If you are hosting a website on a shared server, you may be wondering whether or not you should invest in a dedicated IP. A dedicated IP is essentially a unique internet protocol (IP) address that is exclusively dedicated to your sole hosting account. This is in contrast to a shared IP, in which multiple hosts all utilise the same server and share the same IP address. A dedicated IP acts as a specific identifier for the location of a computer or website within a given network. These addresses work in similar ways to zip codes, by routing traffic to the right place.
In comparison to shared IPs, where hundreds or even thousands of hosts may be operating with the same address on the same server, owners of a dedicated IP and dedicated server can control the resources of the server at their discretion and determine how many websites they wish to host. Having fewer websites on a server makes it easier to match users with their website search request quickly.
Whether or not a dedicated IP is a worthwhile investment for your hosting, depends on your specific needs. To help you make that determination, we have listed some of the top reasons why you would need a dedicated IP.
- Protect Customer Security for E-Commerce
If you are looking to launch an e-commerce site, and you are not planning to use a third party payment service, investing in a dedicated IP and an SSL certificate is essential in order to protect your customer’s data. When customer input their credit card information into your site, they are trusting that you will protect their information, and using a dedicated IP address and SSL certificate is the best way to do so.
- Support High Traffic
As mentioned earlier, when you own a dedicated IP address you can control how the resources of the server are allocated. This is especially important if you are expecting to attract high traffic volume in order to preserve fast loading speeds and prevent your website from crashing—a common problem for high-volume websites that use shared hosting.
- Access to your Site Before Launch
With a dedicated IP, you can access your server directly without making changes to the DNS settings for your domain name. This allows you to view your website in a browser before actually launching your site on the web, so that you can preview what it will look like. You can also access your website via file transfer protocol (FTP).
If you do decide to purchase a dedicated IP, you should also consider upgrading to dedicated hosting as well, to maximise your benefits. Have a look at our list of the best dedicated servers in Australia for more info.
