Wednesday, May 05, 2010
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What is an IP Address?
An IP address or Internet Protocol address is the name for a logical address found on a network adapter that is usually assigned by your Internet service provider. Each IP address is one of a kind as it is used to distinguish computer systems and additional devices located on a network. In short, the different IP addresses are used to interact and communicate with one another. One way to visualize how it works is to imagine it as your computer's street address. It is fairly easy to identify your computer on the network due to the fact that each IP address is a completely unique number. The Internet is massive, and without an IP address it would be nearly impossible to inform other computers and devices on the network about the data you are both sending and requesting.
You can see your current IP address now using our free ip checking tool.
How can my IP address be used to track my Internet activity?
Simply put, as your IP address is unique to you alone then that means all of the websites you visit can be monitored by anyone ranging from businesses to hackers. When you browse websites these days, many of them will place a file on your computer known as a "cookie" which they can use to track and monitor your browsing habits. Companies such as businesses and news agencies argue that this is done for the purpose of presenting you content that is customized and designed specifically for your interests. While this still doesn't seem to bother the majority of people, other websites can place cookies on your computer with an evil intent in mind. One way to prevent this is to disable cookies in your web browser, but in recent times that is simply not enough to maintain anonymity.
The primary solution to web anonymity is through changing or hiding your IP address by using software such as the solution from Easy-Hide-IP.
Why should I change my IP address?
Well, besides the fact of maintaining true privacy and security as previously mentioned, another perk of changing your IP address is that you will be able to visit websites that offer content which is geographically limited. This usually is the case with a variety of online video and audio services. One popular example of country limited content is the BBC iPlayer. You will not be able to watch it outside of the UK due to your computer or network device using an IP address based outside of the UK. The only way around this is to change your IP address to an IP address from the UK, and then you will be able to enjoy watching the BBC iPlayer.
Another benefit of changing your IP address is that if you happen to travel often and you communicate with businesses and clients and interact with related websites then constantly having an absolutely different IP address may attract suspicion or create confusion. However, by using an IP address that these websites are more familiar with you are less likely to run into any issues.
How do I change my IP address with the Easy-Hide-IP software?First download the latest version of the software from the download page. Then load the program and you will see a list of available IP addresses for you to choose from displayed on the screen. Select one from the list based on the desired location, sever type, and signal strength, and click on the Connect to Selected button. All of your Internet traffic will now be routed through this particular remote server. Once you have finished browsing with the private IP address, you can change it back to your original IP address by simply clicking on the Restore My Identity button.
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