IP address is the Internet Protocol address of your device. In order to explain it in a simple way, it is like your return address on a letter or mail, but on the internet, it is the address of your devices such as computers, smartphones or tablets, that your IP address identifies them on the internet.
Everything you do online is linked to your IP address like your emails, your browsing history, your online shopping activities, etc…
Your IP address is like an identification for your device on the network you are connected to. Every computer has a different IP address so that it could be communicated with individually.
When you connect or link your devices together whether they are computers or smartphones that’s called computer networking. therefore, if you have such connection at home you have your own network and in this case, it’s called having a private network.
On this private network each device will have its own internal IP address, but looking from the outside, all of these devices share the same IP address. That’s why if you load a certain web page on two different devices on the same private network, it will display the same IP address simply because they exist on the same network.
Your IP address reveals your physical location. So. your internet service provider knows your exact location because your details are linked to your IP address, also this is how online advertisers can show you certain ads based on your location.
You can find out your private IP address with simple steps:
If you are a windows user, simply go to the command prompt and enter the command ipconfig then press the enter key.
If you are a mac user, then you need to enter the command ifconfig in your terminal app.
Or, you can search Google, by typing what is my IP address?
Finding out your mobile IP address is also easy :
For ios users, you can find it by clicking on the “i” button next to the network you are connected to.
For android users, you can click on the network name in the WIFI settings and you’ll see the IP address.
You can also use google search to find out your IP address simply type what is my IP address is, and you’ll be shown your computer’s IP address at the top of the search result.
If you are worried about your privacy and don’t want to be monitored while browsing the internet, you can always invest in a VPN service that would help hide your IP address and hide your physical location.
What is VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, and shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more…
VPN service would make it seem like your traffic online is coming from a different location. Although a VPN will not fix all of your privacy and anonymity issues it’s a starting point.
We would highly not recommend using a free VPN service as they are risky and not safe to use, investing in a VPN would be like investing to protect your personal data and that is crucial nowadays since you don’t want to have a third party (cybercriminals) having access to your passwords and credit card numbers, personal info…etc.
There are many and reliable VPN services available out there, you can use google search to find one. We recommend that you read reviews before subscribing, read what other users say about it, to make sure that your money will be invested in the right place. Usually, the monthly subscription for a Vpn is not expensive as you will experiment.
What is ExpressVPN
We recommend ExpessVPN as a great and reliable VPN service. By subscribing to ExpressVPN, you will be able to hide your real IP address and surf the web with added privacy. You will be able to protect your confidential information (such as online banking credentials or social media passwords) through VPN encryption. In addition, unblock and access your favorite websites and social media platforms. Stream and download anything securely, anonymously, and with no limits. The subscription whether monthly or yearly is affordable and considered cheap and pretty much stable and secured service. Also, you will get discounts when you shop online…and much more. For further info on ExpressVPN services, please click here.
Why using ExpressVPN
As it was explained above, VPN is short for (Virtual Private networks), simply explained VPN is a service provided to create a secure connection to another network over the internet.
VPN connects your PC, smartphone, and your other devices to another computer (a server) somewhere on the internet, and by doing that it allows you to have secure internet browsing as it shows that you are in a different location (country) other than your real location which also means that if you are in-country (x) where certain websites are blocked using VPN will make that content accessible.
Using ExpressVPN will allow you to accomplish the following:
Being free of geographic restrictions on websites
Protecting yourself from untrustworthy WIFI hotspots like the ones provided at shopping malls, airports, or coffee shops as they could be set up by a cybercriminal to be able to steal your data
Hide your IP address from your ISP (internet service provider) as they can observe your internet traffic and may share your data with third parties as it may be requested, and much more…
FREE VPN IS A RISK NOT WORTH TAKING
Any service provided for free on the internet is not really free. The target is always collecting your data and showing targeted ads based on the websites you are visiting, and that could be seen pretty clearly by looking at services such as Facebook, Instagram, etc.
So we might say that free VPN is not worth losing your personal data, passwords, and risking exposing your credit card number…etc. So, when you invest very little money by using a subscribed VPN like ExpressVPN, it is actually an investment in your own security which seems reasonable enough.