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How to Use a Fake IP Address & Mask Yourself
Online
Joel Lee 5 minutes
How to Use a Fake IP Address &
Mask Yourself Online
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We’ve argued before that online

anonymity is important. And, as the
notion of privacy gets trampled on
with each passing year, online privacy
will only become more important. 3
Undeniable Reasons Why You Need
Online Anonymity 3 Undeniable
Reasons Why You Need Online
Anonymity Many people don't believe
in online anonymity, mainly because it
has the potential to enable and
encourage undesirable behavior. But
without anonymity, people's lives can
easily be ruined forever... Read More
You’d be surprised by what someone
can do with just your IP address.
Which is why many people use fake
IP addresses. To be clear, “fake IP
address” is a bit of a misnomer that
implies creating a new one out of thin
air. That’s not possible. The best you
can do is hide your IP address behind
someone else’s already-existing IP
address.
This means you can’t truly be
anonymous on the internet because a
dedicated entity might be able to trace
it back to you. But 95 percent of the
time, masking your IP address is more
than enough.
Method 1: Using a VPN

VPN stands for virtual private

network, but is much simpler than it
sounds. Basically, you can connect
your computer or device to someone
else’s network, then browse the web
through their network. Whatever
activity you’re doing looks like it’s
coming from them, not from you.
In other words, when you connect to
a VPN, you’re masking your IP
address with one of the IP addresses
in that network. This also means that
all of your traffic gets routed through
that network, which can have some
unintended consequences. How DNS
Leaks Can Destroy Anonymity When
Using a VPN, And How to Stop Them
How DNS Leaks Can Destroy
Anonymity When Using a VPN, And
How to Stop Them When you're
trying to stay anonymous online, a
VPN is the simplest solution, by
masking your IP address, service
provider, and location. But a DNS leak
can totally undermine the purpose of a
VPN... Read More
For best results, use a paid VPN
service because there are several risks
and downsides to free VPNs. Of the
many risks, the most important one is
that you can never quite trust a free
service. Are they selling your data? If
asked, would they give up your true IP
address? It does happen. Finally Get a
Paid VPN Because Your Free VPN
Won't Cut It Finally Get a Paid VPN
Because Your Free VPN Won't Cut It
VPNs are all the rage, but if you're
thinking of going the free route, please
reconsider. Free VPN services come
with risks that may not be worth
taking... Read More
As such, we only recommend using
a logless VPN. Since they don’t keep
logs, they can’t give up your IP
address even if requested. Plus, most
reputable paid VPNs strongly encrypt
all of your traffic to and from the
network, preventing any snooping
from your ISP or government.
How to Get Started With a VPN

ExpressVPN and NordVPN are both

excellent options. If neither suit you,
check out our overview of best VPN
services. Long story short: whichever
service you pick, you just download
an app, run it, and use it to connect to
the VPN on demand. It’s really that
simple. The Best VPN Services The
Best VPN Services We've compiled a
list of what we consider to be the best
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
service providers, grouped by
premium, free, and torrent-friendly.
Read More
VPNs are useful in so many
circumstances. See our compilation of
notable activities when a VPN is
crucial. Furthermore, educate yourself
on these common VPN myths as well
as these signs that a VPN client is
trustworthy.
Method 2: Using a Web Proxy

A web proxy works in much the same

way as a VPN: you connect to the
proxy server, then all your web traffic
flows through the proxy server. As
such, your IP address gets hidden by
the proxy server’s IP address.
But there are two major differences
between proxy and VPN.
First, web proxies are typically
unencrypted. Even if your IP address
is masked by a proxy, the traffic itself
can still be sniffed by your ISP,
government, and snoopers. Not only
that, but some websites may still be
able to see your real IP address
through Flash and/or JavaScript.
Second, some browsers let you route
only browser traffic. To use a web
proxy, you go into your web browser’s
settings and manually input the proxy
server’s IP address. This allows
applications and devices outside the
web browser, like Skype, to still use
your actual IP address.
How to Set Up a Web Proxy

Find a free web proxy using a site like

PremProxy or Proxy List. Using a
proxy server in your country will keep
it fast, but using a proxy server in
another country can be useful for
bypassing region-blocked content and
adding a tiny layer of extra obscurity.
In Firefox
 1.In the main menu, select Options.
2.Navigate to the Advanced tab, then
the Network section.
3.Under Connection, click
Settings…
4.Select Manual proxy
configuration, then type in the
proxy’s address and port in the
HTTP Proxy field.
In Edge
1.In the main menu, select Settings.
2.Scroll down and click View
advanced settings.
3.Scroll down and click Open proxy
settings.
4.Under Manual proxy setup, enable
Use a proxy server, then type in
 the proxy’s address and port in the
Address field.
In Chrome, Opera, and Vivaldi

1.In the main menu, select Settings.

2.Under Network, click Change
proxy settings…
3.In the Connections tab, click LAN
settings.
 4.Enable Use a proxy server for
your LAN, then type in the proxy’s
address and port in the Address
field.
Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and other
Chromium-based browsers do not
have a built-in browser-specific proxy
feature. Instead, they only use system-
wide proxy settings.
However, you can use an extension
like Proxy Switcher & Manager to use
web proxies that only affect browser
traffic. Furthermore, Opera has a
built-in “VPN” that’s essentially a
free web proxy. I Switched From
Chrome to Opera and I’m Never
Going Back I Switched From Chrome
to Opera and I’m Never Going Back
Any browser works. There's only one
reason to pick one over another: it's
more in line with how you like to
browse the web. And you might prefer
Opera, too. Read More
Method 3: Using Public Wi-Fi

Instead of routing your traffic through

another person’s network, you can opt
to connect directly to their network —
and the easiest way to do this would
be to hop onto public Wi-Fi.
The funny thing is that this is really
the only way to hide your home IP
address. When you’re on public Wi-Fi,
there’s no way for someone to trace it
back to your home. And if it’s a
popular hotspot (e.g. a Starbucks or an
airport), your activity will be obscured
by dozens of other users at any time.
But do remember that public Wi-Fi
has its risks! 3 Dangers Of Logging
On To Public Wi-Fi 3 Dangers Of
Logging On To Public Wi-Fi You've
heard that you shouldn't open PayPal,
your bank account and possibly even
your email while using public WiFi.
But what are the actual risks? Read
More

By default, most public Wi-Fi hotspots

are unencrypted. All your activity
while connected can be seen by
anyone else on the network (if they’re
sniffing it out), which includes login
details for websites like banks and e-
commerce shopping. Public Wi-Fi
hotspots can also spread malware
infections to your device.
On top of this, there are several other
ways for hackers to steal your identity
on public Wi-Fi. So while you might
be hiding your IP address, you’re still
opening yourself up to a whole host of
other privacy and security risks. 5
Ways Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi
to Steal Your Identity 5 Ways Hackers
Can Use Public Wi-Fi to Steal Your
Identity You might love using public
Wi-Fi -- but so do hackers. Here are
five ways cybercriminals can access
your private data and steal your
identity, while you're enjoying a latte
and a bagel. Read More
As such, it’s not really a viable
alternative to VPNs and proxies if
your only goal is privacy. Not to say
that you should avoid public Wi-Fi
altogether. Just know what you’re
getting into!

Are You Protecting Your Online Privacy?

Did you know that you are the biggest

threat to your online privacy? Most of
us tend to share way too much info
online. If you’re really worried, your
first steps should be to change your
bad habits and heed these expert
online security tips. Online Privacy:
Do You Share Too Much Information?
Online Privacy: Do You Share Too
Much Information? Sharing has
always been a prominent part of what
the Internet is and how it functions.
And with social networks exploding in
popularity in the past several years,
sharing is probably the one aspect
we... Read More
And don’t forget that online
anonymity can backfire.
Why do you need to hide your IP
address? Are there any other
methods that we’ve overlooked?
Share with us in the comments
below!
Image Credit: The encrypted VPN connection using via Shutterstock

Originally written by Jack Cola on

Nov 27, 2009
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1.
Mohuya Dey
December 11, 2017 at 9:45 am
Very useful article, I always use
vpn while browsing Internet so that
 I can use fake IP address and keep
myself safe from hackers. Some
famous vpn services are pure vpn,
acevpn, express vpn.
Reply
2.
John du toi
September 22, 2017 at 11:06 am
I see you have not mentioned the
tor network any reason for this?
Reply
3.
Stone Forest
July 1, 2017 at 2:54 pm
Every time you physically
disconnect and reconnect (hot or
cold unplug/replug), you have a
new IP address, anyway. Look up
'What's my IP (address)' to check
this out.
But I suppose that very few people
ever do this, given that many
people I know have their systems
permanently connected.
Personally speaking, before I do
online banking, I unplug/replug.
Then, once I have finished, I
disconnect and unplug, and run
Bleachbit to clear the cache (I use a
customised Linux).
As a result, the banks' websites ask
me for further security details,
because they do not recognise my
computer.
Reply
•
Dan
July 1, 2017 at 10:03 pm
I haven't seen an ISP do that in
about 10 years. Most have set
their lease time to days/weeks. If
you're still lucky enough to be
able to change your IP so simply,
enjoy it while it lasts.
Reply
•
Stone Forest
July 2, 2017 at 11:54 am
Apologies: I did neglect to
mention that I use a mobile
broadband dongle, and that
I'm in the UK. Is it really that
'hard set' in the USA?
Reply
•
Dan
July 2, 2017 at 12:29 pm
For better the marketers
(and government) to track
you...
I had a friend recently that
put in a "disposable" email
to get some information
from some investment
company recently from his
home desktop computer.
Within half an hour his cell
phone rang. It was the
investment company. They
knew his real name,
address, cell number,
 landline number, even the
gross amount of his
pension and what
government agency he
retired from. I wouldn't be
at all surprised if they
could tell you "boxers or
briefs" as well.
George Orwell was a very
astute and intelligent man.
•