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An SSL certificate works by encrypting the data sent and received from/by a user’s device to/from a website. This gives users a secure channel to enter the necessary information on the browser and communicate with the webserver. Having an SSL certificate is also seen to help the website ranking and lead to better visibility on search engine result pages.
Earlier, installing an SSL certificate was possible only on dedicated IP addresses. Yet as the importance of a secure internet grew, developments in technology created a way for shared IP addresses to use SSL certificates as well. This is possible through the Server Name Indicator or SNI, which allows a webserver to create different virtual host environments and host multiple SSL certificates as required. The SNI will refer to the hostname of the website instead of the shared IP address when installing an SSL certificate. This helps websites on shared hosting servers to enjoy a secure web channel.
Nonetheless, not all hosts support SNI to install an SSL certificate. Besides, the type of SSL certificate you want to use may also need you to go for a dedicated IP. For instance, Domain Validated certificates can be easily installed on shared IP addresses with SNI, but higher-level certificates will require additional steps to issue and install, which may be possible only on a dedicated IP address.
It is recommended to consult with the web hosting company and understand whether you will need a dedicated IP address for your SSL certificate or if a shared IP address will do. If you are hosting the website on a self-managed server, then you will need to check the server documentation to figure out whether it supports SNI technology to help you install an SSL certificate.
Note that SNI can experience compatibility issues with older operating systems and browsers. For instance, SNI is not compatible with Windows XP, Internet Explorer (all versions), Safari browser on Windows XP, BlackBerry browser, Windows Mobile (6.5 and earlier versions), and more. This means that choosing a dedicated IP address will be a better alternative in terms of reliability, OS and browser compatibility, as well as to limit the risks of server downtime.
The main benefit of the SNI technology is that it allows installing unique certificates for different sites on the shared server to boost their security and trust. However, it is seen that using a dedicated IP address ensures better stability and performance when compared to a shared IP address. Besides, having a dedicated IP address also eliminates the risk of getting the email server blacklisted because of the spam actions of another website.
Earlier, installing an SSL certificate was possible only on dedicated IP addresses. Yet as the importance of a secure internet grew, developments in technology created a way for shared IP addresses to use SSL certificates as well. This is possible through the Server Name Indicator or SNI, which allows a webserver to create different virtual host environments and host multiple SSL certificates as required. The SNI will refer to the hostname of the website instead of the shared IP address when installing an SSL certificate. This helps websites on shared hosting servers to enjoy a secure web channel.
Nonetheless, not all hosts support SNI to install an SSL certificate. Besides, the type of SSL certificate you want to use may also need you to go for a dedicated IP. For instance, Domain Validated certificates can be easily installed on shared IP addresses with SNI, but higher-level certificates will require additional steps to issue and install, which may be possible only on a dedicated IP address.
It is recommended to consult with the web hosting company and understand whether you will need a dedicated IP address for your SSL certificate or if a shared IP address will do. If you are hosting the website on a self-managed server, then you will need to check the server documentation to figure out whether it supports SNI technology to help you install an SSL certificate.
Note that SNI can experience compatibility issues with older operating systems and browsers. For instance, SNI is not compatible with Windows XP, Internet Explorer (all versions), Safari browser on Windows XP, BlackBerry browser, Windows Mobile (6.5 and earlier versions), and more. This means that choosing a dedicated IP address will be a better alternative in terms of reliability, OS and browser compatibility, as well as to limit the risks of server downtime.
The main benefit of the SNI technology is that it allows installing unique certificates for different sites on the shared server to boost their security and trust. However, it is seen that using a dedicated IP address ensures better stability and performance when compared to a shared IP address. Besides, having a dedicated IP address also eliminates the risk of getting the email server blacklisted because of the spam actions of another website.
