TL;DRAddresses differ by where they were allocated from. An ISP access line address was handed to a subscriber on that carrier's network; a datacenter block was bought or leased by the provider and announced by it; a shared pool address is rented per unit of traffic and rotates among many users. All three can be sold as 'dedicated', so provenance has to be checked rather than assumed.
The three sources
Almost every address you can buy comes from one of three places, and the difference is not visible in a speed test.
- A real ISP access line: the carrier allocated the address to a subscriber account on its access network. It sits in that carrier's access ASN.
- A provider-announced datacenter block: the provider bought or leased address space and announces it. Technically it is not a datacenter allocation from a hosting company, but it was never handed to a subscriber either.
- A shared pool: a large set of addresses rented out per unit of traffic, rotating among many users, typically with no exclusivity at all.
Side by side
| Attribute | ISP access line | Announced datacenter block | Shared pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the address came from | Carrier access network, allocated to a subscriber | Bought or leased by the provider | A rented pool |
| Exclusivity | One customer per address, verifiable by contract | Usually dedicated | Shared, rotating |
| Stability | Fixed when statically configured; varies when dynamic | Fixed | Session-level, rotates |
| Bandwidth | Capped by the line's upstream, shared per line | Datacenter upstream, ample | Set by the pool, variable |
| Control | Full VPS, root over SSH | Full VPS, root over SSH | Egress only, no machine |
| Billing | Flat monthly | Flat monthly | Per unit of traffic |
| Best for | A fixed, documented egress with full machine control | Servers needing a clean fixed address and high bandwidth | Large volumes of short sessions |
| Poor fit for | High-bitrate video, bulk transfer | Services that specifically distinguish access networks | Anything needing a stable address |
Why 'dedicated' is not the deciding word
All three can be marketed as dedicated, and in two of the three cases that claim can be perfectly true. Dedicated describes exclusivity; it says nothing about where the address came from.
If provenance is irrelevant to your workload, buy on price and bandwidth — a datacenter block is usually the better value. If provenance matters, it is a separate check, and it is the one worth spending your time on.
Choosing between them
- Need high bandwidth and a clean fixed address, and nothing distinguishes access networks for your use? Take a datacenter block. It is cheaper per Mbps and has none of the upstream ceiling.
- Need a large volume of short outbound sessions and no machine? A shared pool is built for that, and a VPS is the wrong shape.
- Need a fixed, documented egress with full control of the machine, and modest bandwidth is acceptable? An ISP access line address fits, and that is the product we sell.
- Not sure? Answer this instead: what breaks if the address changes? Then verify the provenance claim yourself before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a residential and a datacenter IP?
Allocation source. An access-line address was allocated by a consumer ISP to a subscriber account and sits in that carrier's access ASN; a datacenter address belongs to a hosting network. The server hardware is irrelevant to the distinction.
Is a provider-announced IP block the same as an ISP access line?
No. An announced block was bought or leased by the provider and never handed to a subscriber. It is not a datacenter allocation, but it is not an access-line address either — check the ASN and its neighbours.
Which is cheapest?
A shared pool per unit of traffic is cheapest for large short-session volumes; a datacenter block is cheapest per Mbps for a server. An access-line address costs more because the line itself is a fixed monthly cost carrying few addresses.
Can I get high bandwidth on an ISP access line?
Not on a consumer line. Upstream is the constraint — typically around 20 Mbps on our lines, shared among the customers on that line. For high bandwidth a datacenter block is the correct choice.
Can shared-pool IP services be detected?
Often, yes. Specialised services fingerprint pooled egress by observing many unrelated users behind one address. Exclusivity is what breaks that pattern, which is why one-customer-per-address matters more than the label on the product.
Updated 2026-08-25 · Back to Guides · View plans →