Debunking Myths around Shared IP Address vs Dedicated IP Address
Whether to choose a dedicated IP address or a shared IP address for your website’s hosting plan is still considered a quite contradictory topic. When you are buying web hosting services, you come across many false theories and outdated information regarding the IP addresses, confusing you about which of the two is preferred over the other. It is said that in 99% of situations, your website does not require a dedicated IP address.
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is an address assigned to each domain on the internet, mapped to domain names through DNS (Domain Name Servers).
Before we jump onto the major differences between dedicated IP addresses and shared IP addresses, let us understand what they mean.
What is a dedicated IP address?
A dedicated IP address is that address assigned to your domain that is not used or shared by other domains; hence, the name dedicated. It is your domain’s home on the web.
Usually, a dedicated IP is assigned to a domain by your web hosting provider. Or you can also buy it with a minimal fee as an add-on from your hosting provider.
What is a shared IP address?
Unlike a dedicated IP address, your domain is mapped to an address shared with multiple other domains in a shared IP address. It is the most common solution with most hosting providers.
For many configurations, there is no requirement for a dedicated IP address.
Myths around the dedicated IP address and shared IP address
1. Security and SSL
The first myth is that shared IP addresses are risky as they allow invasive traffic or domain access, which is completely false. This situation is only possible when your web host provider is not virtualizing tenants to their file systems.
Security is no longer a serious concern with shared IP addresses, as they work fine for SSL using SNI (Server Name Indication) technology. Therefore, it is not true that you need to have a dedicated IP address to have an SSL certificate.
2. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
It is often believed that websites with shared IP addresses experience low SEO performance, which is another common myth.
Many top brands and organizations, such as Google, CNN, Target, Coca-Cola, use shared IP addresses to host multiple domains. However, dedicated and Shared IP addresses are not found in the list of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, which busts this myth.
The truth is, there is no PageRank difference when it comes to these two IP addresses.
3. Website speed
The speed of your website is independent of the type of IP address you use. Rather, it majorly depends on your web hosting provider, your web hosting plan, and your website’s content, which busts the myth that dedicated IP addresses speed up your website.
4. Email reputation
Another misconception people have is that their email reputation depends on the type of IP address they are using.
Email blacklisting and other issues are results of unfair practices and not the IP address. However, email deliverability is put at risk with shared IP addresses. There is no guarantee that an email address will be blacklisted or not with dedicated or shared IP addresses. To reduce the risk of email blacklisting, using a third-party SMTP relay provider is recommended.
Summing Up
A dedicated IP address does not overpower shared IP addresses in any sense. Your website’s speed and performance mainly depend on your hosting provider and hosting service, whether it is Shared Hosting or Linux hosting with cPanel. To enhance your website’s performance and accelerate its overall growth, get the best Linux hosting with hosting Linux server for your website today.