A Guide To IP Address Information And Keeping It Hidden
Published by Fred at June 24th, 2009Websites can track who you are and where you might live according to your IP address. If that sounds scary, it most certainly is, and even possibly dangerous! You should keep updated on how you use your IP address to make sure you are safely browsing the Internet.
Check your IP address to see what you are broadcasting. Online websites will be able to do a quick check instantly, and for free as well. Websites can also give you helpful information such as where IP technology claims you are located. If it hits too close to home, you should start looking at your options in securing your IP address against location tactics.
The type of IP address you have determines how quickly it will change by itself. A static IP address is one that never changes, unless a specific request is made to your Internet service provider. In that case, your request may not even be approved, even if the nature of your request is not shady. Dynamic addresses instead change each time you disconnect from the network.
You can easily mask the number that you broadcast by using a proxy. A proxy can be installed on your desktop or can be used through a web browser. Either way, the address your broadcast is either the IP address of a designated web server or a public IP address that is used among multiple people. Proxies can make some websites inaccessible, so it’s best to use them with moderation.
A natural built in method of hiding IP addresses is achieved through network address translation. NAT will hide your specific IP address, and instead show a network address to others who request it. Network addresses are useful in the fact that they will make attack from an outside source harder. While it won’t prevent all attacks, it will certainly keep the lesser skilled hackers out of your system. NAT is fairly standard on networks today using modern routers.
Your IP address can easily be masked or changed, but consider your MAC address as another topic of security. MAC addresses can’t change without some heavy engineering tactics, so they are generally a better metric in determining where your computer is. Through ideas such as network address translation, this information can be kept hidden automatically. Be careful who you give such information to.
Final Thoughts
You won’t have to read up on advanced computer topics to keep private on the Internet. Just know the basics of Internet protocol addresses and how they function. Knowing how to mask them will be a skill that is rewarded via satisfaction in know your privacy isn’t up in arms.
Learn more about Hide My IP Address and Change My IP Address.