to access websites offline without using a domain at all. The use of localhost is as follows:
Become an offline server
Localhost as an offline server that makes it easy to access the website. So that developers can develop websites without the need to be afraid of mistakes.
- Test websites offline
Accessing via the internet or online does require a longer time. But you can upload and test on localhost faster and save time.
- Check internet connection
One of the benefits of localhost is to check the internet connection whether connected to the network or not.
- Block access to certain websites
Localhost can also be used to block certain websites via configured DNS. You do this by changing the IP address of each website URL with the IP 127.0.0.1 being the standard localhost address.
How Localhost Works
The way localhost works is quite unique, which can be seen from the address of localhost which is in the range between 127.0.0.1 to 127.255.255.255. This localhost IP range is managed by an organization called ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
To be able to access localhost, you must use an IP address, namely using the TCP and IP protocols. This protocol is responsible for users who access a website.
To be able to access or login to localhost you need to access 127.0.0.1 or the address of the local host which is directed to the computer’s own address.
Advantages of Using Localhost
Each network has its own advantages, including localhost which can be used to check and test internet connection websites to servers. The following are some of the advantages of using localhost:
- Can help develop websites that are faster and safer because they are offline.
- There is no need to buy a domain or online hosting, so it’s more economical and you don’t worry about losing data.
- Free internet fees.
- Does not interfere with firewalls.
Difference between Localhost and Web Hosting
So then we discuss the difference between localhost and web hosting. Judging from the discussion above, we can conclude that this localhost is a virtual server that can be installed on a computer and is offline.
In contrast to web hosting which is related to companies that provide offers in the form of hosting packages for a website. All website data that you have is stored with the company that provides the hosting service itself.
NetData is a company that provides technology-based services with the best service and quality, if you are interested in us you can contact us directly via this link or via our contact form here.
