What is a Dedicated IP, and how can it help your website?
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“Do I need a dedicated IP?” – many website owners have asked themselves this question at some point. It definitely adds many useful features, but whether you’ll benefit from them depends on your website’s purpose.
In this article, we’ll cover what is an IP, what a is dedicated IP, the difference between them, and the benefits of using a dedicated IP.
The IP identifies a network, a unique address for a device within its network, or a website’s hosting server.
Regarding websites, using IP addresses to reach them could be cumbersome for both their owners and visitors. No one wants to memorize a long string of numbers to open a website.
This is where the DNS (Domain Names System) comes in. A domain is a user-friendly name mapped to an IP address. When you type this name into a browser, it opens the corresponding website.
Examples of domains are google.com, siteground.com, facebook.com, etc.
So, if the IP address is the phone number, the DNS is your website’s contact list – you don’t need to remember the entire number when you can type a name for quick dialing.
It is quite common for a website to use shared hosting, meaning many domains are connected to the same server. Thus, all these domains share the same IP address as they share the server space and resources.
Now let us go back to the main topic – the difference between a shared and a dedicated IP.
What is the difference between a dedicated IP and a shared IP?
A shared IP is used by multiple domains/websites hosted on the same server. The websites are isolated from one another, but their domains are mapped to the same IP.
A dedicated IP is used by a single domain/website. Even if the website is on shared hosting, it has its own unique IP, and the other domains on the same server are not mapped to it.
In essence, a dedicated IP only opens the website that it is assigned to, which brings several perks to its owner. To better understand the difference between a shared and a dedicated IP, check the schema below:
What are the Benefits of having a Dedicated IP?
There is no doubt that there are many benefits of having a dedicated IP and it may even fix some problems however, it isn’t a cure-all.
Despite many claims, a dedicated IP can’t improve your website’s speed or SEO ranking. These metrics instead depend on the quality of your hosting, website’s content, and setup.
You may have also heard that you need a dedicated IP to install an SSL. This was true in the past, but is no longer the case. Ever since SNI (Server Name Identification) was introduced, browsers are capable of seeing the correct SSL for the website they visit. Thus, servers are able to host multiple SSL certificates on the same shared IP.
Still, there are plenty of key advantages that only a website with dedicated IP can benefit from. Read on for more information about what having one could offer you.
You can access your website using just the Dedicated IP
There are cases when a website is not connected to an active domain. Perhaps your domain expired, or you just started the site, and haven’t decided on the name yet.
If you use a shared IP address, you won’t be able to reach the site with it since it is connected to multiple websites. Therefore, you’ll need to use other means, such as modifying your hosts file, using a temporary domain, or a temporary URL.
Well, this is not an issue if you have а dedicated IP as it points solely to your website. Therefore, using your dedicated IP as an address in the browser will open your website.
Dedicated IP is required by specific third-party services
There are many third-party services that can extend your website’s functionality, such as online payment gateways, online reservations, or ticketing systems.
Such services are usually applications with their own networks that websites connect to via Application Programming Interface (API).
Many of them work just fine with a shared IP, but some require that your website has a dedicated IP. Keep that in mind if you’re considering purchasing these kinds of services and make sure to examine their requirements.
Dedicated IP can improve your Email Sender Reputation
Your email deliverability is one area where a dedicated IP can make a huge difference. The success of your email campaigns is directly influenced by email sender reputation. It is a score that each Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns to organizations sending emails to their clients.
This score determines how your recipients’ email clients treat your emails. A higher score means that your outgoing emails are less likely to land in your recipients’ spam folders and will be successfully delivered.
Your IP and domain reputations are essential factors in calculating your email sender reputation. Both are impacted differently by the type of IP you use.
Impacts of a Shared IP on email sender reputation
If you use a shared IP, you and all other users form the IP reputation collectively. This is not as bad as it may first sound, since other users might have already built a healthy IP score. That as a result, your own email reputation would benefit from. So if you’re just starting your email campaigns and sending small volumes, shared IP is recommended. However, if the other users don’t maintain good email practices, the reputation will plummet, negatively impacting your email delivery.
How a Dedicated IP affects email sender reputation
A dedicated IP is a good choice if you run large email marketing campaigns. You won’t share this IP with anyone else, so maintaining your reputation will be fully under your control. However, there is one caveat – it is hard to build a solid reputation as it requires steady email activity. Therefore, we recommend a dedicated IP if you send over 100 000 emails annually.
You should also adhere to the best practices for sending emails to avoid your emails being marked as spam. With a dedicated IP, your sender reputation depends on you alone, and you can easily damage this score if you’re not careful.
Dedicated IP reduces the chance of the website’s IP being blacklisted
Modern web hosting providers take many precautions to prevent the blacklisting of their servers. However, despite their best efforts, there is always a tiny chance of this occurrence.
Bad neighbors located on the same server may run suspicious or illegal websites. This could prompt the largest blacklist databases to list these websites’ shared IP if there are enough complaints from visitors. Your website may be using the same shared IP and become inaccessible for visitors.
A dedicated IP address protects you in such an event since your website uses a different IP from its neighbors.
How to Get a Dedicated IP?
Video Guide:
A dedicated IP must be assigned to the hosting server so it can open the correct website. Therefore, it must be generated and set by your web hosting provider.
SiteGround clients can quickly get a dedicated IP from their Client Area > Marketplace > Hosting services > Additional Services > Dedicated IP. To choose the service, press the corresponding GET button.
On the following pop-up window, choose the website that will use the dedicated IP. From the drop-down menu Select Website and press Continue.
A new page will open where you must confirm the choice with the ADD button and complete the order.
The setup may take up to 2 days, but in most cases is completed within a couple of hours. Nevertheless, once the dedicated IP is activated, you will be notified on your administrative email and your Client Area > Home page.
Summary
A dedicated IP brings some advantages that a shared IP can’t offer. However, you have to evaluate them and decide the best fit for your website and business. We hope this article helped you understand how a dedicated IP can improve your website, and make the right decision.