What is an anycast IP address?

An anycast IP address is the same IP address announced from two or more physical locations, usually in geographically separate areas. Anycast IP addresses were for the most part, usually used for DNS queries to deliver faster lookup times no matter where your users in the world were. In the past few years, anycast IP addresses have also been used to serve content from the same IP address making delivery and load times faster for users in geographically diverse areas needing to access the same, or sometimes different content, but using the same IP address. This allows a website in the United States to load just as quickly in Europe using the same content and same IP address, they are announcing the IP address in both locations and you are being routed to the closest IP address. Anycast IP addresses can be used for any applications that require announcing the same IP address in different locations allowing lower latency and faster speeds for a local market.

Mean Servers allows 1 free anycast IP address for clients that subscribe to the same VPS package (512MB of RAM or greater) in all available Mean Servers locations. Those with an anycast IP address issued through Mean Servers are required to keep accounts in all locations we offer if they wish to waive our anycast monthly fee. When we open new locations, clients must purchase an additional service package in that particular location if they wish to keep their free anycast IP address. If a client chooses not to subscribe to a new location, their anycast IP address will continue to work but they will be moved to the paid anycast plan which costs $5/month. Our paid anycast plan is available on any plan combination, including our smaller plans and costs $5/mo.

Mean Servers routes anycast IP address to clients normal IP addresses which allows clients to pick and choose locations should they wish not to subscribe to services in certain locations.


Mean Servers only supports IPv4 anycast IP addresses at this time although we hope to add IPv6 anycast IP addresses to our services in the near future.
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