
When you are connected to a proxy server, its IP address is what is seen on the Internet, not your machine’s IP address. This is where a proxy server or a VPN can be extremely useful.Įssentially, when you use a proxy or VPN you are masking the IP address of your machine. If your goal is to defeat geo-blocking initiatives or simply to maintain your online privacy, then other tactics must be employed. The methods described above may be necessary and sufficient when changing your IP address for configuration purposes. Use a VPN or Proxy Server to Change IP Address When you return home, your address will be assigned based on your home router.
#Change ip free free#
Taking your laptop to a location that offers free WiFi and connecting to the network will temporarily change your machine’s IP address as it is dynamically assigned when you log in. This means it will appear to be static since you will not be able to change it until the time period enforced by the ISP has elapsed. Even though your IP address is dynamically assigned by the provider, your ISP may have a long lease time on your address. In some cases, a longer period of time is required, so you can try leaving the router turned off overnight. Turning off your router for about five minutes might be all you need to do. Before trying any of these methods, make note of your current IP address so you can verify that it has indeed changed. This address is provided by your router, which is assigned the address by your ISP. Here are a few ways to change the IP address on your home computer. Members of opposition groups in countries governed by authoritarian rule may need to find ways to change their IP address to avoid prosecution and maintain their anonymity and political viability. Changing your IP address can help cloak where you go as you surf the web.Ī more extreme reason that may cause you to be concerned about your IP address and need to change it frequently is if you are involved with anti-government activities. Most of us would not tolerate this kind of intrusion into the personal activity occurring in any other area of our lives. Your ISP can track every move you make on the Internet. Some individuals just don’t want their online activities tracked simply for the reason of preserving their personal privacy.
#Change ip free how to#
You might want to investigate how to change your IP address if you plan on using these sites. Using these prohibited sites and downloading content such as copyrighted material through torrents can lead to problems with local law enforcement. You may find that the only way to access the sites you want is to change your IP address to subvert these restrictions. This may be due to governmental regulations or ISP terms of service. In certain geographic locations, sites that you may want to visit may be blocked by your ISP. This type of issue may affect you on a corporate network. You will need to change the IP to a valid address in order to connect your machine to the network. You will have to change IP address to use the new router.Ī router that is not operating correctly might be providing addresses that are being used by another computer on the network. For example, you may have used the wrong numeric range, making it unusable.Īfter installing a new router you may have to reconfigure your home network in order to use its IP range. You may need to change IP address if you have misconfigured a static IP address. Learning how to change IP address can be beneficial in all of these scenarios. Here are some common and more esoteric motivations for changing your computer’s IP address. There are a variety of reasons that you may want to change your IP address. Why Would You Want to Change IP addresses on Your Computer?
