What Is a Server? What It Does, the Main Types and How Websites Work
What is a server and what does it do? A simple guide to servers in networks and on the internet, the main types from web servers to game servers, and the different kinds of web hosting.
Whenever you open a website, watch a video or play an online game, a machine somewhere in the world is working for you at that very moment. That machine is called a server. So what exactly is it, and how does it work?
What is a server?
A server is a computer, or a program running on one, whose job is to provide services or data to other devices over a network. The devices making requests are called clients, like your phone or laptop.
This setup is known as the client–server model:
- Your device (the client) requests something, such as a web page.
- The server receives the request and prepares a response.
- The server sends the page back, and it appears on your screen.
What happens when you open a website?
Say you type maloomah.com into your browser:
- Your device asks a DNS server (Domain Name System): what’s the address of this site? DNS works like the internet’s phone book.
- It replies with a numeric address called an IP address.
- Your browser connects to the server at that address and requests the page.
- The server sends the page’s files: text, images and styling.
- Your browser assembles them and shows you the site, usually all within a fraction of a second!
How is a server different from a normal computer?
In principle, any computer can act as a server. But servers at big companies are built to run 24 hours a day without stopping, so they:
- Sit in huge, cooled and secured data centres.
- Are mounted in metal cabinets called racks.
- Have backup power and extremely fast internet connections.
- Keep copies of data on several machines, so nothing is lost if one fails.
Did you know? The site you’re reading doesn’t run on a single server but on a network of servers spread around the world called a content delivery network (CDN), so it reaches you from the nearest one, which is why it loads so quickly.
The main types of servers
| Type | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Web server | Serves website pages | Any site you visit |
| Mail server | Sends and receives email | Gmail |
| Database server | Stores and organises data | User account data |
| File server | Stores and shares files | Cloud storage |
| Game server | Connects players in the same game | PUBG, Free Fire, Minecraft |
| DNS server | Translates site names into addresses | The internet’s directory |
| Streaming server | Delivers live video and audio | Video and live-streaming platforms |
What is a server in games like PUBG?
In online games, the server is the machine that brings players into the same match and tracks every move. Games split their servers into regions, such as the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Choosing the server closest to you lowers your ping, the time it takes your data to reach the server and come back, so the game runs faster with less lag.
Types of web hosting: where should your site live?
If you want to build a website, you need “space” on a server; that’s called web hosting:
- Shared hosting: your site shares one server with many others. Cheap and easy, good for beginners.
- Virtual private server (VPS): a dedicated slice of a powerful server, with more resources and control.
- Dedicated server: a whole server just for you. Very powerful and expensive, for large sites.
- Cloud hosting: resources spread across many servers that scale up and down as needed, such as services from Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
- Static site hosting: for sites made of ready-built pages, often free and very fast.
What does “the server is down” mean?
When people say “the server is down”, they mean it has stopped responding to requests, because of a fault, maintenance or heavy traffic, or a cyberattack that floods it with fake requests.
Frequently asked questions
Can my own computer be a server?
Yes. Any computer can become a server with the right software, such as a small game server for your friends. But it has to stay on and connected to the internet all the time.
What’s the difference between a server and hosting?
The server is the machine itself; hosting is the service that rents you space and resources on a server for your website.
What is a “server” on a satellite receiver or IPTV box?
That’s a completely different topic, about decrypting pay-TV channels. We explain it in detail here: Receiver and IPTV Server Codes.
Key takeaway
A server is a machine that provides services and data to other devices over a network. Without servers there would be no websites, email or online games. They range from web servers to game servers, and most run in huge data centres that never sleep.
