Any advantage to hosting each site on a unique IP?

New to hosting; not sure if I need this

[javahava]

Not sure if this is the right topic to post this - one host I am looking at offers a number of unique IP's; I could effectively assign an IP to each of my sites (which already do fairly well in rankings). Does doing this have any advantage? Disadvantages? Thanks for your thoughts!

[jdMorgan]

javahava,

One advantage is that you can access your server by IP address in addition to using the domain name. This can be handy if you ever have DNS problems. Another is that since you won't be sharing the ethernet card, your site may support higher throughput. Also, you may get more latitude in configuring your server, since it is "more separate" than if on a shared IP setup.

There may also be less of a chance of search engines getting confused and banning your site along with others on the same IP if one of them breaks the rules. I really don't know how much of a problem this was or is, since I've always hosted my sites with unique IP addresses.

I expect shared-IP hosting to go away or get a lot cheaper with the rollout of IPv6, which has enough address space to assign a unique IP address to each grain of sand on earth, and still have enough left over for all current computers.

Jim

[javahava]

Great! Thanks for the info!

[peterdaly]

I expect shared-IP hosting to go away or get a lot cheaper with the rollout of IPv6

Based on the publish date of an "Implementing IPv6" book on my shelf, I thought that in 1998. 6 years or so later, I have seen no major movement towards IPv6. A pullback even. NAT, which in 1998 was mostly a "linux toy" is now the defacto way of providing internet access on a non-isp level.

I've heard Asia has been moving ahead (I'm in the US), but still -- don't hold your breath.

(Edit: fixed typo)