Shared versus Dedicated IP Hosting - what is more effective? TORONTO, ON – July 20, 2005 – In today's World Wide Web - website designers and webmasters around
world must know difference between shared and dedicated IP addresses. Most web hosting companies do not offer dedicated IP addresses for their clients. Why? Before we can attempt at answering this question, we should further define and clarify differences between two.
Shared IP Address - Every web server around world is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address. An example of an IP address would look something like: [126.703.4.151]. Most websites on world wide web are hosted on shared IP addresses, meaning that one server with one IP address can hold several domain names.
In not so distant past, every domain used to have individual IP addresses. Recently, allocation of IP addresses has been stricter due to fact that there is a finite amount of addresses in existence. Now servers have ability of determining a domain request through name servers. Example: www.dimarcogolf.com is found by NS.REBELNETWORKS.COM where name servers are tied to a specific IP address.
Dedicated IP Address - A dedicated/unique IP address is not shared by other domain names; it is unique to your domain name and your space on server. This means that if someone types in numeric form of IP address same domain will always appear in browser. Dedicated IP addresses are considered to be premium real estate on internet and most web hosting companies charge extra for their client to have one. "We saw this as real eye-opener in industry. Instead of asking our customers to pay for a dedicated IP, we have included it with every package we sell." Marc Boudreau, co-founder of Rebel Networks
Usually dedicated IP addresses are used for large web sites, secure e-commerce web sites, or other individuals that are willing to pay for such a premium. Dedicated IPs give websites ability for complex hosting and offer more flexibility. The benefits of having a dedicated IP address are:
- Private SSL Certificate - SSL certificates are needed for accepting credit cards online. Most web hosting companies usually offer a shared SSL certificate where clients can share web host’s server-wide SSL. This is not recommended if you intend on having a very secure online store.
