If you know a little about VPN services, there’s a chance you might have heard of something called a shared IP address. As the name suggests, this is an IP address that multiple people use at the same time. Shared IP addresses are common with every VPN service, but some also sell dedicated IP addresses for an extra fee.
Shared IP addresses are used by VPNs and offer numerous benefits that we’ll cover in this post, including online anonymity. Having said that, shared IP addresses can pose some problems. Below, we’ll assess the pros and cons of shared IP addresses, when you might want to use one, and when a dedicated IP address may be more suitable.
What is an IP address?
First, let’s clarify what an IP address is. An IP address is an Internet Protocol address consisting of a unique string of numbers and decimals. It identifies a specific device, such as a phone or computer, on the Internet or a local network.
Much like with a physical postal address, an IP address acts as your digital address so that data can be sent to the correct destination. Here’s how it works:
- Your device sends a request to a website’s IP address.
- The server with that IP address receives the request.
- The server then sends back the data to your IP address.
- You see the website on your device.
Your public IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is required to connect your device to the Internet.
What’s the problem with a public IP address?
Your public IP address acts as something of a digital fingerprint. It reveals your approximate location, your device, and the ISP you use. Here are some of the privacy risks that come with public IP addresses:
- Tracking and targeting: Advertisers, websites, and third parties can use your IP address to track your browsing habits and build a profile of your online behavior.
- Geographic restrictions: Your IP address can limit access to content. For example, it may prevent you from accessing a particular streaming service, such as Hulu.
- Data leaks: Your public IP address can be exposed when you use unsecured networks such as public wifi due to a lack of encryption.
The latter point regarding data leaks is particularly important. An exposed IP address can be a security risk because it may expose you to DDoS attacks or hacking attempts. Read more about this in our article about what somebody can do with your IP address. The good news is that you can do things to protect yourself, one of which is using a shared IP address through a VPN service.
A shared IP address is one that’s assigned to multiple users simultaneously. When you connect to a VPN server, you’re usually assigned a shared IP address – the same public address as other users.
Sharing an IP address may not sound particularly attractive, but it actually offers several benefits.
Benefits of using a shared IP address
- Anonymity: It’s difficult to trace online activity back to a specific individual because all user activity under a shared IP address is mixed up together.
- Privacy: Your real IP address is hidden behind the shared IP address, which means snoopers can’t see information such as your ISP or approximate location.
- Obfuscation: Using a shared IP address or, even better, various shared IP addresses makes it much harder for websites and advertisers to track your online activities.
Despite the advantages offered by shared IP addresses, there are a few downsides. These negatives may make a dedicated IP address more suitable for you in certain situations.
Risks of using a shared IP address
- Risk of blacklisting: If one user engages in malicious activity, the shared IP address can become blacklisted by websites and services, affecting everyone using it. This might result in more CAPTCHAs or even outright blocks.
- Performance issues: If too many users share the same IP address, performance may suffer on a particularly busy server.
We’ve already gone over the benefits of shared IP addresses and some reasons why they’re not always ideal. However, there are a few further advantages to using a VPN to get a shared IP address:
Encrypt your data
When you connect to a VPN server, your internet traffic travels through an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server. This prevents your ISP, hackers, and snoopers from seeing what you’re doing online. The best VPNs use 256-bit encryption. Even if data were to be intercepted, the encryption would be effectively uncrackable.
Prevent ISP tracking
Connected to the above point of data encryption is the fact that by using a VPN, you can stop your ISP from logging your browsing history. This is particularly important in countries in which citizens have limited online freedom and where they may face legal consequences for the things they say and do online.
Even in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, countries that many consider to afford citizens freedom of speech, there’s the concern of Five Eyes. This is an intelligence alliance of which they’re all part, which sees them engaging in mass surveillance of their citizens. This intelligence is then shared between member countries, allowing them to bypass their own privacy laws.
Unblock content
You can’t choose the shared IP address you’re assigned with a VPN, though you do have some say in that you can choose the server location to which you connect. This is highly advantageous when it comes to bypassing geographic restrictions.
For example, if you’re from the US but travel to Canada and still want to access Netflix USA, you can connect to a server in the US. You’ll then be assigned a shared US IP address, allowing you to spoof your location and sidestep geo-blocking.
Avoid censorship
Often the online content you want to access is geo-blocked due to copyright and licensing reasons. Yet sometimes the issue is internet censorship, an issue that plagues countries including China, Iran, and Russia.
China’s Great Firewall blocks access to many websites, apps, and online services. If you travel to China, you’ll even find that most VPN websites are blocked in China. Not all VPNs can help you get around this but the best VPNs for China offer obfuscation which disguises VPN traffic as regular web traffic.
When should I use a dedicated IP address instead?
As we’ve mentioned, shared IP addresses have some downsides, so there may be times when a dedicated IP address is more appropriate.
A dedicated IP address is quite the opposite of a shared IP address in that it’s assigned to only one user. Here’s when you might prefer to have a dedicated IP address instead:
Improved online reputation
With a dedicated IP address, you have greater control. The fact that other users can’t use the same IP address maliciously and negatively impact its reputation reduces the risk of your email being marked as spam. Likewise, there’s less risk that your IP address will be blacklisted by websites and services, streaming platforms included, due to the actions of other users.
Consistent identity
Some networks and servers require you to have a consistent IP address in order to whitelist your access. Switching up your IP address every time through shared IP addresses can cause issues, whereas a dedicated IP address stays the same.
Bypass CAPTCHAs and blocks
Shared IP addresses can be known to trigger more security measures with websites displaying CAPTCHAs, which can be both frustrating and time-consuming, or blocking the IP address altogether. This is far less likely with a dedicated IP address.
Are there any disadvantages to dedicated IP addresses?
Like shared IP addresses, dedicated IP addresses not only offer multiple benefits, but a few disadvantages. This includes the following:
- Higher cost: Getting a dedicated IP address via a VPN costs extra and not all VPNs offer this feature as an option.
- Reduced anonymity: Only your activity is linked to the dedicated IP so it’s much easier for websites and services to track your online activity.
- IP blocking: Although there’s less risk of your IP address being blocked, if it does happen then it’s not as easy to switch IP addresses as with a shared IP address.
What’s the difference between a shared IP address and a dedicated IP address?
A shared IP address is used by multiple users simultaneously. This provides greater online anonymity because traffic is mixed with other users. VPNs offer shared IP addresses in locations worldwide which makes it easy to bypass content restrictions.
In contrast, a dedicated IP address with a VPN requires an extra monthly fee and is less private because only one user is linked to that IP address. Having said that, they provide more control over the reputation of your IP address and provide more stable access to websites and services as a result.
Is a shared IP address safe to use?
Yes, shared IP addresses from reputable VPNs are safe to use. In fact, they improve your privacy by mixing your online activity with that of other users under the same IP address, which in turn makes you more anonymous. However, other users do not get access to your data.
What is a static IP address?
Most shared IP addresses are dynamic, meaning they are regularly reassigned as needed. A VPN might assign users a different IP address even when they connect to the same server location, for example, so IP addresses are not always consistent across sessions. In fact, some VPNs intentionally rotate IP addresses to further privacy.
A static IP address is an IP address that stays the same every time you connect to a VPN server. However, unlike a dedicated IP address, it may still be shared with other users. A static IP address is good for when you need a consistent IP address but don’t mind sharing it. If anything, it offers a balance between shared and dedicated IP addresses in that you still have some anonymity.
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