Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a protocol used to encrypt the information exchanged between a hosting server and its users. The practical application of employing an SSL is to preserve the data that clients submit on your Internet site - a login page, a payment page if you run an online store, and so on. Any info they type in in any box on the website will be submitted safely and securely to the server, so their login or payment details shall be protected from being accessed by unauthorized people. Normally, an SSL certificate needs a dedicated IP address to be installed, which implies the overall cost for your online presence shall be bigger. While this may not be a problem for a larger business, it may matter for a non-profit organization or a small web store that does not generate big revenue if additional money should be spent. That's the reason why we've taken advantage of an extension called Server Name Indication (SNI) and we've made it possible to use a shared server IP address to set up an SSL certificate.
Shared SSL IP in Cloud Web Hosting
You could use a shared IP address for an SSL certificate with every single cloud web hosting solution which we offer and no matter if the SSL is purchased through our company or through a third-party vendor. If the SSL is bought on our end, not only can you select the shared IP to be set during the order, but you may also choose our auto-configuration option, so once you complete the purchase and approve the certificate, our system shall handle the installation for you within a couple of seconds and you'll not need to do anything personally. The sole difference between employing a shared IP and a dedicated one is that your website won't appear in the event that you try to open https://the-IP-address instead of https://your-domain-name, but apart from that, everything will be exactly the same. With this function you could protect the information of your clients and have a secure website without the additional expense for a dedicated IP.
Shared SSL IP in Semi-dedicated Servers
The shared IP address option is available with all Linux semi-dedicated hosting plans and the setup takes just a couple of clicks in the hosting Control Panel regardless if you purchase an SSL via our enterprise or through a third-party provider. There shall not be any difference in terms of how the certificate functions or encodes the information that your visitors submit, so your site shall be secure without spending any additional cash for a dedicated IP address. The one thing that'll be different is that https://the-shared-IP shall not open your site, unlike https://the-dedicated-IP, but it's quite unlikely that anybody will ever try to access your internet site in this way instead of typing your domain name. We also offer an auto-configuration option for the SSLs obtained via our company and if you select it and you decide to use a shared IP address instead of a dedicated one, our system shall set everything up the instant the SSL is approved and issued with no need for any action on your end.