A Brief Guide on Dedicated IP and Shared IP Addressing

When deciding to host your website/web application, there are numerous factors that caters into making the decision such as cost factors, speed etc. One important decision that needs to be taken here especially for businesses is whether the IP address that comes with their server (i.e. Shared IP Address) would be sufficient or would it rather be more feasible to have a dedicated IP Address instead. In this article, we would be going through what is meant by a dedicated IP and shared IP along with its benefits and drawbacks in that come with each.

Before coming to Dedicated and Shared IP Address, let’s first talk about what an IP Address is. IP (Internet Protocol) Address is an unique identifier assigned to each domain on the web which in turn mapped to domain names using DNS (Domain Name System).

What is meant by a Dedicated IP Address?

Dedicated IP address, as implied in name, is a IP address assigned to a domain which isn't shared or used by any other domains. Such a setup would provide multiple benefits such as allowing access to your website when the DNS is not setup, providing increased speed when traffic load is high and the provision of greater security. In essence, having such dedicated IP would be like having a unique ID on the internet.

In general use, dedicated IP Addresses are not used much whereas most businesses and personal users tend to stick to hosting plans with shared IP Addresses as the sharing of resources and the reduced amount of control over the website is manageable for these entities. However in certain instances, such usage of Dedicated IP address would be much more useful.

Pros of Dedicated IP Address

The following are a few benefits of having a Dedicated IP Address for your website

1. Performance is not negatively affected due to other websites sharing same IP
2. Ability to access website even if DNS is not setup for your domain.
   You can visit the website via its IP address since it would be the only domain mapped to that IP (e.g. typing “64.233.187.99” you would go directly to Google because that is its dedicated IP address)
3. We can use FTP to access our account while the domain name is otherwise inaccessible, such as during domain name propagation periods.
4. Flexibility to add, edit, and view files at any time without restrictions.
5. Faster website speeds.
   Ensures faster response during periods of high traffic load.
6. Less connection issues as we can directly connect to the server
7. Security benefits through the private SSL certificate provided with the dedicated IP
8. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) benefits

In addition to the above, there are certainly further benefits such as IP/DNS reputation where in case the site requires to send large quantities of emails, it can avoid spoofing with SPF records. Similar to these benefits, there are certain costs we need to take into consideration when considering whether ot adopt a dedicated address.

Cons of Dedicated IP Address

1. Relatively more expensive. Could rather over $100 per month

2. Less preferable for low volume usage

3. Requires higher commitment from the users end to maintain

4. May not be readily available by all hosting providers.

What is meant by Shared IP Address

Shared IP on the other hand, refers to a IP Address that is shared among multiple websites. A shared IP address is most used by smaller businesses that use a managed WordPress host or shared hosting providers. As the IP address of a website is used for multiple sites on the server, the actions of a site owner can affect the IP reputation of other peers sharing that same Shared IP on the server (for example, if the IP gets blacklisted for sending spam, it would affect the other said websites as well).

Pros of Shared IP

1. Inexpensive compared to Dedicated IP
2. Ideal for low volume senders (if the domain is used for sending emails)
3. Less attention required to put into Site reputation thereby ideal for startups

Cons of Shared IP

1. Potential to bring down performance
2. Less security benefits in comparison to Dedicated IP
3. Reputational risk for the IP due to the misbehavior of other shared users of the IP

Conclusion

As discussed above, depending on the requirements of the website you are to host, it is important that you weigh pros and cons of each before make the decision on whether to stick to a shared IP or move to a dedicated one. In the long term implementation of your website, this decision would play in heavily to the successful online presence of your business/personal branding.

Thank you for reading. I hope this guide was useful in providing you a brief idea of Dedicated and Shared IP Addressing.