Comparing Web Hosting with Own IP Address UK

Is Having Your Own IP Address for Web Hosting Worth It?

In most cases, web hosting and web space are provided on powerful servers that do not allocate individual IP addresses but serve as collective hardware. The resolution of name assignment follows a fixed hierarchy from the Top Level Domain (TLD) down to the Internet address (URL) - content management and delivery are solely handled by a local instance that redirects users to corresponding paths in the file system. From an IT security, compatibility, and ultimately search engine optimization (SEO) perspective, this can lead to unfavorable consequences that should be avoided for commercial websites, high-traffic sites, and in security-critical areas.

Shared IP Address Can Have Unforeseeable Effects

Every computer on the Internet is identified by a unique and ISP-assigned IP address. Typically, all services and pages stored on a server share this number, which can be a four-digit combination (IPv4) or a hexadecimal code (IPv6). Common issues with a shared IP include:

• Poor search engine ranking and reduced SEO performance
• Inability to use individual encryption with SSL/TLS
• Services being blocked by unscrupulous co-users (blacklisting)
• Slower data transfer due to additional local DNS resolution
• Lack of setting up individual access rights through a complex firewall

Having your own IP for web hosting typically means it points to an exclusively used virtual private server or dedicated server. The implications of this address are extensive, impacting SEO, loading speed, and even being listed to block SPAM. However, it is also possible to assign specific IPs to web hosting, providing concrete advantages and independence from its environment.

Own IP as a Prerequisite for Unique, Encrypted Combination

For technical reasons, having a dedicated IP is an essential requirement for assigning an SSL certificate, which uniquely authenticates the operator of a website and ensures the authenticity of the respective presence. This, along with other information such as the signature of the issuing authority, owner, validity, and address, is part of the certificate and the checksum that confirms its authenticity.

Additional benefits of having a dedicated IP address

The allocation of both old IPv4 and new IPv6 addresses is the responsibility of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) - a suborganization of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is responsible for domain and TLD allocation. In collaboration with other commercial companies and non-profit organizations, they maintain blacklists that list, for example, IPs that stand out due to spamming, scams, fraud, and other areas of cybercrime. They record not only the website and the responsible parties but also the address and block it for an indefinite period. The subsequent release or removal usually involves significant bureaucratic effort.