What is an IP and how to hide it using a VPN

IPv4 and IPv6, what is the difference? 

When talking about IP addresses, usually it refers to IPv4 addresses. In addition, there are IPv6 addresses, simply because the IPv4 addresses are running out, due to the increasing number of internet connections. The difference between the two lies in the number of bits and the associated combinations that are possible. An IPv4 has 32 bits and 4.3 million possible combinations. An IPv6 has 128 bits and 4.3 but with 38 cero possible combinations. As an internet user, you will not notice any differences between IPv4 and IPv6.

 What is my IP used for?

 I.P addresses make it clear between which two devices or servers’ information is exchanged. You can see it as an order that you place at a web shop: when sending the order, you must enter your own address, so that the shop knows where the package must be delivered. When you use the internet, this is exactly it goes: you visit a website for information, the website gets your I.P address and the information is then delivered to this IP address. I.P addresses are also used to determine your location. Because an IP address is linked to an internet provider, it is also linked to a global location. In legal cases, an internet provider is sometimes asked who owns a specific IP address and the internet provider can easily check this in his customer database. An I.P can be linked to an internet connection, but if several people use that connection, it does not refer to a specific user.

I.P should be changed or hidden? 

The amount of information that you share about yourself by being almost continuously connected to the internet is enormous. Through your I.P, your online behavior and the data collected thereby are easily linked to your device and often even to you as a person. It can be comforting to think that not everything you look up online, even if it is not illegal, is easily traced back to you. If you do not want everyone to be able to see which sites you have visited, you can change or hide your I.P

Hide my IP with a VPN 

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and ensures that all your online communication is encrypted, so that it cannot be intercepted, and that your data traffic is routed securely via an external server. Your real I.P remains hidden and you automatically use the IP address of the external server, which allows you to use the internet more safely and anonymously. Also, if for some reason there are online blocks at your location, you can access a freer internet via a VPN service. For example, when you use a VPN server in America instead of the Netherlands, you may gain access to sites, which was not the case before. You can also bypass censorship in certain countries. That’s because you can mask your location with VPN.