Is a dedicated IP address necessary when you buy domain and web hosting plans? This question is most commonly asked, especially by businesses who plan to buy an Australian dedicated server.
Most businesses relate dedicated IP addresses to dedicated servers, but that is not necessarily always the case. Therefore, to bring more clarity on this subject, let us understand what a dedicated IP is and whether your business needs one.
IP Address
IP address is an internet protocol that helps DNS for easy navigation. So when you search for something in your browser, your ISP raises a DNS query to find the nameserver for the word you are looking for with a domain registrar or a WHOIS lookup service.
Dedicated IP Address
A dedicated IP address, like its name, is exclusive to a single domain. Hence, when someone searches for you on the internet using a dedicated IP address, they are easily directed to the domain attached.
That’s not the case when IP addresses are shared. With a shared IP address, your host provider is responsible for connecting your browser to the right website.
What are the Advantages of Buying a Dedicated IP Address?
1. Reduces Issues of Blacklisting or Online Threat
With a dedicated IP address, you get complete exclusivity; therefore, their no influence on one website affecting the activities of the others. The isolation the dedicated IP gives protects from potential blacklisting and reduces any threat when there is sharing of the server environment.
You have better control over the security aspects with no threat of getting affected by another webpage.
2. Supports SSL or TLS certificates
You know that SSL or TLS certificates are needed to encrypt website data. SSL or TLS helps to encrypt sensitive data, creating a safer environment for carrying out transactions with your webpage.
Therefore, the combination of a dedicated IP address with an SSL or TLS certificate adds security advantages to your web hosting environment.
3. Improves Email Delivery Efficiency
Email is considered an essential channel of communication, particularly for businesses. When an email is connected to a domain with a dedicated IP, it brings more value. Your emails are less likely to be marked as spam.
That improves the efficiency of your email delivery compared to when it is not connected to a dedicated IP address.
4. Bypass Restricted Networks
Certain networks impose restrictions on specific IP addresses, like geo-restrictions. A dedicated IP address creates trust, which helps to bypass such restrictions while allowing easy access.
This comes in really handy for businesses that want to restrict/manage network access and also when you operate internationally and need access to content that is very region-specific.
Why Do You Need a Dedicated IP Address?
A shared IP address is shared among multiple websites using the same server. That means shared websites get their domains mapped to the same IP address. In contrast, a dedicated IP address is dedicated to one website or domain.
Therefore, when you connect your dedicated IP address to a dedicated server, you grant your website total exclusivity. Further, you have the flexibility to choose whether you want to connect your IP address to a single website or multiple sites on your server.
In the case of a shared IP address, the web hosting provider is responsible for directing users to the correct website. Further, the user can also face issues of email spamming, restricted networks and environmental influence when using shared IP.
Therefore, businesses that prefer to avoid such issues must go for a dedicated IP address.
Lastly, a dedicated IP address is not just restricted to a dedicated server. You can use a shared server or VPS and still get yourself a dedicated IP address.
Conclusion
When you choose a dedicated IP address instead of a shared one, you gain several advantages. The biggest one is a better user experience due to easy navigation to your website.
A shared IP address works well enough if you have a decent level of traffic on your website. But if your business has healthy traffic, a high dependency on mail, and regular FTP access, then it is always smart to go for a dedicated IP address. So, for better performance and reliability, choose a dedicated IP address.0.