There are various reasons some people decide to mask their IP addresses. These reasons include:
- The decision to hide their geographical location, probably because some sites may not open in their countries except their IP addresses show the accepted countries.
- Preventing web tracking
- Bypassing content filters, blacklisting, or bans
- Avoiding leaving a digital footprint
The following ways can be effective in masking your IP address:
Using a VPN
This is considered the best option. When you desire to go online but you do not want to reveal your geographical location, you can choose to show the world a different IP address. This false IP address is borrowed (used on loan) from the VPN service you are using. Using a VPN gives you various advantages, such as:
- Ability to choose the country or city you want to appear to be
- Gaining private access to some blocked sites
- Having a secure connection
- Enjoying high-speed bandwidth
- Complete usability
There are hundreds of VPNs available for you to choose from. There are free and paid VPNs. The paid VPNs are usually very strong and hard to detect.
Using the Tor Browser
Tor Browser is used by people all over the world to buy products and communicate with others. Tor is considered a darknet; and because it is hard to determine the identity of users of the browser, there are a lot of criminals taking advantage of this opportunity.
The Tor Browser is a software program that you can download to your computer. Each time you go online, your IP address is hidden.
Using a Proxy Server
A proxy server can be used to re-route your browser around a school or company content filter. The browser can be Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, or Internet Explorer. Using free proxies is not very safe. Your internet connection may run slowly. SmartProxy is a solid choice for paid proxy services. Using proxies is also not legal in some countries.
Using Public WiFi
You can easily hide your IP address by tapping into public Wi-Fi. When you use the Wi-Fi of such places as the library, bookstore, hotel lobby, and coffee shop, you’ll be temporarily using their network’s IP address instead of your own. This is why some public places protect their Wi-Fi with secure passwords; they do not want to run the risk of some bad people using their networks to commit internet crimes.
Conclusion
Of all these options, using a VPN is still considered the safest way to mask your IP address; it is very reliable, provided that you are using a strong one. VPN protects you from being spied on or intercepted by some criminals without even you knowing it. These days, with so many scammers and criminals on the internet, it is risky to make online purchases without making sure that you are completely safe. A good VPN will give you that protection. However, ensure that you subscribe to the paid VPNs because hackers can easily bypass the free ones because they are weak. Discovering my ip address is made easier with VPN.
