If you are active on the Internet, you are probably thinking about how to get away from surveillance and unblock inaccessible web resources. There is a solution, and it is simple – you need to hide your original IP address.
IP masking is the best option to gain anonymity, hide personal data from hackers or fraudsters, and use interesting web resources that are not available in some parts of the world.
In this article, you will find out what effective ways exist to deceive the system, disguise and take full advantage of the possibilities of the World Wide Web.
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Why hide your IP address?
IP address is a number that identifies PCs , laptops or other electronic gadgets connected to the Internet. Therefore, it is very easy to track geolocation at the address. But there are powerful tricks to avoid this. There are several of them.
5 solutions how to encrypt your ip address
- Proxy server.
- Tor browser.
- Access point on a smartphone.
- Public Wi-Fi network.
So let’s find out if the address can be effectively hidden.
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VPN: How To Hide Your IP Address With It
The most convenient, accurate in speed and the most reliable way. To check if this is true, choose a suitable VPN server on the Internet. Download the application to your device, and find a list (in the form of a list or map) of the servers available in the application.
Select the appropriate server and click on it. After a few seconds, you should receive a connection notification. After that, a green program indicator or an icon will appear – this means that the VPN is connected and a virtual IP address is associated with the device. This way, no system recognizes where you are.
As a bonus, a VPN provides excellent speed, which helps out when loading websites, movies, videos or large files. In the table below, we look at popular VPN servers.
| Server | Characteristic | The likelihood of using anonymization |
| Perfect-privacy.com | Differs in open HTTP ports, web proxy and open VPN ports. Has a tunnel, time zone, supports IP hosting provider | 99% |
| Securevpn.pro | Among the main differences: open ports, timezone, tunnel, fingerprint | 99% |
| Purevpn.com | Characterized by the presence of a time zone, IP hosting provider, fingerprint | 99% |
| Expressvpn.com | Ports of web proxy, VPN, IP hosting provider, tunnel | 99% |
VPN has many advantages, including: security, fast connection, large selection of servers.
If we talk about the cons, they relate to free programs (not all) with certain restrictions, slow connection. These offer little protection against hackers, viruses, and other threats.
The main thing when choosing a VPN is to give preference to a proven service with a good reputation and positive reviews. Then the use will be as reliable as possible and will not cause any hassle.
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Proxy server: how to hide the IP address with it
Proxy servers serve as adapters between users and the World Wide Web. If you want to view sites that are open only to certain countries, the proxy will act as a bridge. It will forward the user’s request to access a particular web resource, receive a response, and then send it back.
Among the advantages of proxy servers, there are three experts: they provide privacy, load content faster, and filter dangerous sites.
Disadvantages of proxies: they are slow and not the most reliable, because they do not encrypt your web traffic or hide your activity.
To use a proxy, you need to find the optimal server for yourself. It is better to choose paid ones, since free ones are not as safe and of high quality. Once downloaded, the proxy is configured in four steps.
- To do this, go to the network settings.
- Find the “Ethernet” window and click on it.
- Further, in the advanced settings, the proxy is configured in manual mode.
- Enter the required information: hostname and port.
If everything is done correctly, and you have successfully installed the proxy, then you will receive a message about saving the settings.
TOR browser
Suitable for users who are looking for ways to hide the IP address on a computer and want to ensure confidentiality on the ball. Tor reliably hides the IP address of users, since it passes traffic through several encryptions. However, there is one drawback: the browser performs operations more slowly. If you just want to preserve your privacy when visiting websites, Tor is just the right option.
To use the browser successfully, it is downloaded to the PC. Once Tor is installed, launch it and click the Connect icon. After that, access to the browser will be opened. Then find the Security Setting function and click the High icon. It provides maximum privacy. Then you can safely go to the Internet.
Cons: Tor is slow to download content (especially video and audio). From the risks: the browser does not guarantee one hundred percent protection. Especially if you decide to visit the darknet. This part of the Internet is not regulated at all, so not even Tor will protect you from risks.
Experienced users advise using Tor in conjunction with a VPN. This combination provides high-percentage security, anonymity and quality work.
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Smartphone hotspot: how to hide the IP address
This method is practical and fast. But the downside is that it is only suitable for temporary operations.
Masking through an access point is beneficial if, for example, you need to make a purchase in an online store , while not linking transactions to the original IP. But if you want more, with this option you are not on the way – the new IP does not hide the location and, accordingly, does not provide access to content with a geoblock.
It is easy to activate the AP (access point). To do this, open the settings on the device. In the settings of the AP, indicate the SSID and password. Run it to be active.
This trick is risky because it does not guarantee protection, privacy, and does not hide your location. There is a risk of being targeted by viruses or scammers. This method is best used only for quick operations.
Public Wi-Fi: How to Hide IP Address
It is considered risky because it does not protect against hacker attacks, viruses and other cyber threats. The public network (PS) is best used when absolutely necessary. When using PS, the provider binds the IP address to the device.
To use, activate Wi-Fi on the device. They open a list of active networks, connect to the available one and use it.
On the plus side: you can quickly access the Internet via Wi-Fi right in the restaurant. In this case, it will be difficult to track you, because other users are connected to the network at the same time. Cons: Public Wi-Fi won’t help you fool geo-blocking.
Now you know how to hide your IP address and how to use each of the above techniques. But remember that by far the most reliable and proven VPN is still considered. In any case, use only the one that is proven, safe and convenient for you.
