How To Change Your Ip Address And Hide Your Location
Its very easy to change your IP address and keep your location and online activity private. All you need is a VPN .
You can use a VPN to switch your IP address and place yourself in a different location. A VPN routes your internet traffic through a secure, encrypted tunnel so that no one, not even your ISP, can see what youre doing online.
A VPN will make it seem like you are in the same place as the server location. For example, if you are in the U.S. and you connect to a VPN location in the UK, you will appear to be in the UK.
Keep your real location private.
Encrypt your internet data so you can go online with greater anonymity and security.
Easily switch between virtual locations, ensuring fuller internet experience, unfettered by censorship or other firewall restrictions.
Testing Your VPN With Webrtc
With these instructions, youre specifically going to test the ability of WebRTC to access your real IP address behind a VPN. This is useful for troubleshooting your VPNs ability to hide your true IP address and clue you in to whether its fulfilling its purpose or not.
Once you confirm that youre IP address is leaking, you may want to know exactly where the weaknesses are to better protect yourself in the future. Trace the steps of uncovering your IP address behind a VPN to identify those weak spots. You can find your real IP address using JavaScript by copying and pasting the code written here, or using another method outlined below.
VPN Server Detection: Is It Possible & How To Avoid It
Some websites and services that have geoblocked content dont really like when their users connect via VPNs Netflix being a perfect example. Services like this tend to keep a repository of IP addresses they know come from VPN providers, and if they notice that youre connecting from one of them, they might prevent access.
The solution is to find a VPN provider that changes your public IP address often enough so that it doesnt get listed in one of those repositories.
Of course, VPNs have some rather creative ways of working around this. You could opt for a VPN service like NordVPN that offers you a personal public IP address that nobody else can use. Or, you also have Surfsharks obfuscated servers, which disguise your VPN-protected traffic as regular traffic so that servers cant detect youre using a VPN (read more about the VPN in our Surfshark review.
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How To Find Your Private Ip Address
Finding the private IP address of a device isnt a difficult process either. It basically involves checking out the network settings and looking for something labeled IP address, Wi-Fi, or TCP/IP. In fact, to make the process a lot easier for you, we have highlighted the steps to find your private IP address on almost every major platform:
What About Hiding My VPN Ip Address
Some websites try to block access through VPNs by logging IP addresses known to belong to VPN servers.
If youve ever gotten a message like this, you know what Im talking about.
This might lead you to think you should hide your VPNs IP address as well, but that isnt really the answer. Web traffic has to have an IP address connected to it, and traffic that flows through a VPN is no exception.
If you find that the IP address of a particular server is blocked by a website youre trying to reach, your best options are to choose a different server or try a different VPN service.
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What Is The Difference Between My Original Ip Address And An Ip Address Provided By A VPN
Your public IP address is supplied by your ISP and ISPs can track your internet usage right back to the IP address they gave you. This makes it easy for authorities to demand ISPs hand over data regarding a users internet usage. By using a VPN, your ISP IP address is replaced by the VPN servers IP address. This means that your internet usage cannot be traced back to you. This is because when connected to a VPN, your VPN IP address is shared with multiple different users and routed through multiple servers. In addition to that, your data is fully encrypted, making you protected online. Authorities can demand information from us, but we store no logs unlike ISPs, so we have nothing to give.
What Is An Ip Address
Your internet service provider assigns a numeric label, called the Internet Protocol address, to identify your device among billions of others. In a way, an IP address functions as an online home address because devices use IPs to find and communicate with each other.
Heres how an IP address directs data to its destination. First, you type in a website name into the browser. However, your computer does not understand words only numbers. So it first finds out the IP address of that website , finds it on the web, and finally loads it on your screen.
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What Is Your Ip Address Location
Your IP address location is the portion of your IP address that allows for identification of the geographic location of your computer. If you are using a proxy server or a router, then the location of the server or router is identified. In most instances, the specific street address of your location is not revealed, but instead, the city, state or general area is shown. However, there are exceptions and for those who are talented with computers and the internet, it is possible to discover your exact location. This particular ability is known as geolocation and is very popular in the marketing world.
Apart from the usual IP addresses, there are also virtual ones. A virtual IP address is an IP that isnt related to a particular physical location. These public VIPs can be shared by numerous devices connected to the internet and are common in home or office networks.
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Ipv4 Vs Ipv6 Addresses
Two versions of Internet Protocol are now in use, IP Version 4 and IP Version 6 . They have two primary functions: identification and location addressing.
The main difference between IPv4 and IPv6 is the number of possible addresses. IPv4 only allows for about 4 billion, because it uses just 32 bits. IPv6 was introduced in 1995 to ensure that the world would not run out anytime soon: IPv6 uses 128 bits, resulting in 3.4 x 1038 possible addresses.
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Findingthe Real VPN Location
Things are notalways as they seem. Your VPN server might not be in the exact same country asyour provider claims. But thankfully, there are ways you can figure out thethings yourself.
Find your current IP address online
There are a lotof websites on the internet which can provide you with your current IP address,its location and others.
One such website is WhatIsMyIP.com which can help you in finding the VPN location through your IP address. All you need to do is connect to a VPN server, visit this website, and you will able to find your IPv4, IPv6 and local IP addresses, and even your ISP.
It is importantto mention here that finding geolocation through this method is not always 100%accurate, as the suggested city might be 200 miles away from the real location.
But in any case,you will be able to have an idea. You might even like to check other providers.IPLocation.net is another online service which helps you in finding your currentlocation.
If the resultsprovided by all these servers show the same country, then your VPN server ispretty much located there. However, if you get mixed results, it is sure thatyou will experience the same uncertainty online.
Your VPN willwork fine on some websites, but not on others, depending on how they detectyour servers location.
Ping the IP address
To find out ifyour VPN is actually located somewhere else than what is claimed, you need tomake use of this method.
Accessing The VPN Log Files
This option is available to those individuals who need to access an IP address through a VPN for safety reasons. This is the most plausible if you have experienced a breach of cybersecurity. It is available only through a court order, however, so this should not be taken lightly. This is the most common, legal way to access the true IP address of someone using a VPN network.
Why? Because the accessing of a real IP address that is protected by a VPN can be seen as a violation of privacy, exposing a nonconsenting individuals personal information. A VPN log file is a record of a computers web activity, tracking information of incoming and outgoing connections to a server.
The information kept in the files include:
- Your IP address
- Timestamps noting when the user connected and disconnected from the VPN
- Ability of the VPN to access all of the above information
Note that not all VPN providers keep the same data, some not keeping these records to the extent of other providers. These records depend on the privacy policy that the provider upholds and how they approach user security.
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What Is A Private Network And Who Uses It
A private network is a network that uses private IP address space so that devices outside this network cannot access it. These networks are standard in businesses and private organizations because of the demand for better security and the protection of company assets. Private IP address ranges are defined by IPv4 and the IPv6 specifications.
How To Find Your Ip Address
There are plenty of reasons you might need to know how to find your IP address. You might be trying to connect two of your devices together wirelessly, or perhaps youre setting up a whitelist on your home router. Luckily, finding your current IP address is simple: below, well explain how to see your IP address almost instantly on any device using a web browser. Well also provide an alternate method, just in case your internet access is restricted. In addition, well explain how to change your IP address using a VPN and reveal the best VPN for the job.
Use method 1 in this to tutorial to:
- Find your IP address on Windows 10 or any other Windows version
- Find your IP address on Mac, iPhone or iPad
- Find your Xbox One IP address
- Get your IP address for any other connected device
Need to find all IP addresses on your network then try this guide instead > How to scan local network for IP addresses
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What Is A VPN
A VPN routes you through an encrypted server or proxy that changes your location virtually. Let’s say you are in New York, but the server that your computer is routed to is in California. It will appear as if your computer is physically located in California, although you are actually still in New York. Your data is encrypted before it ever reaches your provider. It is so secure that not even your internet service provider will be privy to your online activities.
What Else Can A VPN Do
In addition to hiding your IP address, the best VPNs allow you to access geoblocked content from all over the world. It can also get you past online restrictions put in place by service providers, government agencies, or other entities. Finally, its the best way to hide your identity and internet activity if you want to maximize your privacy and keep your data safe.
To learn more about what a VPN can do, read our beginners guide to VPNs.
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Why The VPN Isn’t Working
How To Check If Your VPN Is Working
The first way to check if your VPN is working is to check your IP address. Your internet service provider will assign you an IP address, which is essentially your online identity. Your IP address can be tracked if your ISP wants to! VPNs protect you from such tracking, so you should make sure that you have one! There are several ways to check whether or not your VPN is working. You can use online tests to determine if your connection is secure, or you can try to manually perform tests to see if the VPN is still functioning.
You can also run DNS leak tests to see if your VPN is leaking data. The DNS leak test is important to ensure your anonymity, as the leaks may reveal your ISPs name. However, the DNS leak test does not work as well. If your ISPs name appears, the VPN is not working properly. You should be able to identify your ISP by using the DNS leak test, if you have one.
Another way to check your VPNs security is to use an online tool. You can use free tools like the IP leak test to see if your VPN is blocking or allowing traffic. If your VPN is blocking your connection, you can use a paid tool to see if the connection is secure. You can also manually perform an IP leak test to see if the VPN is leaking data. Once youve checked your VPN, you can proceed to the next step.
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Why Hasnt Ipv6 Been Implemented Yet
While IPv6 is more of a long-term solution than IPv4, it hasnt yet been standardized as a practice worldwide because its not backwards compatible.
Devices that run on IPv6 are unable to connect with websites that run on IPv4, and vice versa.
Additionally, while IPv6 is arguably more efficient, this benefit doesnt seem to offer enough incentive to encourage internet companies to make the switch, especially considering the potential costs.
While the switch to IPv6 is inevitable, adoption en masse wont happen anytime soon.
Check If You Can Access Geo
Finally, check if your VPN is working by seeing if you can access specific content libraries or geo-blocked websites and apps. Due to strict licensing restrictions, a lot of content across the internet is blocked in particular regions of the world.
For example, without a VPN, I can only see the local Netflix library in the US. If I want to watch the Korean 4-time Academy Award-winning film, Parasite, I would need to connect to either the Chilean or Columbian servers to access it . And yes, it is a South Korean film that is not available in South Korea.
Heres a list you can check to see what Netflix content is available in different parts of the world.
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Why Should I Check My VPN Location
Your VPN location can affect your internet speed, what websites you are able to access, and whether or not geo-blocked apps work.
Heres why you may want to check your VPN locations:
- You might be wondering why your VPN is slow. By checking the location, you can see if you are connected to a VPN server far away which is making your speed slow down.
- Whether or not any of your favorite websites are restricted through geo-blocking measures based on your new VPN location and IP address. Likewise, you might want to know what your VPN location is so you can tell whether or not you are able to bypass geo-restrictions.
Overall, checking your VPN location is worth doing and something that we recommend.
How To Identify A VPN Ip Address
Many businesses and online services are currently looking for solutions to help bring in organic users. And at the same time protect themselves from malicious users. Most of the time, a VPN user can bring nuisance to your business. Such users can affect your website analytics and allow them to hide behind a different IP address. Doing so, can promotes fraud, spam, and attacks to VPN users. Having a VPN also allows a user to spoof their actual location. This can create issues where the software or website will base a users location off of the VPNs server location. Instead of showing their true location, VPN users will have the ability to bypass geo-blocking or geo-fencing techniques. In this article, we will teach you how to identify a VPN IP address.
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