What Is Multi-Domain SSL Certificate? – Before We Get Into The Topic ,Lets Learn Some Basic Of This Topic
Can you have multiple SSL certificates for one domain?
On a domain, you can install numerous SSL certificates, but first, a word of warning.
Many people want to know if several SSL certificates can be installed on a single domain. Yes, it is correct. There are a lot of websites that do this. However, there are a few things you should know before attempting to install several SSL certificates on a single domain.
You can install multiple SSL certificates on a domain, but first a word of caution
When two SSL certificates are installed on the same domain, the server is forced to choose which one to serve. In some instances, the server will deliver the most recent certificate installed to visiting browsers, presuming that it is the most secure. The server may rotate the certificates in other instances. It all boils down to personal preference.
What happens if I have two SSL certificates installed?
Keep in mind that different extensions may cause issues with this solution. For example, if your browser includes a plugin that caches SSL certificates, having your site utilize different ones all the time may cause complications.
Why would someone install two SSL certificates on the same server?
The most typical reason is to replace certificates that have expired. For all intents and purposes, when you renew an SSL certificate, you’re actually replacing the one that’s about to expire with a new one. Obviously, you don’t want to remove the expired certificate first, as this will leave your site vulnerable. As a result, most administrators will install the new one first, then uninstall the old one.
Is It Possible to Have Two SSL Certificates for One Domain?
In most circumstances, your domain will only require one SSL certificate. However, in some circumstances, two certificates are required for a single domain. Here’s what you need to know, as well as how to use two certificates on the same domain.
First and foremost, a disclaimer: in this essay, we’re discussing two certificates for the same hostname. Two certificates, for example, for www.mysite.com. You can use multiple SSL certificates or a wildcard SSL certificate if you have several subdomains (like blog.mysite.com and store.mysite.com).
Issuing Two SSL Certificates for the Same Domain
There is no system in place to prevent duplicate certificates for the same domain from being issued. When you renew your SSL certificate, you actually do the same thing – you issue a new certificate while the old one is still alive. As a result, you have two certificates for the same domain, at least for the time being. It’s not uncommon.
So, if you require two SSL certificates for a single domain, simply purchase and install them as usual.
Installing Two Certificates for the Same Domain
You can only install and activate one SSL certificate at a time if you only have a basic hosting setup (a single site hosted on a cPanel hosting account).
There are, however, some configurations that allow you to install multiple certificates at the same time:
Using a content delivery network (CDN). When you use a CDN, each visitor has two SSL connections: one between the visitor and the CDN, and another between the CDN and your web server. You could use two different SSL certificates, one on your web server and one on the CDN if you wanted to. This is a good practice because it separates your private keys’ access. If your CDN is managed by a different team, they will not have access to your web server’s private keys.
Multiple servers are being used. Another time you might want to use two certificates for the same domain is if your website is hosted on multiple servers (behind a load balancer, application request router, etc.). This can assist segregate access and increase security controls once again.
Servers for testing. You might have a separate (offline or IP-restricted) server that you access through your main domain + hosts file changes in some cases. This is a fantastic way to try out new features while still using your own domain. It’s a good idea to utilize a different SSL certificate for your test server in this scenario.
You wouldn’t need to take any unusual steps because you’d be installing the two certificates on different servers in any of the scenarios indicated above.