Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a protocol employed to encrypt the info exchanged between a server and its users. The practical application of using an SSL is to secure the info which clients submit on your site - a login page, a payment page if you run an Internet store, etc. Any information they type in in any box on the website shall be submitted securely to the server, so their login or payment details will be protected from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. Typically, an SSL certificate requires a dedicated IP address to be installed, which suggests the overall cost for your presence online will be bigger. While this may not be an issue for a larger enterprise, it may matter for a non-profit organization or a small web store which doesn't generate big earnings if additional money should be spent. That's the main reason why we've taken advantage of an extension known as Server Name Indication (SNI) and we've made it possible to use a shared server IP address to install an SSL certificate.
Shared SSL IP in Cloud Website Hosting
A shared IP could be used for any SSL certificate, regardless if you purchase it from our company or from another seller and regardless of the cloud website hosting package that you have on our end. If you obtain the SSL through us, you shall come across this option on the certificate order page in your hosting CP where you could also make use of the 1-click automatic configuration option which we offer. If the latter is selected within the SSL order wizard, our system will install and set up everything for you via the specifically configured server shared IP, therefore once you buy and approve the SSL, there won't be anything else to do on your end. You could save the funds that you'll otherwise have to pay for a dedicated IP and the SSL shall do the job in the exact same way, so any data which the website visitors submit will be encoded. The one difference is that if you enter the shared IP instead of your domain name within a browser, the site shall not show up.
Shared SSL IP in Semi-dedicated Hosting
The shared IP option is available with all Linux semi-dedicated packages and the setup takes just two clicks in the hosting CP no matter if you obtain an SSL from our company or via a third-party vendor. There shall not be any difference with regards to how the certificate works or encodes the information that your visitors submit, so your Internet site shall be protected without having to spend any additional funds for a dedicated IP address. The one thing that will be different is that https://the-shared-IP will not open your Internet site, unlike https://the-dedicated-IP, but it's quite unlikely that anyone will ever try to access your website in this way instead of entering your domain name. Additionally we offer an auto-configuration option for the SSLs obtained via our company and if you select it and you choose to use a shared IP 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.