Last update: 06.25.2019
There are many reasons you may want to hide your Internet Protocol (IP) address. Among the most important are:
- Privacy and anonymity. Avoiding the tracking and monitoring of your online activities.
- Accessing geo-blocked websites. What you see on a site may differ depending on where you are – services like Netflix offer different content libraries for each country. Your IP is the primary way to determine your location.
- Get around internet restrictions. Countries like China censor the web for their citizens, but spoofing your IP can help you bypass these censorship measures safely.
- Download and share files securely. Torrenting is often still the primary way of getting films, TV shows, games, and pretty much any other kind of file. Doing so without hiding your IP can get you in trouble with copyright holders and the law.
- Negate an IP ban. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to connect to some website might result in an IP ban.
Here are four safe and effective ways to hide your IP address while also keeping your connection encrypted and unidentified.
1. VPN
The advantages of using a VPN service to hide your IP address include:
- A high-speed connection
- Anonymity
- Data encryption
- Safe torrenting
- Access to blocked sites
- Option to choose your virtual location
As with anything in life, VPNs have some disadvantages, too:
- Good ones usually cost money
There are many VPN services available on the market. Some excel at speed while others concentrate more on the security part. But you can’t miss by choosing from our top VPN solutions list.
2. Proxy
The advantages of using a proxy:
- Good for accessing restricted websites
- Anonymity
- Option to choose your virtual location
- Good for secure torrenting
- You can connect to any proxy server in the world
There are also several shortcomings involved in using proxies to hide IP address:
- It only works at the app level, so if you want to protect your browsing and torrenting, you’ll have to set a proxy up on both apps
- Some proxies encrypt your data, but others do not
- Good ones usually cost money
And to make sure you’re using a safe proxy, pick one from our top 16 list for 2019.
3. Tor
The advantages of using TOR:
- Good for accessing restricted websites
- Anonymity
- Access to .onion web
- Completely free and trustworthy
- Can be used in conjunction with VPNs or proxies
Tor’s major drawbacks:
- Can be very slow
- Only secures your browsing (rather than torrenting, etc.)
People from all over the world hide their IP address using Tor to bypass censorship and more. It’s the favored choice for many due to the fact that it’s completely free.
4. Public wifi
Bottom line
As you can see, all options have their pros and cons, but the VPN has few downsides. It is the best option if you want the best possible security and privacy while also not sacrificing too much connection speed.
I enjoy privacy so much on my activities on the internet. At first, I considered getting a proxy server would offer the solution but it had some internet speed issues until I went for a VPN software.
Since I read this post, I have learnt to keep my identity and activities more private. I feel great about it because I do not want someone elsewhere to track or monitor my activities online
Using a VPN sounds like the best idea, ExpressVPN or NordVPN offer great security and privacy. Tor is interesting as well but its speed isn’t great. Thanks for the article.
Options 1 and 3 are definitely more secure and effective. I personally use the TOR software and it has proven to work just fine all these while. Never jeopardize your security by using the public Wi-Fi