Web Hosting with HTTP/2 Protocol Comparison UK

Is HTTP/2 for Web Hosting a Wise Decision?

The display of websites on the internet always relies on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which defines a general and universal method for data transfer between distributed applications in an IT network - such as a web server and a browser as a client. The first version of the protocol was created in 1989 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and quickly became the standard for transmitting information in global computer networks. The successor HTTP 1.1 introduced the first fundamental changes and extensions in 1997, which became widely used in web hosting from the turn of the millennium. The currently accepted standard version - the HTTP/2 protocol - dates back to 2015 and offers numerous advantages such as increased security and speed, as well as significantly improved efficiency.

Special Features of Web Hosting with HTTP/2 Protocol

The extensions and optimizations in the HTTP/2 protocol primarily serve efficiency, increasing the speed of website loading, and enhancing IT security - while the content of the information is still defined by other specifications such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and proprietary or open-source standards - for example, Adobe's long-dominant Flash Script for multimedia presentations, videos, or interactive games, the object-oriented programming language Java, and the universally used JavaScript. Therefore, web hosting with the HTTP/2 protocol does not affect the content or the graphical layout but significantly impacts other factors such as compatibility with different browsers, page loading speed, and server performance. The newly integrated characteristics of the standard include numerous improvements in technical areas such as:

Advantages:

• Encryption via HTTPS as the de facto standard by clients
• Request bundling in a single connection
• Early transfer of required data before its request
• Prioritization of data and connections based on technical and individual characteristics
• Compression of plaintext and other contents including the header
• Non-linear data transmission without direct hierarchy
• Server push mechanism for transferring mandatory data when a webpage is accessed
• Increased speed in web hosting

HTTP/2 protocol still does not influence the graphic design, allows for automated adaptation of the display to different devices, or serves for bidirectional communication - it solely describes the technical handling of communication between different computers - whether server to desktop PC and notebook, a tablet PC, or a smartphone.

Advantages of HTTP/2 Hosting

Web hosting with HTTP/2 is currently considered the de facto standard (as of 2020) and should therefore be preferred. There are practical advantages without specific disadvantages - especially considering factors such as speed and compatibility, it should be favored over its predecessor HTTP/1.1. An alternative could be the 2018 released HTTP/3, which is already supported by all current browsers. However, compatibility issues may arise, especially with older mobile devices that no longer receive software updates.