Every VPS comes with at least one public IP address: the address that DNS records point to, that you SSH into, and that other servers see when your VPS connects to them. Understanding how IPs work on a VPS helps with DNS, email, firewalls, multiple sites and services, and troubleshooting.

Your VPS’s IP address

A VPS normally has a dedicated IPv4 address: it’s yours alone while the service is active (unlike shared hosting, where many sites share one IP). Find it:

ip -4 addr show              # addresses configured on the server
curl -4 ifconfig.me          # the public IP as seen from the internet

See ip command.

The address is also shown in the client area. Point your domain’s A record at it. See point a domain to a VPS.

Static configuration

VPS IPs are static. They don’t change while the service is active. Network settings are usually configured automatically at install (cloud-init, netplan or ifupdown). If you need to change them by hand (for example to add an IP), use the files for your distribution:

  • Ubuntu: netplan (/etc/netplan/*.yaml). See static IP with netplan.
  • Debian: /etc/network/interfaces, or systemd-networkd.
  • RHEL family: NetworkManager (nmcli).

Use the VNC console when changing network settings, so a mistake doesn’t lock you out. See VPS VNC console.

Extra IP addresses

Some workloads need more than one IP:

  • several SSL sites for very old clients (modern browsers use SNI, so one IP is fine for many HTTPS sites);
  • separating services (for example mail on one IP, web on another);
  • multiple game server instances on standard ports;
  • SEO and geo-testing tools, or separating client projects.

VPS.DO offers multi-IP VPS plans in the USA and Hong Kong. See multi-IP VPS.

Add an extra address (example with netplan):

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      addresses:
        - 203.0.113.10/24
        - 203.0.113.11/24
sudo netplan try      # auto-reverts if you lose connectivity

Bind services to specific IPs (listen 203.0.113.11:443; in Nginx). Outgoing connections use the primary IP, unless you configure source routing.

Reverse DNS (PTR records)

Reverse DNS maps an IP back to a hostname (203.0.113.10 → mail.example.com). It matters mostly for email: many mail servers reject or spam-flag mail from IPs without matching reverse DNS.

  • PTR records are set by whoever controls the IP block (your hosting provider), not in your domain’s DNS.
  • On VPS.DO, PTR (rDNS) can be set in the client area for USA VPS plans, which also support outbound mail. See email VPS.

Check it:

dig -x 203.0.113.10 +short

IP reputation

Your IP’s history affects email deliverability and some services (anti-fraud systems, CAPTCHAs):

  • Check blocklists (for example MXToolbox, Spamhaus lookup) if email delivery is poor.
  • Don’t send bulk mail directly from a fresh IP. Use a reputable sending service, or warm up gradually. See email deliverability.
  • Abuse from your server (spam, attacks, aggressive scraping) damages the reputation, and leads to abuse reports. See the legal policies.

IPv4 vs IPv6

IPv4 addresses are scarce, which is why extra IPv4s cost extra. IPv6 provides huge address space, but support varies by provider and plan. Check your plan details before relying on it. Design services so they work on IPv4 first.

Firewalls and allowlists

Static IPs make allowlisting easy: restrict SSH, databases or admin panels to your office IP, or allow your VPS’s IP in third-party APIs (payment providers, exchange API keys). See UFW.

Quick reference

Task Command / place
Show configured IPs ip -4 addr
Public IP curl -4 ifconfig.me
Reverse DNS lookup dig -x <ip> +short
Set PTR Provider’s client area (USA VPS on VPS.DO)
Extra IPs Multi-IP plans (USA, HK)

Related: dedicated IP benefits and DNS records explained.

  • Networking
  • VPS Guide
  • IP Addresses