Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a protocol used to encode the information exchanged between a server and its users. The practical application of employing an SSL is to preserve the data that clients submit on your website - a login page, a payment page if you run an Internet store, etc. Any data they enter in any box on the Internet site will be submitted securely to the server, so their login or payment information shall be protected from being accessed by unauthorized people. In general, an SSL certificate needs a dedicated IP address to be installed, meaning that the overall cost for your online presence will be higher. While this may not be a problem for a larger company, it may matter for a non-profit organization or a small online shop which doesn't generate big profits if additional money should be spent. This is the key reason why we've taken advantage of an extension referred to as 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 Website Hosting
A shared IP could be employed for any SSL certificate, irrespective if you buy it from our company or from a different dealer and regardless of the website hosting plan that you have on our end. If you acquire the SSL through us, you shall discover this option on the certificate order page inside your hosting CP where you could also take advantage of the 1-click automatic configuration option that we offer. If the latter is chosen in the SSL order wizard, our system shall install and set up everything for you through the specifically configured server shared IP address, so once you order and approve the SSL, there shall not be anything else to do on your end. You'll be able to save the funds you will otherwise need to pay for a dedicated IP address and the SSL will work in the same exact way, so any info which the site visitors submit will be encrypted. The sole difference is that if you enter the shared IP instead of your domain name in a browser, the site won't display.
Shared SSL IP in Semi-dedicated Servers
The shared IP option is available with all semi-dedicated plans and the setup takes only two clicks inside the hosting CP irrespective if you purchase an SSL via our business or through a third-party supplier. There won't be any difference with regards to how the certificate operates or encodes the information your website visitors submit, so your website shall be protected without spending the additional cash for a dedicated IP address. The only thing that will be different is that https://the-shared-IP won't open your site, unlike https://the-dedicated-IP, but it's quite unlikely that anyone will ever try to access your site in this way instead of keying in your domain name. In addition, we offer an auto-configuration option for the SSLs purchased via our company and if you select it and you opt to use a shared IP address as opposed to a dedicated one, our system shall set everything up as soon as the SSL is approved and issued without the need for any action on your end.