Finding a secure and seamless way to connect to the internet poses a significant challenge. Every security measure slows down your connection to some extent. What’s worse, it might not be fitting for your use case if you want to achieve more advanced tasks, such as web scraping or email protection.
Here, I will unveil some of the possible options and will argue that using proxy servers is the best option for most users. Other alternatives have their merits as well, but first, we must explore the dangers they are protecting you from.
The dangers of the internet
Each time you connect to the internet, your device sends a data request. The web server then responds by providing you with what is needed to load a website or other server. Each such request has an IP address linked to it.
Online communication would not be possible without it, as devices must know where to send the data. The IP address is a unique string of characters tied to a specific location and internet service provider (ISP).
So, with each of your connections, web servers are not only seeing your data requests but can pinpoint your approximate location. It is one of the most obvious dangers of the internet. In the real world, you wouldn’t be telling everyone your home address, but you do on the internet.
Websites and governments make use of this to geo-block certain content. Streaming services, for example, provide a different selection of video or audio material based on the location of the user. This wouldn’t be possible if you’d hide your IP address.
IP addresses also form the basis of online tracking. Since the IP string is unique and tied to a certain location, knowing what requests are made from an IP is equal to tracking your online activity.
Websites log IP addresses and even use cookies and other means to share such data between themselves. It is used for advertising purposes or to further personalize what you see and control what you do online.
It’s easier for governments since they can ask your internet service provider to give away your browsing data. There are many court cases where IP addresses were used as proof when falsely accusing people of certain activities.
Lastly, not hiding your IP address makes you more vulnerable to various security threats. Knowing the exact IP address of your home network is the first step for infiltrating it and performing DDoS or phishing attacks against you.
No matter how you look at it, leaving your IP address exposed makes you vulnerable. Now, the question is – how to protect this crucial online information.
Public Wi-fi
The most straightforward way to change your IP address is to use someone else’s connection. Using a friend’s home connection exposes him to the same risks as above, so a common solution is to use public Wi-fi in cafes or libraries. However, such an approach is neither convenient nor safe.
Public networks carry their own risks of tracking you or even infiltrating devices. In fact, it is recommended to use the below measures when using them. But even if you know a secure and seamless public connection, it isn’t convenient as you have to change your location physically.
Proxy servers
In a way, proxies are similar to public networks. Except you don’t need to change your location physically, and there are no security threats (unless you use free proxies, which I don’t recommend). You first connect to a proxy, and it then forwards your requests to the target server.
If you are using an anonymous proxy, the endpoint server does not know your original IP address or that you are using a proxy. Such a process makes it almost impossible to track your online activity, hides your IP address, and allows you to bypass geo-restrictions.
The last function is possible because you can choose proxy servers from anywhere in the world. If you choose a proxy server from Germany, for example, every website will treat you as a visitor from Germany. Your internet provider and, by extension, the government will only see you connecting to a server in Germany.
However, proxy location has an impact on your connection speed. A server that is far away is likely to perform worse than the one that is near. The choice of location is somewhat situational and also depends on what type of proxy you use.
Residential proxies originate from household connections verified by ISPs. A proxy residential connection is the most legitimate one and can target locations accurately, but its performance might suffer from faraway locations the most.
Datacenter proxies are run on powerful servers with commercial-tier internet connections and IPs created virtually. Such proxies are best for high-performance tasks, but you are more likely to be noticed with them,
Proxies are the best choice for those who want Secure and Seamless anonymity as well as integration possibilities. Various software solutions for data collection, SEO, security, automation, or other tasks accept proxy credentials. The same cannot be said about VPNs.
VPNs
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are also a way to route your requests through third-party servers while hiding your IP address. The main difference from proxies is that VPNs also encrypt user data. They create a network of Secure and Seamless protected communication that is harder for ISPs, governments, or hackers to infiltrate.
VPNs are commonly used to provide remote access and bypass geo-restrictions for gaming, or other common internet tasks. VPNs are also quite user-friendly. They work by running software on your device, which changes and routes all of your connections from a device.
Some providers also have software for smartphones and web browser extensions. However, such user-friendliness means VPN aren’t good for integration and cannot be used for most advanced tasks.
Conclusion
Using security measures to hide your IP is crucial. Proxies stand out as the most advanced solution for this purpose. They can be used both for simple anonymous browsing and advanced tasks, such as running bots.