---
title: "Public and private IPs on a node"
description: "The kinds of IP address a node can carry, default, add-on, IPv6, Floating, and VPC, and how to keep one after deleting the node."
content_type: "concept"
product: "node"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/node/concepts/public-and-private-ips/"
---

# Public and private IPs on a node

A node normally carries a public IP and a private IP from the moment you create it. You can add more addresses of several kinds afterward, each for a different job.

## The default public and private IP

Most nodes get one public IP and one private IP as soon as they are created. E1-series nodes are the
exception: they start with a private IP only, and get a public address when you attach a reserved IP
during creation, or a public IP later. Wherever the portal has no IP address to show for a node, it
reads **Not Assigned**.

You can detach a node's public IP if you no longer need it reachable from the internet; the node
keeps its private IP either way. Before you do, detach every Add-on IP, and clear or transfer any
license still bound to the IP, such as cPanel, BitNinja, FortiGate, or Webuzo. See [Detach the
public IP](/myaccount/node/how-to/detach-the-public-ip/) for that task.

To attach or detach any IP, public, add-on, IPv6, or floating, remove the node's lock first.

## Add-on public IPv4

A node can carry more than one public IPv4 address. The **Network** tab's section for extra
public IPv4 addresses only appears once the node already has its primary one. Adding another
means attaching a reserved IP from your account; see [Attach a reserved
IP](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-reserved-ip/).

## IPv6

IPv6 is available for nodes in Delhi. You can turn it on when you create the node, where it
becomes the node's default public IP, or attach an IPv6 address afterward. A node can have up
to 8 active IPv6 addresses at once; that is the only limit, regardless of the node's family or
region. See [Attach an IPv6 address](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-an-ipv6-address/).

## Floating IP

A Floating IP is a public IP that can move between nodes. Attaching one to a node shows which
other nodes are already using it, so you can see where it is moving from. Reach for a Floating
IP when the address itself needs to survive a move to a different node later, for example
during a failover. Reach for an add-on IPv4 when you need another fixed address on this
same node. A Floating IP can be attached to at most 4 resources at once, separate from a node's own
3-connection cap; if attaching one says the limit is reached, detach it from one of the
others first. See [Attach a Floating IP to a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-floating-ip/)
for the steps. Reserve and manage your account's IPs, including Floating IPs, from [Reserved
IP](/myaccount/reserved-ip/).

## VPC private IPs

Attaching a node to a VPC gives it a private IP on that network, on top of its default private IP.
Attach one when you want the node to reach other nodes over a private network you control, rather
than over the public internet. A VPC marked **Default** has an E2E provided range of 512 IPs with no
subnets. A **Custom** VPC lets you set your own CIDR, subnets, and IP addresses instead, useful once
you want to segment your own network differently. CIDR is the notation that describes a network's
address range, like `203.0.113.0/24`. A node can have up to 3 private network connections in total,
counting its own default private IP. Within that total, a node holds at most 2 private IPs from one
VPC or one subnet; at 2, the attach dialog greys out that choice. See [Attach a node to a
VPC](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-node-to-a-vpc/) for that task, and [VPC](/myaccount/vpc/) for
how VPCs themselves work.

## Reserving an IP so it survives node deletion

A running node's current public IP can be reserved so it stays yours even after the node is
deleted. That costs a monthly charge, instead of the IP returning to the pool. Manage a
reserved IP, including one reserved this way, from [Reserved IP](/myaccount/reserved-ip/).