Are Free VPNs Safe
A free VPN can be a half-decent tool. That said, when it comes down to whether they’re as safe as a paid-for VPN, the answer is simply, no. When a product is completely free – especially one that’s prime function is to offer security – you have to question how a company can fund the kind of infrastructure required to offer the kind of technology needed to keep your personal information safe, let alone continue running in the first place. Put simply, you’ll pay with your data if you don’t pay with your money.
Why Should You Hide It
Hiding your IP address gives you more privacy online and prevents your personal information from being misused.
Privacy: Whenever you access a website, the server you connect to logs more than your IP address: it learns about your browsing habits, your interests, and even how long you spend on a page. This data is then sold to advertisers who use it to tailor their ads or who knows where your data could end up?
Protection: With your IP, hackers can find out your location and identity to blackmail you or even steal your ID. They can use this information to make purchases and open accounts.
How To Automatically Change Ip Every X Minutes
Is web crawling and data scraping part of your daily routine? If so, you already know that most of the websites implement firewalls that automatically block repeated requests coming from the same IP address. The solution? Regularly change your public IP address. Learn how to change IP every X minutes and increase your productivity automatically.
Also Check: How To Use 911 VPN
How To Change Your Ip Address On A Router
To change your IP address on a router, follow the steps below:
You can also just restart your router. After you unplug it, leave it for a couple of minutes. When you plug it back in, the IP address automatically changes.
Sign Up For A VPN Account

Pretty straightforward youll need to create an account on a providers website in order to log into their app later on. Check out our list of the best VPNs if youre not sure which provider is worth your time.
Even if you decide to go with a different provider than the ones on our list, the least we can recommend is to stay away from most free VPNs. There are several hidden dangers to free VPNs that could end up costing you way more than the price of a single subscription.
Suffice to say that theyre not worth the hassle. Not when most sub-based providers can offer a full refund within 30 days if their service isnt to your liking.
Don’t Miss: How To Setup VPN On Samsung TV
Select A VPN Server From Your Providers List
To change your IP address with a VPN, all you need to do is select a location from your providers list of VPN servers. This can even be a server in your own country if you just want a different IP for privacy reasons and want the best possible speeds out of your VPN.
Click on the Selected location button to bring up a list of recommended locations. Select AllLocations to view a list of all available servers from around the world.
Double click on any of the options to connect to said location.
Congrats! You should now have an IP address from the country of your choice.
You can click the big Power button to disconnect from the VPN server and regain your original IP address at any time.
What Is An Ip Address And How Do You Change It
IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address is a unique string of numbers used to identify an individual computer. Your IP address can pose risks to your privacy, unless you decide to change it. Many people change their IP address to avoid their personal privacy being breached. The easiest way to change your IP is by using a VPN. Here are 5 simple steps for how to change an IP address:
You May Like: How To Setup VPN On Att Uverse Router
I Want To Access A Site Or Service Not Available In My Region Is Changing Ip Locations Enough
The short answer is yes, in most cases. The long answer is that sites and services on the internet use a variety of methods to estimate your location, and your IP address is only one of them.
Besides your IP address, websites may also determine your location through information shared by your web browser, such as GPS data, your mobile network location, or your Wi-Fi access point. If the site or service in question is using one or more of these, you may need to use another method to spoof your location in addition to changing your IP address.
If youre using the ExpressVPN app and still have trouble accessing a particular site or service, try using the ExpressVPN browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. These extensions spoof your location by setting your browsers geolocation data to match your VPN location.
For some mobile apps that use your devices geolocation data, you may need to turn off Location Services or use a mock location app in conjunction with ExpressVPN to spoof your location.
What Are The Processes:
Follow the certain given steps on your windows, Pay attention to the Given text Explanation carefully and Try to Follow as much as possible. For Most of the Windows all the settings is gonna be the same until you havent changed windows customization.
Open Control Panel
Open Control Panel of your windows, Simply you can Locate to Search bar in the bottom left corner of windows after the start button and Click on it, Type Control Panel. Click on it.
Don’t Miss: How To Use Urban VPN
The Simple Method That Is An Overnight Solution
The first method is quite simple, but you have to wait, and it doesnt always work, and it will still show you are at the same location .
If it has not changed or you cant wait, then follow the below set of instructions.
Warning:
Like A Po Box For Internet Activity
If you didnt want someone to know where you lived, you could redirect all your mail to a P.O. Box instead and hide your true address.
When you hide your computers IP address using Tor or a VPN, its something like having a P.O. Box for the Internet. The IP address used will connect you to the Internet, but the Internet wont know where you actually are.
And now you just learned three easy waysall free of chargeto hide your actual IP address in less than an hour.
As mentioned before, for ultimate convenience, consider choosing a VPN for a low monthly fee. You can see some great, reliable VPN choices.
You May Like: How To Change VPN For Pokemon Go
Renew Your Local Ip Address
If youre connected to wifi or some other type of local network, you can change your private IP address from the router admin panel or from the device itself. Ill show you how to do it on Windows and MacOS.
Heres how to renew your IP address on Windows:
You should now see a new local IP address.
Heres how to renew your IP address on Mac:
You Mac should now be assigned a new local IP address.
The process for changing local IP addresses on the router varies depending on your router manufacturer and firmware. You can usually access your routers admin dashboard by opening a web browser and entering 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in the address bar.
How To Change My Ip Address

Changing your IP address and location is a straightforward process:
Theres also the option of Quick Connect for fast connectivity.
Read Also: How To Setup VPN On Att Uverse Router
Switch To A Different Network To Get A New Ip Address
One last effective option to change your public IP is For example, if you use a wifi network, you can disconnect from that network and connect to a new one. You can also switch to mobile data from wifi for this.
When connecting to public wifi, remember to connect to one that requires a password to sign in or has WPA2 enabled.
What Is An Ip Address You May Ask
Well, your IP address is a unique number that is assigned to your device connected to the internet or network. This number can be used to identify your particular device, including your physical location.
You can think of it like a fingerprint. No two devices are assigned a single IP Address. When you connect to the internet and surf websites, your devices IP address is broadcast for all to see it unless you hide your IP address.
Some examples of popular websites and what their IP addresses are:amazon.com 72.21.211.176reddit.com 72.247.244.88youtube.com 74.125.65.91
Every website you surf on the internet, and every network you access will know your devices IP address, and they can use it for many different purposes, some completely fine, and others you should be very worried about indeed. In this digital age, it makes sense to mask or hide your IP.
For instance, some content providers and their websites will only serve content to IP addresses in a particular geographical location , which in turn means that all IP addresses not from that locale will be blocked. This type of censorship is known as Geo-Blocking.
Some news websites serve different news to different areas of the world based on the IP address of the reader. Maybe youre visiting Turkey and still want to read online news articles specific to your home country, the USA. Similarly, you cannot use the most popular email service provider Gmail in China and other heavily censored countries.
Also Check: How To Put VPN On Smart TV
Pros And Cons Of Changing Addresses
Of course, theres always the debate of whether or not to change your IP address in the first place. While the angel on your shoulder tells you its a great way to increase your privacy and access other countrys servers, the devil tells you that it could be costly, that some websites wont work and that your ISP will still be able to see your address. Theres truth to both of these sides, so we recommend making your decisions on a case-by-case basis. That being said, we broke down the main reasons why you should and shouldnt change your IP address.
Why You Should Change Your IP Address
- Avoid tracking: If youve ever searched for anything related to consumerism, then you probably already notice how your searches seem to follow you around the internet like you owe them money. This sort of tracking is made possible by cookies, which some antivirus software can disable.
- : Governments like China greatly restrict internet usage in their country, so if you want to bypass firewalls, changing your IP address is a must.
- Access international servers: Maybe you simply want to see whats on Netflix Canada from your apartment in California. By changing your IP address to a Canadian one, you can trick the streaming giant into showing you a whole lot of new content.
FYI: Not all VPNs are compatible with Netflix. To find one thats right for you, read our review of the best VPNs for Netflix.
Why You Shouldnt Change Your IP Address
Download The VPN App From Your Providers Website
Most providers nowadays support a wide variety of systems and devices from Windows to Linux, iOS to Android, and anything else in-between.
You can even install a VPN on your router to change the IP address on any of your household devices. Yes, even ones that dont support VPNs by default . Alternatively, your provider may offer separate guides and downloads for any of these devices. Heres what they look like for ExpressVPN.
Whichever system you choose, download the app, follow the setup process, and proceed to the next step.
Recommended Reading: How To Setup VPN On Att Uverse Router
Automatically Change Ip Address
Here are a few ways to change the IP address on your home computer. This address is provided by your router, which is assigned the address by your ISP. Before trying any of these methods, make note of your current IP address so you can verify that it has indeed changed.
Turning off your router for about five minutes might be all you need to do. In some cases, a longer period of time is required, so you can try leaving the router turned off overnight. Even though your IP address is dynamically assigned by the provider, your ISP may have a long lease time on your address. This means it will appear to be static since you will not be able to change it until the time period enforced by the ISP has elapsed.
Taking your laptop to a location that offers free WiFi and connecting to the network will temporarily change your machines IP address as it is dynamically assigned when you log in. When you return home, your address will be assigned based on your home router.
How To Change Your Ip Address And Location With A VPN
Its fascinating that you can travel around the globe with a single click of a button with IP and location-changing tools. Say what? Luckily, VPNs are a popular and easy way to be virtually present in any city and country globally, along with a temporary IP address.
VPNs are well-known among individuals and businesses for their easy-to-use and valuable purposes. From providing users with online security to unlocking restricted online content, VPNs are popular among streamers and privacy-centric individuals alike.
Whether youre going to use a VPN for streaming foreign online content or to beef up your online security while you access your bank accounts, the basic idea of a VPN remains the same: the ability to change your real IP address and physical location with a virtual IP address and location.
The entire process of changing your IP address and location is known as geo-spoofing. It is a popular way to trick websites and take advantage of deals that arent available in your region or stream Netflix shows and movies that arent available in your country, all while being off the radar.
Read Also: Does VPN Use More Data
Us Ip Address With A Proxy
With the cost of a standalone proxy, there’s more value in getting a VPN with proxy capabilities
Proxy services used to be the most popular way to get a US IP address. However, as time has gone on, VPNs have completely eclipsed both website based and browser-extension proxies. This is because VPNs provide much higher levels of privacy and security, that you do not get with a regular proxy.
What’s more, there used to be a massive choice of proxies available on the market – many of which were free. This has become much rarer – with a good proxy service often hard to find .
Even if you find one, a proxy could potentially be tracking the websites you visit to sell that data on to third parties. This makes old-school proxies a threat to your digital privacy.
Anybody wanting to get a US IP address can use a proxy service if they want to . However, it is important to remember that these proxies are far less secure than a VPN – which is why 99% of internet users stick to a VPN for getting a US IP address.
Why Hide Your Ip Address With Avira

Its so easy with our free Phantom VPN! Heres what makes it the trusted choice:
Rated one of the top free VPNs in the world
Reliably prevents your IP address from being leaked, ensuring that no one, not even your ISP, can see what websites you visit.
Fast, safe, and keeps no logs of your activity.
Gives you access to 38 server locations around the globewith just 2 clicksso no one knows where you really are.
Works on any device for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mactheres also a free browser plugin for Chrome!
Part of a multi-award-winning software portfolio from a trusted German security leader, with 30 years of experience.
Plus, its free!
Read Also: Setting Up Ipsec VPN