Your IP address is a string of numbers that is unique to your device and lets people know where you are. Everyone who uses the internet has one, and it can be seen on the sites they visit every day.
On the other hand, the government, your Internet service provider (ISP), and marketers are all competing to find your IP address.
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Why Hide Your IP?
The most obvious reason is that you want to hide where you are. We all agree, though, that you can do more. Here are three good things that can happen when you hide your IP address.
Protection against marketers
You’ve probably seen ads that match exactly what you’re doing on the internet. Well, marketers track your digital footprint using your IP address to find out what you’re most interested in. Then they can send you ads and offers that are just for you.
Access to geo-restricted content
Because of geo-blocks, you won’t be able to watch some of your favorite shows or movies, especially on streaming services. But if you hide your IP address, you can get to your favorite content from any place.
Bypass network restrictions
With a hidden IP address, you can get around network rules like those in libraries and schools. Yes, you should keep people from seeing your IP address. It’s hard to find out how to hide your IP address from websites when there are so many resources online.
Use a Proxy Server
One of the best ways to hide your IP address and stay safe and private is to use a proxy. A proxy server has its own IP address and acts as a middleman between your devices and the internet.
Now, when you use a proxy, all of your requests for the internet go through the proxy server first. Then, the proxy server connects to the internet. At the same time, once all the answers from the web servers have been gathered, it sends them back to you. This makes sure that your level of anonymity is increased.
Also, each residential proxy is tied to a specific location and gives access to content that is only available in that location. In short, you should set up a proxy in your browser to protect your privacy and safety online.
Use a VPN Service
The most common way to hide your IP address is to use a VPN. The best way to hide your IP address today is to use a VPN. Security.org says that this has caused the number of VPN users to rise from 72% in 2020 to 88% in 2022.
A VPN is software that encrypts all the information you send to and from the internet and sends it back through a VPN server in another place. The VPN server is the link between your device and the web. This hides your IP address by putting the server’s IP address in its place.
Well, if you use a VPN that doesn’t keep logs and has encryption that can’t be changed, you won’t be hacked and your information won’t get out on the internet. Also, if you want to hide your IP address on websites for free, there are free VPNs you can use.
Request a New IP
IP addresses are given out by your Internet service provider (ISP). All you have to do is pick up the phone and call your ISP. But first, you need to make sure you have your account information on hand.
Most of the time, it’s not hard to get a new IP address, but they don’t stay the same forever. Because there are only a limited number of IP addresses, they are always being reused.
Dynamic IP addresses are what you call these short-term IP addresses. But there are also IP addresses that don’t change, which are called “static IP addresses.”
Use a NAT Firewall
A network address translation firewall ensures that all devices on the same network share the same public address. At the same time, each device will have its own private address. Also, they send your information and requests from your private IP addresses to your online destination using the router’s public address. In exchange, the address space stays the same.
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Switch your Network
When you switch networks, your IP address changes as well. This happens a lot because most IP addresses are temporary and change all the time.
So, if you think that someone has tracked you, blocked you, or hacked your IP address, you can easily change it by switching networks. On the other hand, you can connect to a WiFi network that is open to the public. But there are some risks.
For example, many people can connect to public WiFi at the same time without being checked. Different people are behind these connections, and none of them care about your privacy.
Reset your Router
Routers are used by millions of people all over the world to connect to the internet. Statista says that by 2027, the global Wi-Fi router market share will be worth more than $20 billion.
Just unplug your router or reset it. This will fix the problem, but you will have to open the router for a few minutes. Most routers come with dynamic IP addresses, which are IP addresses that change over time.