What Is An IP Address?

An IP address is a unique string of numbers, that identify a computer that’s connected to the internet. Every domain name that is a home to a web site has an IP address assigned to it. An IP address is the real address of a web site. Domain names were developed because it’s difficult to remember long IP numbers like 192.168.1.1.

What Is Shared IP Address?

A shared IP is an IP address that is used for multiple sites. A shared IP can host most or all sites on a web server. Because the IP address of a website is used for multiple sites on the server, the actions of one site owner can affect the IP reputation of everyone sharing that IP on the server.

Shared IP addresses actually have vital benefits to offer:

• They are cost-efficient – Naturally, this wouldn’t interest you – the user – directly, because it mostly interests the VPN provider. Still, think of it this way. Since it’s cheaper to keep up shared information processing servers, VPN providers can afford to offer users fair costs for their services.
• They offer complete online obscurity – That’s where the so-called “drawback” of getting others use the same IP address comes into play. Basically, because of that, no one can manage to keep track of your online activity. It’s actually nigh impossible to do something like that.

What Is Dedicated IP Address?

A dedicated IP address is a unique Internet address assigned exclusively to a single hosting account, also a dedicated IP is an IP address that is assigned to one website only. In the case of any websites, this IP address will identify the dedicated server where your website’s files are being stored. If you have a dedicated IP address you can actually access your website by typing in the IP address. Massive websites or e-commerce sites usually use a dedicated IP address to have full management over the reputation of their IP. e-Commerce sites must use SSL and therefore a dedicated IP address is often recommended although not required.

Why having a dedicated IP address is beneficial?

Having a dedicated IP address is useful for a variety of reasons. It’s not perfect for each variety of website, however it may be advantageous for your website if you think the benefits below are worthwhile.

• Easy Website Access – Sometimes you might wish to access your website directly via FTP. If you have a dedicated IP address you will be able to remotely access your server anytime you’d like. There might be a circumstance that requires you to view your website via it’s IP address. For instance, maybe you haven’t launched your site, and you want to see what it looks like before launching.  A dedicated IP address will provide you with direct server access, all without having to change the DNS settings for your domain.

• Higher Level of Server Control – By using a dedicated IP address you can do a lot more with your server. Since you’ll have direct server access you have a lot more freedom and customization abilities, and Of course, this depends if you have the technical skills to back it up. For instance, with a dedicated IP address, you could run your own IP-based server environment. You’ll need your host’s permission to do this. But, if you require this level of control for your website, or online projects, then using a dedicated IP just makes sense.

• You Might Need it for Your SSL Certificate – Usually a dedicated IP address is a technical requirement for the SSL installation. For proper SSL functionality it is recommended to have a separate dedicated IP for each certificate.

Note: Dedicated IP enables to check website prior to pointing the domain name to server by facilitating direct server access without modifying DNS settings. Dedicated IP address is also helpful for better reputation of your website and use of certain third party scripts.