You may also choose to hide your IP address if you are concerned about your privacy on the web in general and want to make sure that there are no websites or cybercriminals tracking you.įinally, users who want to connect with a private business or home network may also choose to use a VPN. If you use a VPN, you can make a secure connection to the network and keep your activities private. The first is if you’re using public Wi-Fi, because your browsing activity might be accessible to anyone nearby. There are a few scenarios when you may want to hide your IP address.

That’s why we suggest that you use a VPN. It’s different from a VPN in that it doesn’t encrypt, or scramble, your information, making it less secure. The proxy can be either a computer or a piece of software that performs this function.

It receives a request from your device and then retrieves that information from the target server. So, if you are in Los Angeles, for instance, the software can connect you to a server in London, hiding your actual location since your traffic appears to originate in London.Ī proxy server is different in that it acts like a middleman between your device and the server you are trying to connect with. This is a piece of software that allows you to create a secure connection to another server over the internet, so your data appears to come from the server you connect to. VPNs are the most common tools used by consumers to mask their IP addresses. There are two main ways to hide your IP address: by using a virtual private network ( VPN), or a proxy server.

But hiding your IP address for this purpose is not something we advocate. IP addresses are also used to restrict access to content, such as streaming services that are only available in certain locations. An example of this would be so-called “ spyware,” which can covertly log the sites you visit. Your data can also be potentially sold to third parties without your consent, or used to spy on you if someone has malicious intent. Webpages may choose to store this information to learn more about you and your interests for marketing purposes. Since your IP address is needed to surf around the web, it can act as a fingerprint of your online activities.

With these two pieces of information networks and websites can both route data to you and check that you have permission to access it. Your IP address is made up of a string of four groups of numbers, such as 192.172.33.1, which identifies both the network you are on and the device you are using. Think of this as your address on the internet - a location where you receive mail and other data such as webpages, images, and mesages.

Do i need to hide my ip address