Dedicated IP Address

What Does Dedicated IP Address Mean?

A dedicated IP address is the permanent assignment of a single and unchanging Internet Protocol (IP) address for a website or network’s TCP/IP node. It is provided by a network administrator (NA) or Internet service provider (ISP).

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To reduce the number of IP addresses, most Internet sites and nodes share IP addresses because they are a finite resource. Generally, a dedicated IP address is only used by a website that requires Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) verification.

Techopedia Explains Dedicated IP Address

Because the Domain Name System (DNS) contains lists of website IP addresses, sharing is an alternative that reduces the need for dedicated IP addresses. As required, ISPs and hosting companies can assign dedicated IP addresses to customers, but this is more expensive than IP sharing.

There are several reasons why a website may elect to use a dedicated IP address. For example, a website owner may not want to share an IP address if a range of IP addresses are banned due to illegal activities. If a website’s IP address is a close match to the range of blocked addresses, it runs the risk of being blocked. This is why many email servers use dedicated IP addresses to avoid service interruptions.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…