Networking5 min read
Static addresses, and whether you need one
What a dedicated address actually buys you, when a shared one is fine, and the two cases where it stops being optional.
Most servers do not need a dedicated address. They need a stable name, which is a DNS record, and the two get confused constantly. If your players connect by hostname, the address underneath can change without anybody noticing.
When it matters
- Somebody else has to allow-list you by address - a payment provider, an API, a corporate firewall.
- You need the default port and cannot share it with another tenant.
- Reputation matters, as with outbound mail, where you want to own the address's history.
When it does not
A game server reached by hostname, a website behind a proxy, or anything where the port number is part of the connection string anyway. In those cases a dedicated address is a line on an invoice and nothing else.