Static IP Address to Add Speed and Confidence!
Do You Have a Static Server IP Address or Shared IP Address?
To continue with my series “Speed Up Your Site”, I have another tip for you… a static server IP address. If you read my article about Grid Server Hosting from a couple of days ago, and have considered checking with your hosting company to change over to grid server hosting, then while you are at it, ask them for a static IP address.
“A dedicated, or static IP (Internet Protocol) is a unique Internet address dedicated exclusively to a single hosting account. Normally, several hosting accounts reside on a single server and share that server’s IP address. Dedicated IP addresses are usually used for large SSL-encrypted secure websites and particularly large and/or traffic-heavy sites.”
“Most shared hosting users have little need for a static IP address. However, a dedicated IP address does provide certain advantages, it will ensure faster response times during periods of high traffic load.”
If you are on a shared hosting plan, unless you specified a static IP address when you signed up, then most likely you have a shared IP address too.
According to a GoDaddy.com representative, in many cases sites with a static IP address are on different servers than ones that are on for shared IP hosting. So, if you have made the decision to make the switch to grid server hosting, make sure you ask about a dedicated IP address.
If you decide to add the static IP address at a later date, you may experience some site downtime to make the switch. Be sure to ask your hosting provider about this scenario, so you can make an educated decision whether to get the dedicated IP address at the same you make the server hosting switch.
Before I switched over to the static server IP address, I asked the GoDaddy.com representative named Matt to explain to me the benefits of the static IP address.
Matt mentioned to think of me staying in a hotel… a mailman is due to deliver a package to me for the seminar that I am giving, but the only address the mailman has is the address to the building itself (shared IP address). Matt said, now that the mailman has made it to the hotel, he needs further directions to find me requiring a stop at the front desk.
If the mailman had the full address, including the room number (static IP address), then he could deliver the package directly to me without having to stop and ask for further directions. If the person at the front desk is busy with another person or a line of people, the mailman will have to stand in line also, to find out what room I’m in.
Even though re-routing for the person’s website takes milli-seconds once the HTTP request reaches the server through the shared IP address, if there are many requests or traffic spikes on that server, the process will be slowed down.
There are also cases where a shared IP could hurt your site. If one of the websites sharing your IP address suffers an issue… let’s say spam, adult content or another penalty, this could extend to the whole IP address. Your blog could suffer the consequences as well.
This is a rare situation, but it could happen.
Closing Comments About a Dedicated/Static IP Address
If your blog or website is growing in leaps and bounds, I think it might be a wise idea to grab a dedicated IP address as an investment in your business.
If you want to optimize your site for faster loading times, plus continue to build your business with confidence, take the extra steps as I have, and pay the few dollars a month extra to avoid any unexpected trouble.
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What are Your Thoughts about a Static IP Address? Do You Have a Static IP Address, or Are You Comfortable With a Shared IP?