Imagine this scenario; a stranger comes to your house and goes through your closet in front of you. What would you do? You might want to kick that person out of your home. Your IP address is the same as your home; you don’t want some strangers to snoop around on your activity. Millions and millions of people are online every day. There is a good chance of getting hacked and having your data stolen. You don’t want that to happen to you. So, how can we enjoy the internet while being anonymous?
The only way to remain anonymous is to mask your IP address. This ultimate guide will help you choose the right options to help you hide your IP address and remain anonymous.
Before we dive into the core of the guide, let’s get familiar with some basics.
IP stands for Internet Protocol and is a unique numerical address to identify electronic devices connected to the internet. An IP address is an identifier to send data between devices connected to the network and help to communicate with each other. This IP address becomes a location tag for your device(s).
An IP address looks like this: “188.141.1.38” it consists of an array of numbers separated by periods. The syntax will be; 4 sets of numbers, each set of numbers ranging from 0 to 255. So, the maximum limit will be 255.255.255.255.
There are two types of IP addresses for your devices depending on whether the status of the network is online or offline.
This type of IP address for your device is unique to your device within your network; a private IP address is used for offline communication, meaning it remains private among your other devices.
The public IP address takes the stage once your network starts communicating with other networks via the internet. Similar to a private IP address, a public IP address is also unique to your device. The other devices share these IP addresses in your network.
As mentioned above, there are two types of IP addresses, private and public. There are two steps to identifying your IP address:
Generally, IP addresses are not randomly generated by your ISP-Internet Service Provider. The Internet Assigned Number Authority(IANA) is responsible for developing and distributing IP addresses to Regional Internet Registries-RIR. They are responsible for distributing a block of IP addresses to ISPs.
People who have access to the IANA, RIR database are able to track your IP address. This can be done by your ISPs
Uber is using your information to track your ride and your location. When you book your ride with Uber, you will get a notification. This notification will ask you to permit sharing your location. Once you allow access, Uber collects the data through your IP address and finds you the best ride and route.
Now that you have a better idea of the IP address and how it is used to track your location, let’s explore the methods you can use to mask your IP address so you can surf the internet without worry.
You can mask your IP address by doing one of the following methods:
A proxy server is a middleman in-between your local system to targeted websites. Proxy takes your access request and sends it to the targeted website, then returns it with the user’s access. Instead of two-way communication, a proxy helps achieve three-way communication, i.e., you, proxy, and the internet. The proxy masks your IP address with its IP address. There are three types of proxies:
It is similar to a proxy. Instead of one connection, there will be two or more proxy connections. Together, these connections forward your link to targeted websites in the form of a chain. A thing to remember is that chain-link proxies must be fast and reliable. If one fails, the whole chain will fail. A proxy chain is a better and much more profound way of masking IP addresses. The main disadvantage here is that the connection speed will take a hit due to two or more proxies involved. If you are looking for more anonymity and do not mind the speed of the network, a proxy chain is an excellent way to mask your IP address.
Tor is an anonymity browser being managed by the United States Federal Agency. Tor isolates each website that you visit from the network. This way, third-party software and bloatware do not follow you. Once you are done with your search, Tor deletes all your cache memories so that you don’t leave any footprints. Behind the screens, Tor encrypts your information three times when your data passes over Tor relays. There are 1000s of Tor relays in the Tor network. You can download Tor free of charge and use it immediately. If you want a browser with all your activity encrypted, Tor is a good choice.
A VPN-Virtual Private Network is the same thing as a proxy but with security. A VPN helps you mask your IP address and your fingerprint on the internet. It controls your internet traffic by routing it through an encrypted tunnel. This tunnel enables you to protect your data from other entities like the government, hackers, and even ISP. A VPN is an excellent way to mask your IP address if you travel a lot. A VPN allows you to change your choice’s location and helps you access restricted content and hide your IP address.
Now you have options to mask your IP address, but another way to hide your IP address is by combining the methods mentioned above. It is possible to combine proxy and Tor; it will add a layer of anonymity online.
It is difficult to trace your data and location when you mask your IP address. With your IP address hidden, you can surf the internet without worrying about your data being stolen.
By using proxies, it is possible to encrypt your IP address. Proxies help mask your IP address by providing its address as a source.
No, you cannot be tracked when you are using proxies, but if you are using free proxies or low-quality proxies, then there is a possibility that hostile entities can trace you.
