Where to buy IP Addresses? A simple question with a more complex answer.

One inquiry I get as a hoster is, “Where can I buy a small block of IP addresses?” The simple answer is, no, you usually cannot buy or sell individual IP addresses like you would a physical product. We’ll explain why this is the case in this blog article and go over some of the alternatives you have for getting IP addresses and making sure your whois information is associated with them.

First off, it helps to know that IP addresses are allocated to users by their internet service provider (ISP) or the company in charge of the network they connect to. rather than being owned by specific people. This means that you cannot just go out and buy a block of IP addresses for your own use unless you are an ISP, webhost, or other comparable company.

ISPs and similar organizations that assign IPs to their customers will often get them from a regional internet registry (RIR), such ARIN, APNIC, or RIPE NCC. Blocks of IP addresses must be assigned by these RIRs to ISPs and other organizations in their respective regions. These RIR’s only assign to organizations that qualify based on a number of detailed criteria.

Furthermore, RIRs frequently assign IP addresses in huge blocks, which can contain thousands of IP addresses. This enables effective administration and distribution of IP addresses throughout the network. As a result, it is typically impossible to acquire a tiny block of IP numbers, like 20.

So, your best bet is to get in touch with your ISP, hosting company, or network administrator and ask for a modest number of IP addresses for your own use. They will be able to help you with any settings required to get them up and running as well as give you the required IP addresses.

People may want their own IP addresses so that their own contact information will show up for those IPs in the global whois database, . This is helpful if you want inquires related to your website or internet activity to be sent to you instead of sent to your ISP. Every IP address on the internet is included in a directory called the whois database along with its owner and contact details. Owning your own IP addresses allows you to guarantee that the whois database has your contact details included with them. However, even when you have not been assigned IPs directly by an RIR, it is still possible to have your own contact details associated with the IP addresses that you use.

The organization that supplies you the IP addresses normally takes care of associating your whois information with your IP addresses. SWIP (short for “Shared WHOIS Project”), is one option if you need to have your own contact information connected to your IP addresses . Even without having their own RIR-assigned IP block, organizations can use the SWIP system to update the whois information for their IP addresses. As a result, you can request that your ISP or network administrator use the SWIP system to update the whois details for your IP addresses so that your own contact information is shown alongside theirs in the whois database.

Even though you are designated as the end user of the IPs, the ISP that owns the IPs will still be listed as the “owner” of the IPs, therefore SWIP is not a 100% solution for white labeling your IP usage, if that’s your goal.

In conclusion, there are ways to get the IP addresses you need even though buying individual IP numbers is not an option. It is possible to guarantee that you have the IP addresses you require and that your whois information is correctly associated with them by working with your ISP, hosting company, or network administrator.

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To learn more about our dedicated servers and how we can help you with your multiple IP address needs, contact us at sales[at]ioflood.com or visit our website at https://ioflood.com. Our team is always available to answer your questions and help you find the perfect server for your needs.