Hide your IP Address for Free

WHY HIDE IP ADDRESS? ANONYMITY?

Your IP address is your online identity, and with it webmasters can keep track of your visits, email recipients can determine your approximate geographic location, hackers can launch an attack on your system, and more. In the early days of the Internet, many people assumed that their online activities were anonymous, at least much more so than in the offline world. In fact, just the opposite is true. Every time you surf a website or send an email, you leave digital footprints that can be traced back to you. Therefore, a word for the wise: never assume full anonymity on the Internet, even if using a service that promises such.

With that said, there will be times when you wish to hide IP address, not necessarily to be un-traceable, but perhaps just for an extra level of privacy. For example, maybe to visit a website without being connected to a previous visit. Now, while you cannot visit without an IP, you can hide your real IP simply by masking or changing it.

HIDE YOUR IP ADDRESS FOR FREE BY CHANGING IT IN WINDOWS

Perform this action before or after visiting a website, and your next visit will be with a different IP.

1. Hook up your computer directly to your broadband modem (remove any router that you might be using). Then make sure you have your Internet connection back (you might need to restart your modem and/or computer).
   
2. Go to your DOS command prompt (click your START menu, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt)
   
3. Type the following: ipconfig /release [enter]
   
4. Unplug your modem from the electrical outlet and remove any backup battery it has. Leave it off for 2 minutes, then plug it back in.
   
5. Wait 1-2 minutes for the modem lights to return to their normal appearance.
   
6. Back at the command prompt, type: ipconfig /renew
   
7. Wait 30 seconds and then try surfing to an IP verification website. You should have a new IP.
   

HIDE YOUR IP ADDRESS FOR FREE USING HTTP PROXIES

An HTTP proxy basically routes your Internet traffic through a remote server, and allows you to hide IP address by surfing with the IP of that server. Here's the quick setup:

• Internet Explorer: Click on Tools - Internet Options - Connections - Click "LAN Settings" for DSL/cable, or choose your dialup connection and click "Settings" – Check the boxes for "Use proxy server..." and "Bypass proxy server..." - Enter the Address and Port of a valid proxy server (see below, or use address "relay.testproxy.org" and port 8231 for testing) – click OK twice.
  
• Firefox: Click on Tools – Options – Advanced – Network – Connection / Settings – Check "manual proxy configuration" and "use this proxy server for all protocols" – enter "localhost, 127.0.0.1" in "no proxy for" – enter a valid HTTP proxy and port (see below, or use proxy "relay.testproxy.org" and port 8231 for testing) – click OK twice.
  

Now, aside from the test proxy mentioned, less limited settings for the HTTP proxy address and port can be obtained for free from sites like PublicProxyServers.com. Since these free resources are rather unstable, it may take some trial and error to find working ones. And be sure to familiarize yourself with the risks of these "public" resources. Some people may choose to pay a small fee for the convenience of surfing with a reliable and SSL compatible HTTP proxy. One such service that provides them is iPrivacyTools.com. Some of the ideas here came, with permission, from their useful article about changing and hiding your IP address for free.

HIDE YOUR IP ADDRESS WITH FREE WEB PROXIES

A web proxy is another type of Internet relay, which allows you to surf with the IP of a remote server. The difference, perhaps an advantage, is that it does require browser configuration. Rather, you just go to the website, enter a URL, and click submit to surf. The drawback is that this type of relay requires scripting filters that may interfere with your ability to view web content normally. For example, video may or may not be compatible. It won't hurt to test any of the following free IP hiding dotcom's to see if they suffice for your purposes: The-Cloak, HideMyAss, ProxyLord, ShadowSurf.

If it seems like these web proxies serve you well, a Google search for "free web proxies" will reveal many, many more. The ones I mentioned are some of the more well know. Be sure to keep your anti-virus on when experimenting with others.

HIDE IP ADDRESS FOR FREE WITH TOR

TOR, with stands for "the onion router", is a network of computers and routers, connected by a software interaction, which enables users to surf via each others IP addresses. The anonymity is provided by the fact that inter-network traffic is encrypted in a manner that makes it virtually impossible to determine where a web request was initiated. Furthermore, a simple add-on makes it possible to also encrypt your connection to the Tor network, rendering it difficult or impossible for your ISP or anyone to monitor what you're doing.

While TOR is perhaps as close to free and true anonymous surfing as one can currently come, I would still only recommend it as a means by which to hide your IP address and increase your privacy, not to guarantee it. I recently read an article on ZDNet about a group of hackers who had developed an application to track down serious criminals who use Tor for hiding their identities. While I hope you are not a serious criminal, what's to guarantee that a corrupt government might not use the same technology to track political dissidents, or something of that sort? Furthermore, the Tor system is prone to user error, such as setup problems, which may compromise one's privacy.

With those warnings in mind, installation instructions for Tor can be found at TorProject.org. Using the Firefox web browser add-on is recommended for convenience.

HIDE YOUR IP ADDRESS AT YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY

If you really want to hide your IP address for anonymity purposes, the simplest solution may be the obvious: use a free terminal at your public library, or take your laptop to a free Internet cafe. If you're super paranoid, you can wear a mask :)