How To Safely Hide Your IP Address?

How To Safely Hide Your IP Address?

If the Internet for you is not just entertainment and pleasant pastime, but a place where you earn money, then probably you are concerned about how to hide your IP address. It can be the other way around: you can't access certain websites because they are banned in your country or at work. There are a lot of ways to remove these restrictions, but the best of them is proxy.

In this article we will explain what an IP address is, why you need to hide it, and how using proxies helps with it.

What Is An IP Address and How Do I Know It?

What Is An IP Address and How Do I Know It?

If you are at home or at work right now, you probably have a mailing address. Even if you are on a park bench, Google can determine your coordinates, that is, the exact location where you are located.

It's a similar situation with your online presence. An IP address is a special label that is assigned to any device connected to the Internet. It is a sequence of numbers separated by dots. Finding out the IP address is easy enough. If you are using a laptop or a computer with the Windows operating system, it is enough to press the key combination "Win+R", then enter the command "cmd" and in the window that appears type "ipconfig". Further in the received information find "IPv4 Address" and you will see your IP address.

If you are using an Android phone, the sequence of actions is a little different. First, you will have to go to "Settings" and select "About Device". Next, find the "Status" item, which displays your IP address.

On the iPhone, the sequence of actions is about the same. You will have to select "Settings", then go to "Wi-Fi" and select the network you are connected to. Next, you tap the icon (i) that is next to it and you will see your IP address.

You can also find out your IP address using one of the online verification services. This is available from any device. For example, use whatismyipaddress.com.

What Сan Be Found Out Through an IP Address?

Why hide your IP address when it's just a sequence of numbers that doesn't represent your geographical location and doesn't say anything about you? It really doesn't. Knowing your IP address can tell you a lot of things. For example, your location.

An IP address can tell you your approximate location, including country, region, city, and even approximate coordinates (latitude and longitude). An IP address can reveal information about the ISP through which the user accesses the Internet. This is useful for determining the type of connection and its quality. If the user is doing something illegal, intelligence agencies may contact the ISP to request information about the user's name and physical location.
Information about the type of connection (e.g. wireless, mobile) can also be extracted from the IP address.
There are some online services that can match certain IP addresses with activity history. For example, an IP address may be associated with websites that you have visited previously.
Based on the IP address, blocking or restricting access to certain online resources may be imposed. For example, geographic restrictions may be applied to access content.

Why Hide the IP Address?

Perhaps you want to protect your privacy for whatever reason and do not want anyone to have access to your personal information. That is your right. Indeed, perhaps you are visiting some political or other websites and you want to protect yourself in case of possible checks or just for fun.
IP address masking is an effective tool that helps you protect yourself from cyber attacks and identity theft. If you work online, store cryptocurrency online, or are the author of a popular YouTube channel, it is crucial for you to ensure the security of your email and other data. In such a case, it's worth worrying about making sure that your personal data doesn't fall into the hands of hackers and ransomware in any way. Hiding your IP address is a great way to do this.
Some organizations, both companies and educational institutions, have restrictions on websites. For example, some schools and universities block access to social media. And organizations may not allow access to news and entertainment resources. In this case you can't do without proxies, when you use them, your traffic passes through a special server and then is directed to the blocked website. Thus, you get the opportunity to visit sites that are forbidden for you.
IP address masking allows you to bypass geographical restrictions. For example, your country may not allow access to a particular social network or set of websites. No problem! By using a proxy, you actually substitute your IP address, and as a result, you can access the online resources you need.

How Do I Hide My IP Address?

There are different and very effective ways to make your IP address private, i.e. hidden.

Using a connection via public Wi-Fi networks. Of course, this is not the most reliable way to use the internet, but still if you enable IPv6 switching, it will help you hide your IP address, as your device will actually be assigned a different IP address.
Using anonymous search engines, such as DuckDuckGo. If you use search engines frequently, you are definitely leaving your mark on the web. You can stop doing this by going to the anonymous search engine DuckDuckGo. It does not require registration, does not show annoying advertising blocks, very fast and very convenient. Moreover, it doesn't save your search history or your personal information.
Extensions for Google Chrome and other browsers. At one time, the Opera browser offered quite a popular service - VPN. Firefox and other browsers have also done it. Such extensions usually provide free access using 50-100 Megabytes, after which you have to buy a paid subscription.
TOR network. If you need complete anonymity, you can use the Tor browser. True, it works quite slowly, as traffic is redirected through a number of servers. Yes, this way you can hide your IP address, but you will have to sacrifice comfort and speed.
VPN is a very popular and affordable method, which is why some states block the activities of VPN services and even consider their use illegal.
Proxy is the optimal option. In fact, a proxy server is an intermediary between you and the target site. When you go to some website, it doesn't see your IP address, as the proxy server connects to it instead. Thus, both your personal data and your real IP address remain inaccessible and untraceable.

What Is the Right Way to Hide Your IP Address?

It is not enough to simply choose one of the methods described above. It is important to pay attention to a number of parameters that determine the comfort of access to the Internet.

Cost. There are different payment options - per day, per week, per month or per year. Usually, the longer you use the service, the cheaper it costs you. It is optimal when you can conduct a full test.
Support. It's always good when you have the option of contacting support. It may not be necessary, but when employees are willing to talk to you, it shows that the company that provides the service is serious and responsible.
Network size. If the network you are going to work with has a wide geography, that is, it is represented in a large number of countries, it will allow you to access a large number of resources. In addition, you will be able to choose a specific server in order to access certain sites.
How easy it is to use. If you are not an experienced computer user, you may have difficulty with the method you choose. Therefore, use the instructions or initially choose a method that is simple and clear for you.
Speed. This is probably one of the most important indicators. The connection should not slow down. You should comfortably use the Internet and not notice that your IP address is hidden.

Conclusions

The best option to safely hide your IP address is using proxies. If you need high-quality and reliable proxies, use the services of KeyProxy.

This is a business-level mobile proxy provider. Stable uptime of 99.8%, speed 3-90 Mbit/s and fast IP sweep in just 3 seconds make them the best choice on the market!