How to hide my IP address?
No matter which electronic device you are reading in this article, it is assigned an IP address. This address is how this website knew where to send the webpage you are viewing right now.
When the device connects to the Internet, it receives an IP address. This allows other devices on the Internet to know which computer sent a request for information, so it knows who is responding to it. It works great, and it’s the primary technology that directs information on the Internet.
Unfortunately, the same IP address that allows for web communications allows third parties to track, monitor, log, and block your online activities. Third parties can use it to even discover your actual location.
That’s why it’s a good idea to hide your IP.
There are several ways to hide your real IP while online, and in this article, I’ll go into each one and discuss the pros and cons of each method. I will also explain what an IP address is, what it does, and why you should take care of the entire process.
What is an IP address?
As you probably know, the Internet is a vast global network of computers, mobile devices, game consoles, smart TVs, and even refrigerators.
Each of these devices is assigned an IP address when it connects to the Internet.
An IP address is a unique 32-bit number assigned to a connected device, allowing other devices on the Internet to recognize it. All of this works like your home address or workplace.
The IP address is assigned in the following format: XXXX, where the value of x can be any number from 0 to 255. (This is known as the IPv4 format. There is also another format for IP addresses, known as the IPv6 format, that allows the identification of a greater number of connected devices, but this is an article for another day.)
Now, if Mr. Clark Kent expects to receive express mail at his physical address, he should know everyone that his address is “344 Clinton St., Apt. # 3B, Metropolis.” If he wants to send and receive information from the Internet, his calling device will need to an address as well.
Let’s say the address assigned to his computer is 18.104.22.168. Going forward, any time another device on the Internet sees a request from that address, it will respond to that address with the requested information. Believe me; it all happens much faster than it appears.
I mentioned before that each IP address is unique. It should be the case, because if two devices try to use the same address, an address conflict will occur, and the other devices won’t know where to send the information to.
IP addresses are assigned to geographic regions all over the world. They are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) via Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). Within its borders, each country is assigned a set of addresses.
If you know what to look for, you can easily find out what country the device is in by looking at the IP address of the device.
Basic takeaway: An IP address identifies the computer or device connected to the Internet, and can be used to narrow your physical location. Keep this in mind – it will make things easier to understand in the following sections of this section.
Okay, but why would I want to hide my IP address?
There are some reasons why you may want to hide your IP address from other users on the Internet.
In this section, we will discuss the reasons why you might want to hide your IP address from other users on the network. Some are related to security, while others are related to your comfort and leisure options.
)Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to use the internet like you always did – other people won’t be able to discover your location or monitor your online behavior(
1- To hide your location
If someone can view your IP address, they can actually get a good idea of what your actual location is. They may not be able to find your front door, but they can narrow your location down to your zip code.
Have you ever visited a website and seen ads on the site, showing ads to local merchants and services? He didn’t pay much of the domestic used cars to display his ads around the world. Instead, those ads are geo-targeted in a specific region. But how do they know where you are?
That’s a lot of information, isn’t it? Info people can find out all of that just with your IP address? OK!
This is just a little creepy. Your IP address can be used to target you with ads, specials, translated content, and more – including DDoS attacks, but more on that later.
2-To overcome IP restrictions at work or school – or the entire country
If you are a regular visitor to Pixel Privacy, then you know that there are tons of content blockers happening out there.
Whether your employer is blocking your favorite fictional football site or bans your school Netflix or League of Legends from putting your opinion in your studies, it seems that there are always some third parties or other blocking content.
Your government can block some websites and services, whether that is due to a misguided desire to keep their citizens pure of heart or simply to prevent them from obtaining information that allows them to understand what is really going on within their borders.
3-To overcome roadblocks put in place by Netflix or other online services
As if the roadblocks put in place by your employer or the governments of your country weren’t bad enough, the services themselves often put up roadblocks as well.
In normal English, this means that a DDoS attack either slows down the victim’s online connection by crawling or turns off completely. The user is no longer able to access websites; stream videos, stay connected to game servers, or do any other online activity.
While the technology has mostly been used to launch attacks on high-profile websites run by online merchants, banks, and credit card companies, it has also become a popular tool for less honest players looking to score an easy victory by flooding their competitors’ connections with the attack.
- To protect your anonymity
If you are online, someone is trying to track you.
Whether it is your internet service provider (ISP), government or law enforcement, or the suspicious person or person on the next table in the coffee shop – someone looking to track your activities online
If you live in the United States, your ISP can sell information about your browsing habits to third parties without your permission.
The government in the United States has become increasingly intrusive when it comes to tracking the travels of its citizens online, all under the guise of protecting you from terrorist activity.
Is this guy or gal in the cafe? They simply want to steal any kind of information they can get from you – whether it’s your Amazon.com login and password, your account, or credit card verification information – so they can use it to order free stuff or sell the information up.
And let’s not forget how you can determine your general geographic location simply by revealing the IP address of your device.
How to hide your IP address
There are many ways to hide your IP address from other users on the web, and some work well than others.
In this section, we’ll discuss 4 methods you can use to mask your IP, as well as the pros and cons of each.
- Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
It is arguably the best and most convenient way to use a VPN available today to hide the real IP address and its accompanying online activities from prying eyes.
In short, VPN:
Hides your real IP address, blocking a common way to reveal your physical location
Encrypts your internet traffic, preventing any nosy outside parties from discovering your activities
Allow access to restricted content, including Netflix, other geographically restricted streaming services.
It provides a safe way to engage in torrent activity and prevent your ISP attorney or entertainment makers from discovering it.