A common issue when hosting a website on a shared server is: do you need to use a dedicated IP address. Why not just stick with the shared IP address? A dedicated one offers many advantages, but let’s look at the definitions first.
IP — Internet Protocol — a unique address given to each computer connected to a network. It used to identify a location of a specific machine or a website. In our case, your website.
A shared IP address is a single address shared by multiple websites on a single web server. A dedicated IP address used by just one website, which can then accessed either by its domain name or directly by its IP address.
The upsides of a dedicated IP address:
- Access your website at any time
When you want to check how the website is going to look, you can simply do so through your IP address. There’s no need to spend time changing the DNS settings for the domain name. - Third-party applications and scripts
Some applications and scripts require a dedicated IP address. - Business identity
In case you plan on hosting an online store or some other kind of e-commerce, and you’re going to handle payments directly, without third-party services, you will need a dedicated IP address and an SSL certificate for security reasons. A dedicated address will make your customers feel a lot safer. - It protects your reputation as an e-mail sender
A user that shares an IP address with you gets blacklisted or even banned for spamming, and that endangers your e-mail service too. If you use a dedicated IP, your service is completely safe from such risk. - SNI technology and older browsers compatibility
We now support the installation of multiple SSL certificates on a shared IP address. But multiple SLL certificates on a shared address can cause issues with older versions of some browsers. Using a dedicated IP helps avoid such problems.