Your IP Address is 38.107.179.240

How do I hide my IP address?

Hiding ones IP address may be necessary for several reasons. Usually, this is done for purposes of security or privacy. The use of Proxy Servers is the most common method of hiding IP addresses . Proxy servers are computers that allow the clients of a network to indirectly connect to the Internet and other network services.

Users of proxy servers connect to the proxy server and then request connections, files or other resources from a third party server. The proxy server accesses the resource, either by connecting to the specified third party server or by serving the resource from information already stored in the cache of the proxy server. If necessary, the proxy server might make changes to the client's request or the third party server's response.

There are a number of proxy servers available to users who want to hide their IP addresses in an attempt to maintain anonymity on the internet.

Website Based Proxy Servers

Website based proxy servers provide online forms where users enter the URL of the website they wish to visit. By submitting the form, the user makes a request for the website proxy server to access the page to be visited. In most cases, the machine used as a proxy server will not identify itself as a proxy server. Instead of accessing the resource with your IP address, the proxy server will request the page with its own credentials and IP address. Website based Proxy Servers have a variety of features,such as advertisement blocking, java script blocking, etcetera, and they usually charge a fee for the services they offer. One of the recommended website proxy services is Proxify.com

Browser Configured Proxy Servers

For those seeking a low cost method of web browsing and communications, stand alone proxy servers that are configured to allow your browser to route traffic through a proxy servers machine are available. The server then issues a request for the page and forwards the results back to your machine. This form of proxy server is usually offered free of charge and are accessible to the public. Unfortunately, this often creates a lot of lag time when requesting resources during peak server times. These proxy servers must be configured according to the servers instructions so please consult your service provider for the proper configuration details.

Browser based proxy servers are further divided into several sub categories:

Transparent Proxy - The transparent proxy server identifies itself to the third party server as a proxy server and conveys the original requesters IP address in the http headers.  Used primarily for caching websites, this proxy server is not suitable for the protection of anonymity.  The one advantage these proxy servers offer is the ability to circumvent simple IP bans. They are called transparent because your IP address is still exposed to the network.

Anonymous Proxy - Like the transparent proxy server, the anonymous proxy server identifies itself as a proxy server. The difference is in the fact that the anonymous proxy server does not make the original IP address readily available. Slightly more secure than a transparent proxy server, the anonymous proxy server will be sufficient for most Internet users who seek to hide their IP address.

Distorting Proxy - The next step up in security and anonymity, the distorting proxy server identifies itself to the network as a proxy server, but deceives the third party servers by creating an faked IP address record available in the http headers, thus hiding your IP address from the network.

High Anonymity Proxy - The most secure form of the browser based proxy server is the high anonymity proxy server. It does not identify itself to the network as a proxy server and nor does it make the original requesters IP address.

Installed Software Proxy Servers

A variety of companies and software suites are available for those seeking to protect their IP address from the network. Offered for sale as a one time purchase or through recurring subscriptions, software proxies usually deliver faster and more reliable results that the other forms of proxy servers cannot rival. Some of the recommended choices in software proxy services include:

Hide My IP

Anonymizer.com's Anonymous Surfing

GhostSurf 2007 Platinum

TOR

Anonymous Proxy Risks

While proxy servers are designed to make using the Internet safer, there are still risks associated with their use. These risks include the malicious proxy server which can compromise all data sent to the service being used as the unencrypted data passes through the proxy server on its way to the requested service.  This unencrypted data, including unencrypted logins and passwords, can then be recorded by the malicious server.

While proxies block the activities of their users from the eyes of the user's requested service, the function is often handled by jumping through a series of proxy servers. With every intermediate hop, traces of your activity will be left on these servers, creating the ability to trace these activities back to you. If you don't know the policies and administrators of the proxy servers your information stops at along the way to its destination, you may fall victim to a false sense of security.

The plain truth is you still need to practice basic Internet safety precautions while using proxy servers. Only use trusted proxy servers with a clear privacy policy and never use an unknown proxy server if it can be avoided. If you must use an unknown proxy server, only pass encrypted private information through the proxy to avoid having your data compromised.

IP WHOIS Lookup

IP WHOIS is a lookup tool that can be used to help you locate information about IP address owners. If you use this tool, you can get access to data such as how the IP address was registered and provided. This tool can tell you if an IP address you are considering using is already allocated, as well as the IP Address contact information for allocated addresses. Using the WHOIS lookup tool, you'll also have other information that you may need, such as the number of IP Addresses in the block or blocks that are dedicated to the owner of the IP you searched.

Email Headers - What are they?

Headers are included on every email that is sent and most importantly for the purposes here, they are on each email you receive. The email header contains various information relating to the origin of the email (e.g. the IP address), and the routing information relating to the email. Emails are not always traceable to their point of origin, however, because the way in which an email is sent will determine whether or not it is traceable.

Email headers will not provide any personal information about the sender. The IP address where the email originated is almost always in the header, as well as the name of the computer from which the email was sent. With the details of the originating IP, it is possible to narrow down where an email has come from. This narrowing down will help you to find out the city and the ISP that the email sender used, but it will never provide you with the physical address where the person sending the email is located (as mentioned earlier).

How can I find the email header?

In order to find out the detail held in the email header, you need to know how the email program you are using stores this information. Here is a rundown of the basics in some of the most commonly used email programs.

Hotmail - Go to the inbox, right click the email you want to find out about and choose View Message Source.

Outlook - Once you receive the mail into your inbox, right click on the message and select Message Options. You'll then see a window appear which will contain the header information at the bottom.

Gmail - In Gmail you will need to open the message first. Once you've done this, look in the top right corner where you'll see the word Reply. Click on the down arrow beside this and select the option Show Original.

Windows Live Mail - Go to the inbox and right click on the email. Select Properties, then the Details tab to access the email header information.

AOL - Go to your email inbox and select the email. Click Action, followed by View Message Source.

Yahoo! - Select the email in your inbox, right click and click on View Full Headers.

Finding the email header is straightforward, so you can get all the details you need from the email header in just a couple of clicks.

Understanding the Email Header

As a rule, the IP address that is included in the header reflects the email origin. This basic unchanging rule of email headers means that finding the originating IP couldn't be simpler.

Is it possible to trace emails?

The answer is actually Yes and No. If you were to send an email from a Gmail account, then the email could only be retraced as far as the Gmail servers. However, if you sent the email via a Hotmail account, then the X-Originating IP section of the headers will show where the email was sent from.