We can say that the IP address is a series of numbers that serve to identify a user or device on the network. A kind of identity card with which we show ourselves when visiting a web page or opening any platform. There are different types, as we know. We can find static or dynamic IP addresses, private or public, etc. In this article we are going to talk about how we can see the data of an IP address .
What is an IP address
In summary, we can say that an IP address is the unique code that identifies a user or device when we enter the network. For example, it is used so that the router can identify all the devices that are connected and offer connection without conflicts. Also for a web page to identify a user who enters.
But beyond serving as information, the truth is that we can expose a lot of data when entering any site. This could affect privacy , as that information could be accessible to many. We already know that our personal data today has great value on the network and that it can be used by third parties to profit and even carry out cyber attacks.
We are talking about data such as the real geographical location, the network server, the telephone operator we are using, the postal code to which our location belongs, the date and time … All this could easily be filtered on the Internet simply by visiting a website. A third party could use it to deploy their attacks or profit in some way.
All this makes many users choose to find a way to hide this data . Luckily, we also have tools at our disposal that allow us to hide the real IP address, falsify the location and even enter restricted services. We are talking, for example, of a VPN or a proxy. In both cases, this type of information would not be shown publicly, since it would be hidden.
How to see the data of an IP
Now, there are programs and online services that allow us to see the data of an IP address. This has different uses. On the one hand we can inform ourselves of the origin of any address that we have. For example, knowing which country it corresponds to, which is the telephone operator, the postal code or even the approximate geographical location, with its coordinates.
We can also use these types of tools to find out what other of us can see on the Internet. Knowing to what extent a web page that we visit will obtain data from us simply by accessing its website. This could be used for a wide variety of purposes.
This tool that we can use is called IPLookUp . We can enter their website and there we find all these data that we mentioned. Simply accessing it will load all the information it can collect, without us having to do anything else. It is not a program that has to install or carry out complex configurations in the system.
In our case we have tested this service and it has worked correctly. It shows us the region, city, postal code, operator, date and time, as well as the real geographical location with great precision . Keep in mind that the latter, the geographical location, will never be exact, since there is a margin of error. However, it is quite close.
We have also tested it through different VPN servers to see if it changed the location correctly and the result has been positive. As we can see in the image below, in this example we have tested a VPN connected to the United States. We see that it shows us everything related to the location on the Google map, the date and time, operator, etc. We can search for this from any IP address we have.
What to do to hide the IP address
We have seen what the IP address is and how it is very easy to obtain data and information such as location, city, country, language … However, we also have some options to hide that IP and be able to navigate with more privacy. Let’s see some options.
VPN
One of the best options to hide your IP address is to use a VPN . There are many tools of this type that we can use. There are both free and paid. We have seen in the previous example that when connecting through a US service it shows us another location, country and region that have nothing to do with where we are. Also the IP is spoofed.
Therefore, using a VPN is one of the alternatives that we can consider in our team. They are very easy to use and also serve to improve security when entering public networks. Our advice is to avoid those that are free, as they could be used to collect personal data and profit. The ideal is to use programs that are safe, that can adequately protect us at all times.
Proxy
On the other hand, an also interesting solution is that of a proxy . It is sometimes confused with using a VPN, although it has its differences. Our connection goes through an intermediary, which would be the proxy server, and in this way we avoid filtering our real IP address.
Once again we have a number of alternatives at our disposal. There are both free and paid and it is something that we can use on all types of devices and operating systems.
TOR browser
A third option is to use the TOR browser . There are many browsers that we have available for our systems, but not all of them protect privacy in the same way. In this case, its mission is to prevent us from leaking personal information and information from our device. It is totally free and we can use it both on the computer and on the mobile.
Ultimately, the IP address could publicly expose a wide variety of personal information. It is important that we always keep this in mind and do not make mistakes that could put our privacy at risk. We can always count on different tools that protect us and prevent our data from being exposed.
