Introduction to IP Address, Internet Privacy and Proxy Servers

The ease with which one can conceal the IP address has raised quite a few issues and made it a hot topic of discussion. As is often the case, this facility too comes with its advantages and drawbacks. The advantage is that by concealing your identity, you can avoid many risky and unpleasant situations. But, at the same time, there are Internet users who would like to conceal their identity with the intentions of indulging in some unethical and even illegal activities. That is why one needs to give a serious thought to changing their IP.

What is an IP address after all?

IP or the International Protocol address is an inimitable number used for identifying the device employed for gaining entry to the Internet. It simply means that each computer is assigned an address, which the website being visited can see. It conveys a lot of information about the person using the Internet. For example, it helps identify the browser being used by the user, what they typed in their search engine, the time and date, the language used, the operating system of users' computer, their geographical location etc. By keeping a trail of information provided by the IP, database programs could be used to prepare a personal profile of the users, and it's not at all difficult to know the sites visited by them along with the other actions they performed, using the Internet. Having got all this information, it is not difficult to know why anybody would like to conceal its IP address.

How can my-ip keep his/her IP address confidential?

When you would like to conceal your IP, your best option would be to use a proxy server. In effect, this server works like your IP address, while concealing the real address. As a result, the site you may be visiting sees the IP generated by the proxy server, while your actual address remains hidden. That is what makes this the most frequently used technique for concealing one's IP address.