Dedicated IP for Freelancers Who Want More
Freelancing isn’t all about flexibility. Sometimes you experience a dry spell when there are fewer local offers, or when you can’t reach an agreement on the compensation with the buyer. Here’s when you need to spread your wings and aim for international freelancing markets. However, for reasons we discuss here, you would need a dedicated […]
Table of Contents
Protect your online privacy and security
Fast, private, and easy to use, get Hidzo on your device and browse freely with one tap.
Get HidzoVPN
Freelancing isn’t all about flexibility. Sometimes you experience a dry spell when there are fewer local offers, or when you can’t reach an agreement on the compensation with the buyer. Here’s when you need to spread your wings and aim for international freelancing markets. However, for reasons we discuss here, you would need a dedicated IP address to benefit from international freelancing offers.
What’s a Dedicated IP Address?
A dedicated IP address is like your postal code. It only belongs to you, and your traffic comes and goes to this address whenever you’re connected to the internet. This consistency in address marks your traffic as non-threatening. But that’s not the only plus.
How to Get a Dedicated IP Address
The common methods of purchasing a dedicated IP address are:
- Your ISP: The easiest and cheapest way to get a dedicated IP address is through your ISP. You can most likely find it under fixed or static IP on your ISP’s website; call the support line if you don’t.
- VPN service providers: Some VPN service providers sell dedicated IP addresses either as an add-on to their VPN services. Therefore, when you purchase a VPN service, you also get a dedicated IP.
- Cloud service providers: Companies like Hetzner or Amazon Web Services offer dedicated servers and, hence, dedicated IP addresses.
Connecting with a Dedicated IP Address
If you purchase the dedicated IP from your ISP, they assign the IP to your router without requiring any manual settings on your side. In some cases, they might give you the address, and you’d have to set it up on your router yourself.
The same is true if you want to get a dedicated IP from cloud service providers. They dedicate a server or host to you, and you need to configure it so that you can use it to connect to the internet with a fixed IP address.
If you buy a VPN service with a static IP address, you can save yourself from these technical processes and still be able to use shared IP addresses when you disconnect your VPN.
Overall, you need to consider the total cost and technical expertise required to work with any of the above solutions before you make a purchase.
Is There a Better Alternative Than a Dedicated IP Address for Freelancers?
Yes. The best solution is to use the services of a VPN service provider with a dedicated IP add-on. However, you should do some research about the region of your VPN server, since it might affect your job prospects, especially if you’re looking for region-specific job listings.
HidzoVPN is one of the most affordable VPN service providers with servers around the world. Using HidzoVPN not only helps you sign up on international freelance platforms, but it also adds a layer of security to your internet traffic, protecting it against hacker attacks. You can download HidzoVPN and examine its functionality using the freemium plan.
The good news is that VPN features eliminate the need to buy a dedicated IP address. It hides your IP address and uses another IP that matches the VPN server region. In short, offers most of the advantages of a dedicated IP address (plus a lot more), without any of its flaws. This table summarizes the comparisons of a dedicated IP address with VPN.
| Aspect | Dedicated IP Address | VPN Service |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Exclusive, static IP for consistent identification | Secure data transmission and IP masking |
| Encryption | No inherent encryption | Robust encryption (e.g., AES-256) |
| Anonymity Level | Moderate anonymity through consistency | Higher anonymity by blending traffic and hiding VPN usage |
| Cost and Availability | Lease and setup fees; expensive when rented from ISP | Affordable for basic plans; added fee for IP add-on |
| Use Cases | Hosting servers, remote device access, or avoiding CAPTCHAs in professional settings. | General browsing, streaming, and protecting public Wi-Fi connections. |
| Drawbacks | Lacks built-in encryption; potentially higher traceability. | potential latency due to routing; shared IPs risk collateral blocks. |
Widen Your Horizon With a Dedicated IP Address
You’re missing many opportunities in an international domain if you’re using a shared IP address. A dedicated IP address can increase your offers and opportunities thanks to the following benefits.
1. Access to International Freelancing Platforms
Famous freelancing platforms, such as Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr, have obtained screening processes to protect their platform against scam freelancers or buyers. Part of the screening process involves reviewing your IP reputation. If you’re using a shared IP address, there’s a good chance of having problems logging into your account or submitting a withdrawal request.
2. Consistent Identification
Imagine that whenever you want to send an email to your bank, you use a new email address. You’re making it extremely hard for them to know it’s really you. Using a shared IP address on the internet is like that. That’s one of the main reasons why you encounter so many CAPTCHAs, or even worse, access blocks. A dedicated IP address minimizes these threats and brings about smoother internet surfing.
3. Efficiency and Speed
When you’re using a dedicated IP address, you’re actually isolating your traffic. This means that you can benefit from faster loading times for websites, faster file transfer, and smoother streaming or video conferencing. On the contrary, when you use a shared IP address, you’re sharing resources with other users with that IP, which results in latency and higher ping.
Limitations of Dedicated IP Addresses
Using a dedicated IP address isn’t a comprehensive solution for freelance job hunters, especially if they’re working from restricted regions.
Compromised Privacy
Earlier, we mentioned that a dedicated IP address puts a face to a name, in this case, to a number. Basically, a dedicated IP address makes it easier for whoever might watch your traffic, including your ISP, to track you and link behaviors or locations to your address.
Security Issues
Connecting to the internet with a dedicated IP is like going to a pool party wearing a suit; you’re easy to spot, and there’s a good chance of soaking.
It’s easier for malicious actors (e.g., hackers) to carry out targeted attacks on your IP address than for users with shared IP addresses. Dedicated IP addresses, which are static by definition, are susceptible to DoS or DDoS attacks. In other words, a dedicated IP can’t help with online security for remote work.
Elevated Costs
The cost of getting a dedicated IP address depends on your ISP and the period of time you’re renting the dedicated IP. A single IP address is easily affordable; however, setup charges can increase the price significantly, particularly if you need to make changes in your local (home) network.
Low Mobility
Users typically buy the dedicated IP address from their ISPs, which is the rational thing to do. However, if you move to a new location (not necessarily abroad), where you don’t have access to your ISP, you won’t be able to access the IP address, since it’s bound to a specific network. You’d need to establish a VPN connection to regain access.
Shared IP vs. Dedicated IP: What’s the Difference?
Let’s get to know static and dynamic IP addresses before getting to shared and dedicated IP addresses.
A static IP address, as the name suggests, does not change. It implies that in order to have a fixed IP address, you’d need to ask the network administrator to assign this IP to you. On the other hand, a dynamic IP address is any random address your device obtains when it connects to a network. It changes whenever you reconnect.
A shared IP address is used by more than one user simultaneously, but a dedicated IP address belongs to one user only and requires manual assignment. Therefore, a shared IP is dynamic while a dedicated IP address is static by nature. You can see other differences in the table below.
| Aspect | Shared IP Address | Dedicated IP Address |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Allocated to multiple users or domains from a common pool | Exclusively assigned to one user or domain |
| Cost | No extra charges | lease fee (depending on the duration and the provider) |
| Reputation and Deliverability | Susceptible to reputation issues | high reputation, and email delivary rate |
| Use Cases | Low-traffic websites, or general browsing | Hosting servers, e-commerce sites, or remote access |
FAQs
A dedicated IP address is an IP address that no one else can use to connect to the internet. When you purchase a dedicated address, all your traffic is routed through and from your dedicated IP until the address expires.
Since most freelancing platforms have a strict screening process, they are very likely to blacklist a shared IP, especially if you’re accessing the website from another country. A dedicated IP makes you look safe.
A shared IP address is not necessarily less secure than a dedicated IP address. However, as far as accessibility is concerned, a shared IP is prone to being used by spammers, too, which will result in blacklisting the IP.
