How To Ensure SSL Certificate Works After IP Address Change

Learn how to ensure SSL certificate works correctly after an IP address change. If you’ve recently changed the IP address of your Hosted.com® server, you may be wondering whether your SSL certificate needs to be reissued. The good news is that, in most cases, an IP change does not require reissuing your SSL certificate. However, understanding the details helps ensure your website remains secure and accessible.

How SSL Certificates Work

SSL certificates are tied to your domain name, not the server’s IP address. When a visitor connects to your website using HTTPS, the browser verifies that the SSL certificate matches the domain. The server’s IP address is used for routing traffic, but it does not affect the validity of the SSL certificate itself.

When You Do Not Need to Reissue SSL

• Your domain name remains the same.
• The SSL certificate is already installed and valid.
• DNS records are updated to point to the new server IP.

In these cases, if the domain is correctly resolving to the new IP address, the SSL certificate continues to work without reissue. Visitors will see the padlock and encrypted connection as usual.

When You Might Need to Reissue SSL

While an IP change usually does not require SSL reissuance, there are specific scenarios where reissuing is necessary:

• Server Migration Issues: If your SSL certificate files were not transferred correctly to the new server.
• Intermediate Certificate Problems: Some SSL setups require reinstallation of the full certificate chain after migration.
• Wildcard or Multi-Domain SSL: If you’re using a wildcard or multi-domain SSL and the server configuration changes, you may need to reinstall or reissue to ensure all subdomains are properly covered.

How to Ensure SSL Certificate Works After IP Address Change

Update DNS Records

1. Ensure your domain’s A record points to the new server IP.

2. Allow DNS propagation (usually within a few hours, but up to 24–48 hours).

Verify SSL Installation

3. Check that your SSL certificate is correctly installed on the new server via cPanel → SSL/TLS Manager.

4. Use an online SSL checker to verify proper installation and the certificate chain.

Reissue if Necessary

5. If verification fails or errors appear, reissue the SSL certificate in Hosted.com® cPanel and reinstall it on the new server.

6. For Let’s Encrypt or AutoSSL certificates, you may need to rerun the installation process.

Additional Information

• No Downtime: Typically, changing server IP addresses and updating DNS does not cause SSL downtime, as long as the certificate remains installed and the domain points correctly.
• Browser Cache: Visitors may have to clear their browser cache if they experience certificate warnings after the IP change.
• Wildcard SSLs: Ensure all subdomains are tested after migration to confirm the Wildcard SSL covers them correctly.
• Hosted.com® Support: If you encounter SSL errors after an IP change, Hosted.com® support can verify the certificate and assist with reinstallation or reissue if necessary.
• Security Tip: Always back up SSL certificates before migrating servers to avoid misconfiguration or data loss.