If you have ever had or have planned to get a Dedicated Hosting Server, then you definitely may have come across the concept dedicated IP address while exploring your hosting provider’s features or add-on.
This concept has always been a topic of argument between technical experts – whether a dedicated IP address is essential for hosting a website or not.
If you, too, want an answer to this, keep reading as we are going to help you understand what a dedicated IP address is, why you need it, and its role in web hosting.
What is an IP Address?
An IP address is a series of distinct numbers given to a device and web page that is linked to the network. It essentially helps to identify a device on the internet.
It is also an integral part of DNS, which helps to translate and map domain names into their designated IP addresses and lets users type in a webpage address instead of 68.69.234.23 (IP address) for accessing information.
So how does that happen? So when your audience types your domain name in the search bar, the ISP will go looking for the corresponding IP address. As they get the IP address, the browser will try retrieving all the information they get and display the webpage content on the user’s browser.
What is a Dedicated IP Address for Dedicated Server Hosting?
When your web host provides you with a dedicated IP address with your server, it means you get complete access to all your server resources, which allows you to use that IP address for a single webpage or multiple web pages hosted on the server.
Compared to shared hosting, where an IP address is shared between all the websites on that server. This means any security breaches on that one shared IP has the potential to affect other websites that share that IP.
When you have dedicated IPs, security breaches are largely mitigated since only your website uses that IP.
Why Do You Need a Dedicated IP Address?
Here are some benefits of a dedicated IP address-
- Provides FTP Access
If you regularly edit or view your webpage through FTP, then a dedicated IP address lets you do this even without a domain name.
- Supports Third-Party Applications
There are some applications and services which require you to have a dedicated IP to run on your server.
- Helps with Email Reputation
A dedicated IP provides you with different space for your email activities, preventing penalties for the actions of other domains.
- Gives Performance Boost
Dedicated IP allows your host server to quickly fetch your web content, making your webpage load faster and providing a better user experience.
- Provides Server Setup Control
Setting up your own server, whether it is for FTP or gaming, becomes more accessible with a dedicated IP, which leads to more control and flexibility over your server setup.
Conclusion
With this, we can conclude that having a dedicated IP can be helpful for some websites, but it’s not a must-have. So, if you establish a new webpage, then making use of shared IP works just fine.
But if you run a business that has vast email marketing requirements, or handles a lot of sensitive information, a dedicated IP is needed to preserve your domain reputation. Also, if you want complete control over your server, then a dedicated server is worth looking into.
