Shared IP Vs Dedicated IP
After choosing your VPN provider, you should be able to choose one out of two different kinds of IP addresses (Shared IP & Dedicated IP) that VPN providers usually offer. VPN networks provide complete anonymity on the internet and choosing the right type of IP address is very important.
Table of Content
2. What is a shared IP address?
3. What is a dedicated IP address?
4. Comparing the Shared and Dedicated IP addresses
5. What kind of IP address should you choose? Shared or dedicated?
Apart from the anonymity, a good IP address given by a VPN provider can have many other benefits. However, before explaining the different options, let’s explain what IP address actually means.
What is an IP address?
Every time someone connects to the internet, he or she has a certain IP address (Internet Protocol Address). It is just a sort of a label for your connection at the given moment for the particular device. The IP, although made mostly of numbers, allows the websites to see your place of residence, device type and many other things. In other words, IP tells a lot about you and choosing a different kind of IP will increase your anonymity by providing details which are not really yours. Now, the two possible options are a shared IP address and a dedicated IP address. Let’s examine them further.
What is a shared IP address?
The name itself suggests some kind of sharing among users. That is exactly what the shared IP address is – an IP used by many users. This means that hundreds of people on the internet will have the same information about them as you. However, once you connect to the internet with a shared IP, you will be anonymous but there is a slight possibility that the IP will be blacklisted on certain websites. Basically, it works like public transport – it gets you from destination A to destination B, but you get to ride along with complete strangers.
What is a dedicated IP address?
A dedicated IP address is the address that only you have and you do not share it with anybody in the world. Unlike a shared IP, there is no possibility of not being able to access certain websites due to being blacklisted. However, it is more expensive than the shared IP address. Now, let’s compare the two options so that you can see which one suits you better. This is like having your own car – you are alone and you drive them wherever and whenever you want and there are no strangers to make you uncomfortable.
Comparing the Shared and Dedicated IP addresses
As previously mentioned, the two options each have several things which might or might not be suitable for you. Every person has different intentions and methods of surfing, transmitting data and generally being on the internet – and these to IP types will be suitable for some while they will not be suitable for others. Let’s see what are the pros and the cons of both Shared IP address and Dedicated IP address.
Shared IP pros:
- Price – it is indeed cheaper than having a dedicated IP. If you need to use several IPs at once you should definitely opt for this service. You should also choose this option if you are not a very experienced internet user but are looking only for the basic protection.
- Anonymity – despite sharing it with a lot of other people on the internet, a shared IP address still provides a fair level of anonymity on the internet.
Shared IP cons:
- Being blacklisted on certain websites – sharing the same IP is like sharing the house with several roommates – it is simply not clean enough and some people do not like you because they do not like your roommates. In other words, you will not be able to access websites which blacklisted your IP as “unwelcome” because somebody tried something illegal with your IP address on those websites.
Dedicated IP pros:
- You are the only one with this IP – unlike shared IP, dedicated IP is dedicated only to you and you are the only one allowed to use it. This means that there will be no problems considering blacklisting, as mentioned above
- Good for your identity – you will have an identity on the internet, although it will not be your own identity, it will still be as good as your own and you will be protected.
- Anonymity – dedicated IP also provides high level of anonymity on the internet.
Dedicated IP cons:
- Price – it is certainly more expensive than the Shared IP address due to the fact that you are the one and only owner.
What kind of IP address should you choose? Shared or dedicated?
As you can see, both options have their pros and cons and it is up to you and your everyday activities on the internet that will determine which option is better for you. If you need an IP just for the sake of anonymity, the shared IP will do the job for you. However, if the part of your job involves constant presence on the internet, then dedicated IP is the better option. The whole new level is required for companies that opt to use VPN services and if you are a company that needs to test its products with different IPs, then you should definitely choose Shared IP. If this is not the case, however, you should opt for Dedicated IP. The nature of your job is also an important factor when it comes to choosing the IP for work, but that requires a whole new blog post.
LimeVPN offers two different options – LimeVPN basic and LimeVPN pro. The former includes a shared IP while the latter contains a dedicated IP.
To sum up, both Shared IP and Dedicated IP addresses have their pros and cons. It is up to you to choose which one suits you the best and there are several factors that you should take into account before making the choice. One thing is for certain, though – your level of anonymity on the internet will significantly increase and you will get all the other benefits that LimeVPN offer in their LimeVPN basic and LimeVPN pro offers.
Also Read What is Shared Ip VPN & How to Purchase one ? 12 Reasons Why you need anonymous VPN’s.
