How to change your IP Address

At Home

The main ways one can change their IP address at home are the following:

Reset your modem / router

Please remember that unplugging or turning off the router will kick out everybody connected to the internet in your household. Keep that in mind in case you are sharing the connection with others. Moreover, the success of the method above depends on the way your internet service provider allocates and leases IP addresses to users. Sometimes, after reconnecting the ISP may give you the same IP address

The instructions above apply to users that are using Dynamic IP addresses (the majority of home users). If you are using a static IP address which is usually something you would have done consciously, as it is usually more expensive, the method above will not work.

Use a VPN

There are multiple commercial and free VPN providers that one can use to connect to the internet. Generally a commercial VPN provider is preferred against a free one, as commercial providers are usually faster and more secure. Moreover, commercial VPN providers offer multiple servers in multiple geographical locations and one can user any of the available servers to change their IP.

For more information about VPNs and what to be careful about when choosing one, check our Hide IP address article

Use a proxy server

A great and comprehensive article about proxy servers and why their usage is discouraged can be found here: https://www.bestvpn.com/guides/proxy-server/

Use the TOR browser

The Tor Browser is a browser that can run in multiple operating systems and uses the Tor network to connect to the internet without needing the installation of additional software. Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world.

The Tor Browser allows a user to easily change their IP address and identity by selecting either the New Identity or New Tor Circuit for this Site options

For more information about the tor browser check our Hide IP address article

When not at home

When not at home, all of the above methods can be used to change your IP Address apart from the first one. In certain cases it is actually advisable to use a trusted VPN over a public wifi network, as there are several compromised public wifi networks and traffic can be easily intercepted. The same can even apply for a mobile network, especially in certain countries.