What is the difference between static and dedicated IP, and which one I am using?

The debate over whether or not you should use a dedicated IP address or a shared IP address for WordPress hosting is frequently heated. In reality, this issue comes up often at Global IT Providers.

Most of the time, this is due to the amount of incorrect and out-of-date information on the internet about dedicated IPs and how they function. In most cases, you don’t require a distinct IP. While this may contradict what you’ve heard before, stick with us.

This post will define dedicated IP addresses and shared IP addresses and the significant distinctions between the two setups.

We'll dispel some popular misconceptions about how they affect things like email.

When is it beneficial to be static? It makes listening to the radio or watching TV more difficult. Phone conversations are ruined, and your Wi-Fi connection may be lost. But let us tell you something: static can make your website load faster, improve its rankings on search engines, and make it quicker to find. We are talking about a static type that remains consistent, such as a fixed IP address.

What is a static IP address, you might ask? So, let’s take a look at some of its characteristics.

What is an IP address?

We must first clarify what a static IP is by defining what an IP address is.

An IP is the Internet Protocol.

A unique string of numbers is an IP address that identifies each server, computer, or device connected to the internet. IP addresses comprise four octets, with each octet ranging from 1 to 256. A period separates the two halves. For example, this IP address is 12.34.56.789 - It consists of eight “tens” and two hyphens (-).

The internet has an IP address for every device connected to it. Your phone, tablet, modem, and even your Nintendo Switch all have an IP address. There are a few distinct types of IP addresses, but today we’ll focus on two: static and dynamic.

What is a static IP address, and how is it distinct from a dynamic IP address?

As stated, a dynamic IP varies over time. Businesses most often use dynamic IPs with more users or servers that receive a lot of traffic. A dynamic IP changes depending on the demands of the server, which can be helpful in load-balancing situations. Computers have numerous distinct IP addresses, similar to having many lanes on a highway to handle higher traffic volumes and contact a server.

A static IP is the polar opposite: it’s one unique IP assigned to a device that never changes.

Wait, but if a highway can be unclogged by having multiple lanes of traffic, what’s the advantage of only having one? Consider a lane on that freeway that directly leads to your home. The sole individuals who would utilize that lane would be those who want to reach you directly, and there would be no outside traffic to impede their trip.

A static IP lets you establish your traffic lane that directly leads to your website.

You’ll notice a difference in speed, especially if your site is already mobile-optimized. Because the IP does not change, VPNs, remote access, and online gaming are all easier.

Network and Site Performance: Dedicated IP vs Shared IP

Do you wonder if you should use a dedicated IP address for your WordPress sites at this point?

For example, the following may be given as reasons to advocate for individual IPs:

If you use a dedicated IP for networking, you may access your website through its IP address, since it's the only domain mapped to that specific IP. For example, if you input “64.233.187.99,” you will be taken straight to Google since that is its unique IP address.

If your DNS was still propagating or had just changed, using the industry-standard FTP protocol ensures you connect to your server without manually updating each of the five internal DNS servers. You could use it as a backup if something goes wrong with one or more of them.

In our view, neither of these reasons holds water. Have you ever gone to a website via its IP address? Most likely never. Many people merely adjust their host’s file for the third reason. This is a far more dependable technique than either of the above.

A dedicated IP may be beneficial for specific hosts since it might prevent CPU throttling from lengthy running applications attached to that IP. However, we believe that hosts should never throttle CPUs.

We never restrict bandwidth at Global IT Providers. That is why we utilize isolated container technology to guarantee that each customer receives the resources according to the cost they incur.

Another potential benefit is additional port access. However, most hosts today block common ports because they are simple to misuse, even when providing unique IP addresses. They are still using underlying providers such as Google Cloud Platform or AWS, which do not allow specific ports for communication.

A Shared IP Address Doesn’t Mean that Your Site Performance is Slower.

We’ve also had customers inquire about the difference between dedicated IPs and shared IP addresses. Using a shared IP address will not have an impact on the performance of your site:

After the Global IT Providers migration, response time improved.

Mostly every customer who migrates their site to Global IT Providers does witness a vast improvement in their site performance. It holds for those who migrate from dedicated IP addresses alike.

Email: Dedicated IP vs Shared IP

We sometimes advise obtaining a dedicated IP in the email domain. There’s a catch, though. Only large volume senders (those sending 100,000+ emails per year) would benefit from this.

We don’t suggest obtaining a dedicated IP through your hosting company, even if you do. Using a dedicated IP and only sending small quantities of email might harm your business.

IP addresses have a reputation, and this is the main incentive for obtaining a unique IP address for sending emails from your WordPress site or transactional emails, such as eCommerce sales emails.

An IP’s reputation is crucial for ISPs and delivery rates. It can influence both your delivery speed and the ability to contact your consumers’ inboxes.

How can you tell what sort of IP each strain represents and the benefits and drawbacks of selecting the best one for your needs?

The most straightforward approach to figuring this out is reviewing your DNS zone file. If the A record points to a visible and understandable IP address, it indicates that it is static. You probably have a dynamic IP if you see anything resembling a * or a template name such as “Forwarding.”

There are always exceptions to the rule. If you still aren't sure what type of IP you possess, call your Internet Service Provider. They are the experts who will be able to guide you in the right direction!