Privacy-conscious individuals understand that hiding your IP is one of the most important aspects of protecting yourself online. Over 12 million IP addresses are used as part of DDoS attacks, making their exposure incredibly dangerous.
Below, we will go through essential reasons you need to protect your public address and how you can do it.
An IP (Internet Protocol) Address is a combination of numbers that identifies your device, among others. It is similar to your physical address, which mail carriers need to know to send packaging.
This address works across global and private networks, ensuring that third-party servers and clients identify you. A unique IP address is part of any device, including a smart toaster or network printer.
An IP is assigned randomly based on TCP/IP protocol. It is most familiar as a 32-bit number with four periods between each set. Here’s is an example:
IPs come in multiple versions depending on their source. The most common options are IPV4 and V6:
IPV4 has simple dot-decimal notation, while IPV6 uses colon-separated notation. Its hexadecimal properties provide for much more variance in addresses.
Your public address can reveal many different unwanted details about you:
While a public address won’t reveal credit card details or your physical address, it does show a lot about your location. Finding out you live in a specific North American city and following your spending habits can be enough for fraudsters to steal your identity.
All of this comes from your public address.
When checking your IP address, you might notice you receive both addresses. The dual-use comes from the distinction of how private and gigantic networks (like your ISP) identify you. An external computer network is public while your home network is private.
Your private address is suited to your local network. Typically, these private IPs are limited to IPV4, as you likely don’t have enough home devices to take all V4 addresses.
Your public address (IPV6) is generated amongst other people on your shared server that contains the essential data. Even web domains take these public addresses.
All websites have a public address to identify themselves on the network. The network, in this case, is the worldwide web.
A connection establishes when one public IP sends data packets to another IP. Think of it like you receive a package from UPS. UPS wouldn’t be very good at their job if they didn’t have your physical address.
The sending of data back and forth must be encrypted to remain secure, so stick with websites that use HTTPS. For your security, it’s best to consider dynamic addresses.
IP addresses are generated based on what’s available on the network. However, you can make your network settings stick with a single address, otherwise known as a static IP.
This address is different from a dynamic IP, which changes each time you access the global network. It also prevents conflicts with you and other people on the web you access.
These address types are typically limited to IPV4 addresses, as IPV6 addresses are constantly changing. Plus, you have no control over other IPs.
You can find out your IPV6 address at the top of our homepage. You can also find out your current ISP and whether you have a virtual private network (VPN) activated. There are also third-party IPLookup tools.
For alternate methods of finding your IP, here are some steps:
Alternatively, you can type “ipconfig” on your Windows command-line interface. Type “cmd” in your windows search bar, and you will find it.
You can also type “ipconfig getifaddr en1 (or en0)” using the Mac terminal. For your public address, use “Curl ifconfig.me.”
Android devices require the following steps:
iPhones and iOS tablets require these steps:
Typically, ipconfig -a (private) or curl ipconfig.me (public) are the go-to for Ubuntu, and Debian-based Linux builds. You can do this using Terminal.
Using GNOME, you can access this from your settings and select the cog next to your connection.
If you want to change your public IP, reset your internet connection by turning it off and on again. If you have a static IP, you will need to enter a new IP manually.
The new IP will conflict with any existing address that matches it. So you might have to go through a few options to see what works.
You might also need to reset your router, as it has its IP address. Having a proxy server (which you can find built into most internet browsers) will also help you mask your IP.
Here’s an image within Firefox’s browser:
In the quest for internet privacy, it is up to you to be sure you have complete protection. To ensure you can adequately mask your IP from hackers, your government, and any internet provider, you need a VPN.
The Fast VPN has military-level encryption, ensuring you get a new IP address that protects your internet location.
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