Block Your IP Address
If you don't want to be tracked while browsing the internet, you will have to hide your IP address. There are several ways to do this, from downloading and installing VPN software to using web-based proxies. This article will guide you through the various processes of blocking your IP address. It will also help you gain a better understanding of how IP addresses and proxies work.
Contents
Steps
Understanding Proxies
- Understand how an IP address works. Anytime you connect to the Internet, your computer is assigned a long number called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. This IP address is transmitted to any servers that you visit and is logged on those servers, leaving a trail of your Internet activity.
- Understand the basic concepts of a proxy. A proxy is a server that you connect to that allows you to get “outside” of your network. You connect to a proxy and route your traffic through it, so that your IP is masked and traffic appears to be coming from the proxy server.
- Know the different types of proxies. There are several types of proxies that you will run into as you research proxies. Each offers a certain degree of anonymity, and some are more secure than others. There are four main types of proxies:
- Web-based proxies: The most common and easiest to use proxy. These are servers that you connect to through a browser to visit a website anonymously.
- Open proxies: These are proxy servers that are either accidentally left open or are hacked. They are often not secure and can contain malicious software. It is recommended that you avoid open proxies.
- Anonymity networks: These are private networks that are run by users donating bandwidth. They are often incredibly slow and due to the fact that anyone can host bandwidth, they are fairly insecure.
- Paid proxy software programs, such as IP Hider Ever, is often used to hide your IP address so that you can hide your internet traffic and the real location while surfing the web. Software programs like IP Hider Ever makes nobody know what you do on the internet. So you can surf wherever you want on the web without worrying about any of the information leaked. But the question is still that whether you trust the software company.
- VPN (Virtual Private Network): These are private networks where you directly connect to a proxy server maintained by a proxy company or organization.
- Proxy Chain. Currently, the most untraceable VPNs use TOR, where all the network traffic is redirected to use TOR. This redirection can be done simply with the built-in system package iptables of Linux. If you do not want to setup the proxy chain yourself or using windows as your OS, softwares like iProxyEver can do all the job for you.
Using VPN Software
- Download and install VPN (Virtual Private Network) software. You will need administrator access on your computer to do this. Most VPN software requires a subscription. In return you gain access to thousands of anonymous IPs that you can use.
- VPNs offer much higher levels of encryption than web-based proxies.
- VPNs work with all internet traffic on your computer, as opposed to web-based proxies which only work through the browser. This includes messaging and file transfers.
- Manually set VPN settings. If you’d rather not download the software, and would instead manually enter the connection details for your VPN, you can setup the VPN from the Windows control panel. Select Internet Options. You will still need to obtain an IP to connect to.
- In the Connections tab, click Add VPN. This will open the VPN window. Enter in the IP that you are connecting to.
- If your VPN requires a username and password, you will be prompted to enter it.
Using Web-Based Proxies
- Find a list of proxies. A web-proxy is useful if you aren't on your own computer because all the work is being done through the browser, so the method works regardless of your computer's operating system. Your IP address remains hidden, because only the proxy server's IP address is transmitted to the web page.
- There are several websites that list proxies that you can use. Proxy.org is a great place to start that is constantly updating its list.
- There's a good chance that proxy listing sites like Proxify will be blocked by a school or work network. Visit the site at home and make a list of 10-15 proxy sites to try at the blocked computer.
- Proxies that are overused get noticed and blocked, so vary which ones you use on a day-to-day basis.
- Using a proxy will make browsing significantly slower. This is because the traffic is rerouted through the proxy, reinterpreted and then sent to your location. Be aware that videos and websites may take longer to load.
- Choose a proxy site. If the site is blocked, try a different one. When picking sites from a list of proxies, try using sites that are geographically closer to your location. This will help minimize the loss of speed.
- Select the URL box. Enter the address of the website you wish to visit. Since proxy sites reinterpret the data of website you are trying to access, there's a chance that the site won't load correctly. Most commonly the video will not load. If this is the case, try again with a different proxy site.
- As long as you continue to browse through the proxy, your IP address will never be visible to the websites you visit.
- Configure your browser to surf through a proxy server. Instead of visiting a website and typing URLs into their forms, you can configure most web browsers to automatically hide your IP address through a proxy server. This type of service will require you to download and install a plug-in for your web browser. An example of this type of service is the Switchproxy extension for Mozilla Firefox, which pools all of its users' IP addresses and randomly assigns them to different users.
Tips
- Proxy servers vary in their level of security. Read reviews of different services to find out which one is right for you.
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- Ping an IP Address
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