3 Best Browsers With SNI Support To Use
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Key notes
- SNI is an extension of TLS protocol, which a browser uses to match the correct certificate to a web page amidst multiple of them on a server.Â
- The browsers with this feature allow users to visit any secure website irrespective of the number of SSL certificates on the same IP address.
- The SNI support is not limited to desktop browsers alone but is also available on Mobile versions.
TLS is the standard security protocol for protecting websites and some other web services. It is available on most web servers and, as such, is supported by the vast majority of browsers.
The TLS handshake occurs between a browser and the web server where a website is hosted to keep users’ data secure on the internet. His process requires the hostname of the page to match that on the certificate provided by the server.
But this became increasingly difficult as users now host more than one certificate on a single IP address on a server. As a result, the server might provide a wrong certificate, leading to problems like handshake failed returned SSL error code on browsers.
SNI was introduced to indicate the certificate’s name needed in the handshake process. He solved the problem, as the server now knows the certification to provide for verification.
However, not all browsers have this feature. Thankfully, we have gathered the best browsers with SNI support that you can use on all your devices.
What is SNI & when do you need to use it?
Server Name Indication (SNI) is a TLS security protocol extension. It allows you to use a single IP address to host multiple SSL certificates.
SNI is needed when hosting multiple websites with SSL certificates on a single IP address on a web server. It specifies the certificate’s hostname that the server should supply for the TLS handshake process.
Hosting multiple websites on a single Internet Protocol (IP) address is a common feature due to the limited number of addresses available and the cost involved. Hence, it would be best if you mostly used it.
Is web SNI required?
SNI is required if each website won’t have an IP address to itself. As explained above, only SNI allows the browser to indicate the hostname being contacted on the server.
However, if a website has its unique address, SNI is not needed.
What is the difference between SAN and SNI?
Subject Alternative Name (SAN) is a part of the X509 certificate spec, allowing multiple host names to use a single certificate. This certificate provides a field where you can fill alternative titles of the primary hostname.
This alternative names field is where you fill in the hostnames of your other websites. It saves you the cost of having different security certificates for all your websites.
On the other hand, SNI is a TLS extension that sends the name of the security certificate needed to verify a web page to the server.
While SAN allows you to use a single certificate for many websites, SNI helps simplify having many security certificates on a single IP address.
What are the best browsers with SNI support?
Opera One
Being one of the most secure modern-day browsers, Opera One has long since provided SNI support. However, not all its versions have this feature.
It is available on Opera 8.0 (2005) and above on desktops. Note that you need to enable the TLS 1.1 protocol to use it.
The SNI feature is available on mobile starting from the Opera 10.1 beta version on Android.
⇒ Get Opera One
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is also one of the leading browsers in terms of security. It provides the SNI support on Chrome version 6 and newer on Windows XP and above.
Also, the feature is available on Chrome version 5.0.342.1 and above on macOS X 10.5.7 and later.
⇒ Get Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox has been providing SNI support since its 2.0 browser versions. As a result, his feature is automatically enabled out of the box.
It works on all devices, including Windows, macOS, or mobile versions. The only condition is that it has to be Firefox 2.0 and above.
⇒ Get Firefox
Which TLS version supports SNI?
TLS 1.2 is the widely accepted version that offers SNI support. Though all TLS versions mostly have the SNI extension unless stated otherwise, you can sometimes encounter errors on TLS 1.
Hence, you should upgrade to TLS 1.2 to fully enjoy the features.
Browsers with SNI support allow you to visit all secure websites irrespective of their IP address. e has curated four of the best to ensure you never get unnecessary error messages on valid websites.
Are you facing issues like Windows Server could not create an SSL/TSL secure channel? Then check our guide on how to solve it.
Feel free to let us know any worthy browser that misses our list in the comments below.
