Advantages of a unique website IP address
One of the most crucial ways of creating a reliable, stable and secure website for your company is to ensure it has its own unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. Having sole use of an IP code is one of the many advantages of having a dedicated server.
So, let’s expand on that.
What is an IP address?
“IP address” is a much-used term, yet substantial numbers of people don’t really know what it means.
Each computer or server has its own individual string of numbers – separated by full stops – which identify it when it communicates over a network.
It can also apply to website addresses – they too can have their own unique identifying code. So, for example, google.com has the IP address 73.14.213.99.
You type in a domain name, and the system finds the IP address on the correct server and logs you in.
Servers with shared IP addresses
Imagine moving into a luxury apartment, only to find your neighbours are criminals or deeply unsavoury. The risks of something unpleasant happening increase, and your own apartment is devalued.
Well the same thing can happen if your IP address sits on a shared server. Some web hosting providers literally cram thousands of IP addresses on their servers. In same cases, one particular IP address could have hundreds of websites attached to it.
This means that if one of your neighbours comes under cyberattack, gets blocked or blacklisted – so does your website. Or, your ranking suffers from their faults and failings.
Dedicated server – single IP address
A dedicated server means dedicated hosting, and that provides a unique IP address that offers a much higher level of protection and control.
This is particularly crucial for large scale eCommerce websites that need an SSL certificate for credit card processing and other security measures.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation is also on its way, imposing greater encryption responsibilities. To already have capacity for this is excellent preparation – and a great deal easier with a unique IP address.
There are other applications and scripts that will only run on servers which provide a unique IP address.
Reliability, stability, security, controllability and compliance. The essential shopping list for websites, and part and parcel of a unique IP address from a dedicated server.