How to Hide an IP

There are several instances where anonymity is the best option for online activity. Choosing to go anonymous online is always a simple way to keep one’s identity safe online and can help to reduce the instances of identity theft.

Privacy is an important concern for most Internet users. The need to keep online surfing private increases as Internet access becomes more widely available. Privacy is possible by hiding the Internet Protocol (IP) address. The IP address is simply a numerical value that is assigned to one’s device to access and interact on the Internet or the local network.

The IP is can be problematic in the sense that it can provide way too much information publicly for websites and people to see and access. Malware and other security threats may also be hiding on software or files that were recently downloaded onto the system that may also use the IP as a form of advertisement server to serve advertisements that are relevant to the location.

Hiding an IP Address can be done in several ways. Each method will successfully help hide one’s IP address from public view and reduce the possibility of one’s identity being revealed online.

Using a Proxy Server

Proxy servers are basically a middleman for handling requests between the client and the target server. They act like an alternate gateway to help access content on the destination server. The proxy is also responsible for sending back everything being accessed from the server to the original device as illustrated in the following diagram:

There are several types of proxy servers that can successfully veil an IP address.

Anonymous Proxy Servers do not allow the original IP to become available to the destination servers. The destination server can detect these types of proxy servers and if measures are in place to prevent proxy access, access to the content will either be restricted or denied. Proxies of this type will adequately hide the IP address of the original device making the connection.

Distorting Proxy Servers are proxies that confuse the destination servers by providing incorrect IP address information through http headers. The destination server will believe that the device is originating from a certain location when in reality the proxy is “spoofing” this information.

High Anonymity Proxy Servers are proxy servers that are designed to look like a device itself. The destination servers will not be able to determine that the proxy is in fact a proxy server and will continue to use the proxy’s IP instead. The Original IP address remains secure and the destination servers will hide it from public access.

Using a proxy server is simple and can be easily done through proxy server websites.

Various proxy types that hide IPs or improve connection to certain websites can be found onProxy Sites – the Most Up-To-Date Proxy List on the Internet .

In the list of available proxies under the “Proxy Menu,” choose the “High Anonymity Proxies” to find a list of the proxy addresses that can be used to successfully hide your IP.

They will be listed in the following manner:

XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX.XXXXX

The first four “XXX” values represent a number between 1-255, each corresponding to the IP address assignment of the proxy server. The “XXXXX” value is a number between 1-65535 and is the port number assigned to be used with the proxy server to allow traffic.

To use one of these high anonymity proxy servers (or any other proxy option), follow the specific browser instructions:

The fictional IP and Port Number “123.456.789.876:5432” will be used for these examples.

Internet Explorer

Click the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and choose Internet Options. In the Internet options, click on the “Connections” tab then click on the “LAN Settings.”

There will be a Proxy Server option to select that says “Use a proxy server for your LAN check box.” An address box will appear where the chosen proxy server’s IP address  (123.456.789.876) should be placed. The Port Box is where the client access port number associated with the proxy server that will be used to access it is placed (54320).

It is recommended that the “Bypass proxy server for local addresses” box is selected so that access to local network computers is faster and communications between machines is not transmitted online. Click in the ok button to close the LAN Settings window. Click on ok again to close the Internet Options window.

The proxy server should now be in place.

Firefox

The “Options” selection is under the Tools tab. The Advanced icon (Gear) should be selected then some tabs with their contents should be displayed. Choose the “Network” tab then click on the “Settings” button under the Connection section. Choose the “Manual Proxy Configuration” option then enter the proxy server’s IP address (123.456.789.876). Enter the port number where prompted (5432). Click on OK to complete the process.

Netscape

Find the Tools menu then select “Options” from the list. Select the General option then choose “Connection Settings.” Click “Manual Proxy Configuration” to mark the check box then enter the Proxy server IP address in the appropriate field (123.456.789.876). Enter the port number (5432) into the appropriate field then select OK to save the changes.

Opera

Choose the tools menu then select “Preferences” from the list. Select the “Advanced” tab and choose “Proxy Servers.” Check the box next to the “HTTP” option then enter the proxy server IP address (123.456.789.876) and the port number (5432) in the appropriate field. Select OK to save the changes and start using the proxy server.

Safari

Select the Preferences option then choose “Advanced.” Choose the “Proxies:Change Settings” option then check the box next to “Web Proxy (HTTP).” Type in the proxy server IP address (123.456.789.876) into the field then the port number after the colon (:). Select Apply Now and start using the proxy server.

Risks of Using Untrustworthy Proxy Servers

Remember that proxy servers have risks associated with them, especially if their creation was intended to monitor incoming connections for data that is sent over the server.

Most proxy servers are temporary. They may frequently change the IP and port number for increased anonymity. This contributes to the common problem of proxy servers not working.

A working anonymous proxy server may be slow due to the high volume of traffic being routed through it from connected clients. This contributes to the common occurrence of slow access to other servers.

Anonymous servers may compromise privacy, especially if using the server to access private accounts with various websites. This is common with untrustworthy proxy servers found online. This means that the owner of the proxy server may be filtering other people’s communications to log personal and valuable information such as passwords, Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, etc.

Note: Using a proxy server should be avoided when doing private online activities.

IP Hiding Software

There are several types of software that hide IP addresses through Proxy servers. They are generally trustworthy but may offer a diverse range of server types that may or may not adequately hide the IP. In addition, several of these options cost money, even if they are not doing their job to protect the IP.

Ultrasurf  is a free software option for hiding an IP. Engineers who wanted the free exchange of information between censored countries and uncensored countries by bypassing the existing filtering systems designed it.

Hidden IP Privacy Warning

It is very important to understand that even when using an “Elite” proxy, the IP may not be completely hidden online. Any type of crime online can definitely be traced back to the source, especially if law enforcement or orders from courts/government agencies are placed to retrieve the data from the servers. Proxy servers cannot give immunity to online crimes.

In addition, E-commerce, online banking, credit card payments, and just about any other type of online transaction should be avoided while using the proxy server. Data can easily be logged and will leave the user completely vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.