GICT knowledge base
Requesting an IP Address change
Published
Can I request an IP change?
The short answer is: It will be considered but not guaranteed.
Generally speaking, changing your IP address is rarely the best method to resolve a server issue. In many cases, an IP change is not warranted because it doesn’t actually fix the root cause of the problem.
Before you submit a request, it is important to understand what a new IP address can and cannot do.
What an IP change will not do
- It does not correct email issues.
If your emails are going to spam, a new IP often makes things worse. New IPs have zero reputation. According to Hotmail/Outlook Postmaster tools, it takes time for a new IP to be trusted and accepted at remote locations until it starts sending email consistently over some time. Consider Mail.Baby smart host as alternative. - It does not work around remote blocking.
If a remote site has blocked you, changing your IP rarely helps. It is best to find the root cause – does the use case violate the terms of service of the remote site; is too much traffic going? - It does not help with most DoS attacks.
If you are under a Denial of Service attack, changing your IP is usually a temporary fix that fails quickly. Attackers can easily find the new address.
Alternative: Consider adding Scrub DoS Protection to your service, which actually filters the attack traffic rather than just hiding from it.
When an IP change might help
There are a few specific scenarios where an IP change works, though there are often still better technical solutions:
- It may help with certain routing issues (although we have better ways to fix this on the network level).
- It can possibly help with some attacks if the server IP is completely hiddenand there is no way for the new IP to leak out again.
Important Notes on Availability
If you have reviewed the points above and still feel a request is necessary, please keep the following in mind:
- Stock: IP changes depend entirely on our current IP address stock and availability.
- Time: This is not an instant process. IP changes may take up to 24 hours to complete.
If you are unsure if an IP change is the right move for your situation, please reach out to support with your questions first. We can look at the specific error you are seeing and advise on the best solution.