Effective ways to hide your IP address and stay anonymous in (2022)

On the topic of anonymity online, it’s worth starting with the concept of an IP address, or unique identifier of a device on the network. In simple terms, an IP address is the unique “license plate” of a device connected to the Internet. Sometimes it’s necessary to hide this unique numerical sequence in order to bypass geo-blocking, protect personal data or gain access to streaming and other services (Hulu, Netflix and others), which are not available in our region. Tampering with or hiding the IP address may be necessary in some countries with strict internet censorship. This will allow you to stay connected despite all the restrictions.

In short, hiding IP address is an ideal way to protect your privacy and achieve true digital freedom, as well as to keep personal information from hackers, advertising companies and third parties. Next, let’s talk about the most effective tools that will allow you to remain anonymous online.

VPN – easy, fast, versatile and the most secure option
Among the many tools for anonymity, VPN services are considered the most reliable. To hide your IP address, all you have to do is download one of the many apps, launch it, and select geolocation. Popular VPN services have separate programs for all the most popular platforms: Windows, iOS, Android, etc. A VPN network will effectively hide your real address by assigning your device a virtual IP address and location somewhere on the edge of the earth.

The main advantage of VPN technology is the excellent speed of Internet connection, the user won’t even notice the difference in speed when VPN is on and off. Using other methods of hiding the address, the user will have to live with rather slow downloads of videos, sites and files. This is especially important when a VPN is specifically set up to watch streaming services.

With a VPN, you can safely share torrent files, because there is no way to trace the real IP address. Some providers offer advanced functionality, such as P2P mode of operation. Buying the services of a VPN provider, you can not worry about various speed limits or traffic, malicious viruses, data theft and other dangers.

Tor – free IP masking
Using Tor technology you can get full network anonymity. However, it is worth to say that you can not work with torrent and watch streaming services with it. Tor – a huge network of servers located in every corner of the world, which are engaged in enthusiasts. All user traffic is encrypted several times and passes through several servers at once. This combination makes detecting a real IP address a near-impossible task.

Tor can not provide great speed, which is due to the principle of work – the constant encryption and decryption of user traffic. Therefore, the network is recommended to use only in cases where you need complete confidentiality of data and anonymity when accessing certain resources.

Mobile Internet is only a temporary solution
When public Wi-Fi networks are not available, you can change the IP address directly via a smartphone connected to a mobile network. But there is one serious drawback – the cost and limited amount of traffic, even if an unlimited rate is specified. You will not be able to download very large files. It is recommended to use mobile network only in case of extreme need, when there is a suspicion that the real IP address is leaked. Then, when you connect the mobile Internet, the device will get a new address.

Proxy server is an insecure and very slow method
This method is used by many to access various geo-blocked content. For example, you need to watch a movie or video that is not available in a particular region. In this case, a proxy server is suitable, which intercepts a website request and then redirects it through the server with the IP address of the country where the content is freely available.

Proxy servers have some serious disadvantages – the complete lack of traffic encryption and slow speed. A VPN is much better in this respect. Also, a proxy cannot hide user activity from the provider, so it is not good for downloading torrent files. Most streaming services, like Hulu, easily detect devices with a connected proxy, and then quickly block access.

A public Wi-Fi network is the riskiest way
When using a public network, the IP address is assigned by the Internet service provider itself. Accordingly, different networks will have different addresses. This method is suitable when you need to temporarily and quickly change the IP address. Since a large number of devices are connected to the public networks at once, it is not possible to associate a specific network activity with a particular user.

Connecting through public networks is a very risky action because the user is completely unprotected against viruses, hacker attacks, and other cyberthreats. To reduce the risk from such actions, it is worth additionally using a VPN on the device. It is also worth adding that public Wi-Fi is not capable of overcoming geo-blocks.

Changing your IP address via your ISP’s customer service
Many ISPs prescribe their users an IP address. Therefore, it’s not difficult to ask for it to be changed. To do so, you must contact your ISP directly and provide your information. Changing the IP address in this way will not solve the problem of cybersecurity and geo-blocking.

If your service provider uses dynamic IP-address technology, it means that soon it will change again. In that case, you need to connect a static IP address for a fee.

Reboot your modem
Sounds a bit silly, but in case your ISP uses a dynamic IP, it’s quite a working way to change your address. It works in the following way: when disconnecting the Internet – the connection to the current IP address is lost, and when you reconnect – the user’s device is assigned a new identifier.

The modem must be off as long as possible, which increases the likelihood of changing the IP address. The method is not particularly reliable, so it is recommended to use it last.

NAT firewall – hiding private IP address
This method helps to hide the private IP address only. With Network Address Translation different devices in the same network can hide their network identifier while using the same public IP address. That is, several devices connected to the same router will show up with the same public IP address.

The NAT firewall has one advantage – it prevents any harmful data from the network, such as viruses and malware, from getting to the user’s device.

Manual update of the IP address
In most cases the network ID is visible to everyone. However, when connecting via ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, there is additionally a hidden IP address. In case of manual update only the hidden address changes, the public address remains the same.

Conclusion

Today’s technology offers many different ways to hide your real address. However, it is difficult for them to compete with the really powerful VPN services that provide complete anonymity on the network. In addition, reliable security protocols guarantee user privacy on the web.

A VPN maintains a high-speed connection that most other methods of hiding a network identifier do not. These services give access to any content, regardless of geolocation, support strong encryption and do not restrict torrents in any way.

In the end, it is worth adding that hiding your real address is not against the law at all. Even in China, which has its own “great firewall” and strict censorship of the Internet, using VPN-services is quite legal. Many people believe that hiding a network identifier is only necessary for spies and crooks who are hiding from justice. However, today, anonymity on the web – is the rule of good manners, we can say the digital hygiene. After all, cybercriminals do not doze off, inventing more and more sophisticated illegal schemes to defraud citizens.

11.02.22

Written by: Carl J. Jones