An IP address is not a new term for most people who use the internet. IP is short for Internet Protocol, and an IP address refers to unique identifying numbers for every computer or network. When you connect to the internet, your IP address allows your computer to send and receive information.
Most IP addresses are entirely made up of numerals. As internet users increase, some letters have been incorporated to some of the IP addresses, which come in four types:
- Public
- Private
- Static
- Dynamic
Public and Private IP addresses indicate the network’s location, private addresses are used within, and public outside a network. On the other hand, static and dynamic IP addresses are indicative of permanence. A static IP address is created manually, not assigned.
The Static address stays the same, but a dynamic IP address is allocated by a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server and can change at any time, and are the most common. Dynamic IP addresses remain active for a short period, then they expire. Your computer receives a new address or automatically requests another lease.
Why Different IP addresses
You can have different IP addresses for several reasons:
1. Volume
Contrary to popular belief, if you are a business entity and usually send massive volumes of messages, this does not justify your having several IP addresses. Many businesses spend thousands of emails a day and only have one IP address. The only time you need multiple IP addresses is if your messages are many, time-barred, and need to be sent within a specific time frame.
For example, if you are running a political campaign and need to send 1 million emails at 9 am, the messages need to reach the recipients by mid-day. If it takes 6 hours to deliver 1 million emails from a single IP, then in this instance, you only have 3 hours to deliver all these emails. You will need 2 IP addresses to deliver all the emails on time. (6 divided by 3= 2 IPs).
However, this time is not cast in stone and depends on various factors such as software, infrastructure, and your reputation in deliverability. Most ISPs throttle and limit email depending on your deliverability reputation)
2. Multiple E-Mail Streams
Each IP address keeps its mail sending reputation, so separating each email stream using separate IP addresses maintains individual email stream reputations separate. Some of the examples of mail segmentation are:
- Marketing emails
- Transactional emails
- Newsletters
- Reactivation campaign emails
- Addresses from “Forward to friends” campaign emails
3. Security
Most hackers trace you via your ISP, and having a different ISP address can help you avoid being traced. A VPN allows you to stay anonymous by rerouting your traffic via its servers. Anyone trying to trace you via your IP address will only see the server’s address. The VPN also allows you to bypass geo-blocks that prevent you from streaming content online.
If you want to appear as if you are browsing from Malaysia, you need IP address from Malaysia. When you connect to servers based in Malaysia, your traffic is routed via Malaysia servers, also known as tunneling.
A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts all your data, keeping you secure from government agencies’ hackers and surveillance. When looking for a VPN, for example, one that shows you are in Malaysia, look for one that:
- Has several servers in Malaysia
- Has enough security by having strict no-logs policies, has a kill switch, AES-256 encryption, and other security features.
- Is fast- your data has to reroute to Malaysia and back, so you need a fast VPN that will not keep buffering when you are gaming or streaming shows.
- Intuitive- your VPN should be easy to use and have apps for all operating systems, and you need to click to get connected.
Conclusion
You may need multiple ISP addresses for several reasons. If you need to send millions of emails in a hurry, having multiple addresses makes a lot of sense. Separating the IP addresses for the sake of deliverability reputation helps you when you need to divide your email streams.
Last but not least, using a VPN to reroute your traffic via its ISP addresses is a crucial security factor. Hackers are looking for data, and most people assume they cannot be hacked, which makes them easy to hack.
Rerouting your traffic via a VPN not only means your ISP is hidden but also means your data is encrypted and unreadable by third-parties.
