In the process of searching for a web hosting package, you may have encountered the phrase “dedicated IP” (Internet Protocol) address. A dedicated IP address frequently comes up among other options and add-ons that hosting companies offer, and it frequently causes many queries.
Whether a dedicated IP address is required for hosting a website is a topic of frequent discussion. Fortunately, this article will assist you in determining whether a dedicated IP address is necessary for your website by defining it, outlining its operation, and highlighting its distinctions from shared IP addresses.
Now let’s get going.
A Dedicated IP: What Is It?
A dedicated IP address is a distinct IP address that is given to a single person or device and is not shared with any other users. It frequently has to pay more to ISPs, VPN providers, or hosting firms in order to maintain its exclusivity and cover operating expenses.
Explanation of an IP Address
A set of distinct numbers given to websites and computer equipment linked to a network is known as an IP address.
Your phone number helps someone identify you when you call them; the same is true for an IP address. It functions as a special identification code that a computer uses to connect to other internet-connected devices.
The distinctions between IP4 and IP6, the two types of IP addresses used on the internet, are as follows:
Numerical addressing using four sets of numbers separated by periods, such as 69.89.31.226 or 12.244.233.165, is known as IPv4.
IPv6 use characters and hexadecimal numbers divided by colons; an example would be 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.
More than four billion distinct addresses can be supported by the 32-bit address used by IPv4. But the more websites we make, the more address space we’ll require.
Because IPv6 use a 128 bit address, it has 1,028 times more addresses available than IPv4. It thereby satisfies the requirement for a greater IP address space.
The Domain Name System (DNS), which converts and maps domain names into their allocated IP addresses, also includes IP addresses. In order to access information, users can now only write in a website URL, such as facebook.com, rather than 69.63.176.13.
The Internet Service Provider (ISP) searches for the IP address of the website that corresponds to a domain name entered by the user in the address bar. The browser will obtain the data and show the website content as soon as the IP address is located.
Distinctions Between Regular and Dedicated IP Addresses
A single hosting account is given a dedicated IP address. Stated differently, your website address is actually a dedicated IP address. To access it, users simply type in your IP address or domain name.
You can use all of the server resources when a web hosting company connects a dedicated IP address with a dedicated server. Either one or many websites can have the IP address assigned to it.
A dedicated IP is another feature that some web hosts provide as an addition to an already-existing hosting package. For instance, even with shared hosting, a dedicated IP address is possible.
Conversely, shared IP addresses are frequently utilised in web hosting packages like WordPress hosting and shared hosting. Several websites on a same server are assigned a shared IP address.
Even when they share the same IP address, your web host will make sure that users are taken to the correct website based only on the domain name.
The resources allotted are somewhat constrained because users with shared IP addresses use a shared server. Furthermore, every decision made by one website owner may have an impact on the other websites. For example, the reputation of other users’ email services may be impacted when a user with a shared IP address is banned or blacklisted for sending unsolicited emails.
Advantages of Dedicated IP Addresses
While a shared IP address can still enable you to have a working website, having a dedicated IP address has several benefits.
The advantages of a dedicated IP address over a shared IP address are listed below.
1. Deliverability of emails
The percentage of emails that are successfully delivered to recipients’ inboxes is known as email deliverability.
IP reputation is one of the elements that affects email delivery. It has an impact on how internet service providers decide whether or not to display your emails in the inbox. Thus, more emails are delivered in proportion to one’s reputation.
Your reputation is shielded from dishonest email senders with a dedicated IP address. Moreover, organisations can send more emails with dedicated IP addresses.
Sending too many emails at once is not advised, even with a dedicated IP address, as the ISPs may view it as spam. It’s ideal to start modest and gradually increase the frequency; this way, the ISPs will have more experience with your IP address.
Use a third-party email service provider to avoid having mass emails end up in the spam folder. High volume email sends can be handled by services like Mailchimp and Constant Contact, which increases the likelihood that your emails will land in inboxes.
Employing a branded email address is another method to stop ISPs from classifying your emails as spam. Use a domain-name-based professional email address rather than a free one from Gmail or Yahoo. [email protected], for example.
All web hosting options from VPSWala provide a free business email address. Premium email solutions include bigger sending volumes and more functionality if all you need is email hosting. Business email hosting is available from the majority of reliable suppliers.
Why Opt for VPSWala?
In addition to providing a free business email, VPSWala offers all hosting services with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. IP Address Accessibility of Websites
You may occasionally need to use your website’s IP address to access it. For instance, all you need to do is enter your dedicated IP address into the browser’s address bar to begin developing your website without first acquiring a domain name.
You can also access the files on your website directly with a dedicated IP address using a web browser or FTP (File Transfer Protocol). It implies that even if your DNS records are still propagating, which could take up to 48 hours, you can still access your website.
FTP access to a website is uncommon, but it offers greater flexibility, and some users may find it essential. You may use it to upload media files, track down and resolve any issues that are preventing users from viewing your material, and keep an eye on the functionality of your website.
3. SEO
Whether or whether a dedicated IP address enhances SEO is still up for debate. Nevertheless, one of the most crucial SEO elements is having control over the reputation of your website, which is something that dedicated IP addresses let you do.
Depending on your web hosting package, you’re probably sharing IP addresses with hundreds or even thousands of other websites if you don’t have a dedicated IP.
Sharing IP addresses might put your website at risk, much like email reputation does, as other users may engage in unethical SEO techniques like joining link schemes or attaching hidden content and links. In the worst instance, even if you did nothing wrong, your website could be blocked.
Furthermore, utilising a dedicated IP improperly can result in penalties. Link farms, or networks of websites that exchange links, are created when website owners assign an IP address to several domains.
This kind of SEO is known as “black hat,” and it causes your websites to be deindexed from search engine results pages (SERPs).
4. A certificate for SSL
A website can be made more secure by using an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate, which encrypts all data sent back and forth between users and the server. A website that has an SSL certificate has HTTPS in the URL, along with a side padlock symbol.
Obtaining an SSL certificate is essential if you run an eCommerce website that accepts payments or any other website that needs personal data in order to safeguard your clients’ sensitive data from security breaches.
SSL installations formerly required a separate IP address. On the other hand, users can install SSL certificates utilising a shared IP address thanks to SNI (Server Name Identification) technology.
Nevertheless, there are still certain SNI compatibility problems. A number of outdated web browsers and operating systems are incompatible with the technology, including Internet Explorer 6 or earlier, Opera Mobile, and Safari on Windows XP.
Visitors will thus see a warning message if they attempt to access your website using an incompatible browser.
Even so few users still use outdated browser versions, adopting a dedicated IP address helps prevent compatibility problems. You can install sophisticated SSL certificates on dedicated IP addresses to increase security.
Furthermore, not all web hosts will support SNI, therefore installing an SSL certificate may still require a dedicated IP.
5. Better Management of the Server
You have more access to and control over the server when you have a dedicated IP address. Alternatively, you can use a control panel interface like Plesk or cPanel, or you can setup your server directly.
In VPS website hosting, hosting companies such as VPSWala typically use a dedicated IP to grant users root-level access to the server. With root access, you can control a variety of server attributes, including the ability to upload and edit files as well as add and remove programmes as you see fit.
In order to give greater resources, some web hosts also provide dedicated hosting, which includes a dedicated IP and server. You can host your own online games and operate a gaming server in this environment without having to worry about bandwidth constraints or laggy gameplay.
It is also possible to operate your own FTP server by using a dedicated IP. Businesses and organisations can gain from this by making file transfers within internal networks easier. An anonymous FTP network can also be set up, enabling users to view public files without requiring passwords.
6. Performance of the Site
The speed at which online pages load from hosting servers and appear in users’ browsers is referred to as website performance. It shapes people’s initial perceptions of your website and company, making it a crucial component of user experience.
If a website takes longer than three seconds to load, 40% of users will leave. Therefore, a well-performing website that loads quickly has a higher chance of increasing traffic and conversion rates. However, poor performance can damage your reputation and result in a greater bounce rate.
Your website may share an IP address with hundreds or even thousands of other websites if you have a shared hosting account. A website that experiences heavy traffic loads may become slower and function worse.
Before displaying the requested domain to the user while using a shared IP address, the web server must first determine which domain has been requested; this process may take several seconds.
Entering a domain name will cause the website content to be shown right away, just like with a dedicated IP address. A dedicated IP helps speed up your website because the server doesn’t have to browse through as many other websites, even though it’s not the only element affecting performance.
7. The Dedicated IP Cost
The cost should also be taken into account when choosing between dedicated and shared IP addresses. The monthly cost of a dedicated IP address varies based on your hosting provider and can range from $2 to $200.
Purchasing a VPS hosting package, which ranges in price from $5 to $300 per month, is the most economical way to obtain a dedicated IP address for your website. The resources and server setup affect the cost.
The monthly pricing of VPSWala KVM VPS plans ranges from $4.99 to $21.99. A dedicated IP address, complete root access, NVMe SSD disc space, and 512 GB of RAM per server are included in every package. While you are responsible for managing VPS hosting services on your own, a committed staff of support professionals will assist you around-the-clock with any technical problems.
Dedicated hosting, which includes a dedicated server, is an additional choice. These plans, however, are typically the priciest, ranging from $20 to $299 per month.
Certain providers offer dedicated IP addresses as an add-on feature if you choose to utilise them in shared hosting. Nevertheless, there could be certain drawbacks to the shared environment, such as resource limitations and slowness during periods of high traffic on other websites.
Is a Dedicated IP Required?
Your need for flexibility and control over your website should guide your decision between a regular and dedicated IP address. A dedicated IP can be useful in the following situations:
Using FTP on a regular basis: to access your website allows you to view and change it without a domain name, provided you have a dedicated IP address.
Installing third-party software: A dedicated IP address is required for the operation of a number of programmes and services on your server.
Building your email reputation: A dedicated IP address keeps you safe from being penalised for malicious activity by other domains because of its isolated environment.
Enhancing user experience and performance: A dedicated IP allows your host server to quickly download your online content, which shortens the time it takes for your website to load.
Creating your own server: Whether you’re setting up an FTP server or a gaming server, a dedicated IP allows you more flexibility and control over how your server is configured.
A dedicated IP is not required, however it can be advantageous to some website owners. Assessing the demands of your location is the best course of action.
Consider using a shared IP address if your website is new and expanding. However, a dedicated IP offers dependable email deliverability and lets you preserve your domain reputation if you own a commercial website that needs email marketing.
In summary
Selecting the best kind of IP address for your website requires understanding its requirements, as not all websites need a dedicated IP address. In the first stages, when traffic volume is not anticipated, a shared IP address ought to suffice.
Having said that, you will need a dedicated IP address if your website is receiving a lot of traffic, processing a lot of emails, and you need regular access to your site via FTP.
Remember that dedicated hosting is not the same as a dedicated IP address. Depending on your host, you can have a dedicated IP with any kind of hosting, including VPS and shared hosting.
With any luck, this post has improved your understanding of dedicated IP addresses and their advantages for your website.
