How to Change IP Address

How to use a proxy server

While you can’t change the public, dynamic, or static IP address provided by your ISP without consultation, there are ways of blocking your associated IP address for greater security and access to region-restricted content. A proxy server is a computer on a local network that acts as an intermediary between your computer and a remote location on the Internet, serving as a gateway through which all communication must pass. The server essentially relays all information on your behalf, stripping the original IP address and replacing it with its own. Using the server will likely slow your connection – and they do cooperate with law enforcement – but they remain a terrific and simple way to mask your public IP address without the involvement of your ISP.

Windows

Step 1: Navigate to Internet Properties – Click the the Windows Start Menu, select the Control Panel from the resulting pop-up box, and click the Network and Internet option on the left-hand side. Afterward, click the green Internet Options header located near the middle of the window to access the main Internet properties.

Step 2: Access LAN settings – Click the Connections tab at the top followed by the gray LAN settings button in the bottom-right corner to access your LAN settings.

Step 3: Add a proxy server – Check the box to the left of Use a proxy server for your LAN within the Proxy server section of the window and manually enter your desired server’s address and port number in the address box below the check box. Click the gray Advanced button to the right of the address box and ensure the the type of proxy server corresponds with the proper address. Ridiculous name aside, Hide My Ass has a fairly up-to-date list of free, public proxies servers (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS, etc.) to choose from. Click the gray OK button to save the changes.

Mac OS X

Step 1: Navigate to the Network Settings – Click the Apple logo in the upper-right corner of your desktop, select System Preferences from the resulting drop-down list, and click the Network icon (the icon depicts a silver-gray globe with white flourishes). 

Step 2: Choose your network and access the advanced settings – Select the network you typically use to connect to the Internet, via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, from the panel on the left-hand side of the window. Afterward, click the gray Advanced button in the right-hand corner and select the Proxies tab at the top.

Step 3: Select a protocol to configure – Check the box to the left of your desired protocol on the left-hand side of the window. We suggest Socket Secure, aka SOCKS, as it’s a popular protocol used to route network packets between a client and a server through a proxy. Although it operates at a lower level than protocols such as HTTP, it still hides the client address of applications and boosts general security. 

Step 4: Add a proxy server. Navigate to the SOCKS proxy list for a comprehensive catalog of active proxy servers and choose a Type 4 or 5 server that was recently checked. Return to your network settings and enter the server’s IP address and port number in the address box beneath SOCKS Proxy Server on the right-hand side of the window. Click the gray OK button in the bottom-right corner and then Apply to save the changes.

That’s it. What did you think of our simple guide to changing or masking your IP address? Daunting, but manageable. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.