Overview
A unique IP address is unique to your domain. When you add hosting to a domain or subdomain, the Apache server assigns it an IP address that is shared with other sites. Most of the time, this shared IP address is the only one you’ll need. Certain applications, on the other hand, may require you to add a Unique IP to your site. On the Manage Domains page, you can add a Unique IP to any Fully Hosted domain/subdomain hosted at GreggHost.
Static IP addresses are not available from GreggHost. This means that your site’s IP address (including Unique IPs) may be changed if necessary. GreggHost cannot guarantee that an IP address will not change in the future. However, if your IP address changes, you will be notified via email as soon as possible.
Do I need a Unique IP?
No, in the vast majority of cases. The most common use of unique IPs is with domains that have an SSL certificate installed. Although secure hosting without a Unique IP is possible, some older browsers that do not support Server Name Indication will display a certificate warning when viewing your site. This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes:
Internet Explorer versions for Windows XP.
In Android 2.4 “Gingerbread” and earlier, this was the default browser. (Only the 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” and later versions will work.)
BlackBerry, Symbian OS, and older versions of Opera Mobile are among the older mobile browsers.
If you expect a large number of visitors to your secure site to use these browsers, you’ll need a Unique IP. For a list of the most popular browsers by year, go to this link:
The most widely used browsers
Email-only unique IP addresses are reserved for websites. Because your mail is on a separate machine, adding a Unique IP will have no effect on your mail service. There is currently no way to change a mail server’s IP address.
Other scenarios
A Unique IP is necessary:
If you want to reach the site directly using an IP address (which is useful if the domain in issue does not yet use DreamHost’s nameservers/DNS records), click here. If you try to access your site using the shared server IP, you’ll see the DreamHost ‘Site Not Found’ page, which you can learn more about in this article:
The requested URL could not be found.
If another domain hosted on the same shared IP as yours is restricted by stringent firewalls (e.g., GFW), giving the site a unique IP address may assist it evade filtering (assuming the filter is based on the shared IP). This method may also be useful if you want to ensure that your site is not linked to other sites despite the presence of filters. The following is an example from the ‘China Firewall’ article:
China’s Barrier
Does a Unique IP help my page rank?
No, it doesn’t work that way. With the present shortage of IP addresses as IPv6 adoption increases (and the additional cost of adding them to your domains), it’s crucial to understand that adding a Unique IP to your domain will have no effect on its search engine ranking.
There is no need to add an IP to your domain if this is the only reason for doing so.