Nowadays, internet privacy is undoubtedly hard to come by. Perhaps, everything you search or post is tracked online.

Let’s face it; the world we live in is slowly but surely taking away privacy. For you to remain entirely “off the grid” you need to avoid some things such as owning a smartphone or a computer and staying completely offline as much as you can. Unfortunately, that life is not ideal, and definitely not for everybody.

Once you connect to the internet, your real location is defined by an IP address. It’s the single as well as most compromising parameter around you that can be utilized to track your location and all the activities you do online. Surprisingly, most people don’t even pay attention to it – those who do often wonder how to change their IP address or even hide it from the ISP as well as the authorities.

So, how do you change your IP address, and what are the benefits of changing your IP address? click here to check.

Why You Should Change Your IP Address

Changing your Ip address comes with several reasons that you must consider if you want to increase your privacy online. Here are some of the top reasons why you should change your IP address.

To Preserve Online Privacy

Your privacy and security on the internet should be your priority, and the best way to tackle it is by changing your IP address. When you change your IP address, it means that it’s hidden completely from the ISP and won’t be able to trace or see your online activity.

That way, you can enjoy secure and safe browsing without having to look over your shoulders or even worry that the big brother would be watching.

Bypassing Restrictions

Most services online are geo-restricted, meaning they’re not available outside of the country of origin. Therefore, changing the IP address makes it possible to access content from a geo-restricted region.

It’s a necessity when dealing with firewalls as it prevents network administrators from monitoring the activities as well as imposing restrictions. Therefore, it means that you can easily watch your favorite Netflix shows from your home as if you’re located in different countries.

To Torrent Safely

It’s paramount that when torrenting you hide your IP address. Fines for torrenting are getting up every day without mentioning that the torrent sites are full of hackers and trackers looking to get hold of your personal information.

The reasons to change your IP address are endless, and the bottom line is that it’s something that you need not think twice about doing as long as you surf the internet.

Now, how can you change your IP address?

How to Change Your IP Address

There are several ways you can use it to change your IP address. The good news with changing an IP address is that you don’t need one to be an IT expert; therefore, you can easily do it. Here are some of the methods you can use;

Using a VPN

Using a VPN is the most reliable and best method you can consider to change your IP address. A VPN helps to hide your real IP address and replaces it with another. Besides, given its encryption as well as advanced security features, it’s the safest method you can think of.

ExpressVPN is the most recommendable VPN you can consider given that it offers more than 3000 servers in over 90 countries across the globe. Therefore, it means that you can get an IP address from almost 100 countries across the world.

Here’s what you need to do;

• Sign up with a VPN (ExpressVPN is our top pick)
• Download and install the VPN on your device
• Open your VPN and login
• Connect to the VPN server of your choosing – if you connect to a server in the UK, you’ll get a UK IP
• When the interface turns green, you’re good to go – your IP address has been changed successfully

Try a Proxy Server

Proxy servers will equally change your IP address. They’re the ‘middlemen’ given that they connect your internet information to various destinations while they transform their appearance as they go through the proxy.

Ideally, proxy servers intercept the entire web-browsing traffic and then take control of the entire connection. Unfortunately, as you consider proxy servers, you should note that they always run slowly, they don’t encrypt your data, and they lack security protocols.

Use Tor

The Onion Router (Tor) can be another option to change your IP address; however, you’ll need to consider some things. First, it’s free to use as well as the Tor Browser can easily be installed on several devices.

Ideally, Tor works in that it routes your connection via a series of nodes that are volunteer-operated servers. That way, the connection is encrypted several times, making it difficult to trace the traffic back to the original source. Therefore, websites will only see the last node in the chain instead of your real IP address.

Contact Your ISP

Also, you can directly contact your ISP to provide you with a new IP address. Most ISPs might not comply with your request, and some will require you to explain why the request. However, you should be aware that the new IP address might still be used to track you.

Unplug the Modem

Another option is to unplug your modem and wait a few minutes for your ISP to assign a new IP address once you reconnect. The previous IP address will be assigned to another user. Unfortunately, it might take time to be given a new IP address.

Switching Networks

When you have a mobile data connection, switching to a different network will assign you a new IP address. Also, it applies to a home network if you’re using mobile data. However, you should as much as possible avoid connecting to unprotected networks, especially in public places.

Conclusion

Changing your IP address is a necessity sometimes, and it doesn’t need an expert to go through the process. Using a VPN is undoubtedly the best option when you’re looking to change your IP address. Besides, VPNs offer the best experience when it comes to features, speed, and privacy.