The difference between SNI SSL and Unique IP SSL

Overview

Everleap offers two ways to serve HTTPS on your site. Both give visitors a secure, encrypted connection. The difference is whether your site has its own IP address.

SNI SSL

Server Name Indication (SNI) SSL allows an SSL certificate to bind to a website using a shared IP address. Using SNI SSL will allow an encrypted and secure HTTPS connection to a website. One thing to bear in mind is while SNI provides a secure connection, it is not compatible with some older web browsers.

Browsers compatible with SNI:

• IE 7 and later
• Chrome 5.0.342.1 and later
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and later
• Opera 8.0 and later
• Safari 3.0 and later

SNI SSL is the default. You can see which mode a site is using under SSL Mode on the site's SSL tab.

IP-based SSL

IP-based SSL binds the SSL certificate to a unique IP address assigned to your site, which makes it compatible with all browsers, including older ones that do not understand SNI. A unique IP address is $15 per month.

Switching to IP-based SSL

1. Log in to the Everleap Control Panel at cp.everleap.com.
2. From the top menu click Shared Sites.
3. On the Shared Cloud Sites Overview page, click Manage next to the applicable site.
4. On the Site Overview page, click the SSL tab.
5. Under SSL Mode, click Upgrade to IP-based SSL.
6. Review the IP-based SSL Add-on page, then click Add IP-based SSL.

Which should you choose?

• Choose SNI SSL unless you have a specific reason not to. It is included at no extra cost and every current browser supports it.
• Choose IP-based SSL if you must support very old browsers or clients, or if something you integrate with requires a dedicated IP address.

Related Articles

• Binding an SSL certificate
• Purchasing and installing a SSL certificate through Everleap
• Creating a CSR and installing a SSL Certificate not purchased through Everleap