IP addresses

Argyll_2

Whats an IP address and are there ways to block it so no one can detect yours (legally of course)?

Seraphim

Very simplistic defintion: An IP address is a unique identifier where you computer "lives". When a computer tries to send a message to another computer, it uses this identifier so it knows where the data is going.

As for hiding your IP....um, yes, it can be done. You can bounce your data via a proxy such as a cloaking server (which is perfectly legal). However, this will probably slow your connection down as you will be travelling further (ie going through another server) before you reach your destination.

It really depends how long-term you want the IP cloaked for, and also for what purposes.

There are ways to spoof an IP, but not recommended Really and truly, nothing is ever 100% untraceable

David_B_2

Not forgetting that depending on your ISP your IP address could be different each time you connect to the web, if it's the web your worried about. Otherwise a firewall can stop others seeing and accessing your PC unlawfully.

albertross_2

This is your ip address

http://www.ipchicken.com/

Lord_Chris

your ip address, put absolutely most simply is like a phone number for your computer. If you are on ADSL and dont have a static IP (you would know if you did) then your IP address changes everytime you connect to the internet UNLESS you leave a router on, in which case it stays the same unless it has to connect again.

To hide your IP address (a firewall does NOT do this, learn what a firewall is before commenting) you can download a program called HideIP Platinum. (google it) its free, to hide your IP, simply double click the hideip icon on your desktop and a little globe appears near your clock which when it stops spinning has put your internet through a proxy (another web server abroad) so people cannot see your true IP address.

unlike popular belief - this software is NOT illegal, it is perfectly legit. to hide your IP, however some people who hide their IPs use it for illegitimate purposes (i.e downloading illegal !!!!!!)

a little side note, hiding your IP can interfere with some net services such as MSN Messenger and Hotmail as they check your IP, and if they detect a proxy they block it for security purposes. This also applies to things like online banking (depending on the bank)

Also, hiding your IP is not a security thing, it just stops people seeing your IP address in the traiditional way (PHP get local environment) it is NOT security feature, and is in no means a substitute for a firewall. Hiding your IP will not stop a good hacker from getting at you.

if this helped - thank me

Darksun

As for using a proxy, remember that the person who runs the proxy can monitor all the data you send and receive

wolfman

Darksun wrote:

As for using a proxy, remember that the person who runs the proxy can monitor all the data you send and receive

Exactly. You can never completely hide your ip address or your computer wouldn't be able to function on the web.

I like to think of your ip, much like your house has an address. You send someone post (post being a web request/response or data in internet terms), and they send post to you. Without an address the post wouldn't have anywhere to go (probably get pinched at the royal mail instead!).

You can mask your ip address via proxy's, but then again how much do you trust the proxy host as they'll be able to track all your requests?

Anyway why do you want to hide your ip address? If you have a dynamic ip, the only things a site could gain from your address are your ISP, and the rough region where you're from. And to sites like Amazon, even if they did use this kind of info, it'd merely be a statistic.

PierceUK

Peer Guardian 2 linky
is a neat little app that blocks unwanted IP's from "seeing" you PC, i use it to block out all those annoying adverts on websites :-D makes the web alot faster.

Argyll_2

Thanks guys and gals. I've done a bit of reading myself and I'm with Tiscali. Now correct me if I'm wrong but apparently I have a dynamic IP which means my IP changes everytime I sign on to my pc. Also the only thin that will not change is the first couple of numbers which would only identify me as a tiscali customer and where their server is (milton keynes) Is this correct?

It's not for any illegal activity I swear.

Also that was a neat trick Albertross done to find my Ip address in Ip chicken. How is this done?

Quincy_3

seanmccabeuk wrote:

Thanks guys and gals. I've done a bit of reading myself and I'm with Tiscali. Now correct me if I'm wrong but apparently I have a dynamic IP which means my IP changes everytime I sign on to my pc. Also the only thin that will not change is the first couple of numbers which would only identify me as a tiscali customer and where their server is (milton keynes) Is this correct?

It's not for any illegal activity I swear.

Also that was a neat trick Albertross done to find my Ip address in Ip chicken. How is this done?

Ipchicken just pings a server then your IP is relayed back in simple terms, and if you have a Dynamic IP your address will change as you say as with a static one it wont.

Argyll_2

Quincy wrote:

Ipchicken just pings a server then your IP is relayed back in simple terms, and if you have a Dynamic IP your address will change as you say as with a static one it wont.

Yeah thanks m8. But how would I get someone else's I mean your for example?