What is an IP address? – Mozilla VPN
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What is an IP address?
Every time you’re on the Internet, IP addresses play an essential role in exchanging information to help you see which sites you’re requesting. However, there is a chance that you may not know what it is, so we break down the most frequently asked questions below.
What is an IP address?
Your IP address is a unique identifier, sort of like a postal address, associated with your online activity. Anytime you use the Internet (shop online, send emails, stream TV), you request access to a specific online destination, and in return, information is sent to you. How does this work? Well, IP stands for Internet Protocol, which defines standards and rules (yes, also known as a protocol) for routing data and connecting to the Internet. This protocol is a set of rules that each party must follow to allow bidirectional data flow.
Does he travel with you?
No, your IP address is only associated with one location unless you are using a VPN (we’ll get into more on that later). When you’re at home and you connect to the internet you pay for, you use one. However, if you check your email at home in the morning, scan the news at a local coffee shop while waiting for your coffee, and then work from an office, you’ll be using different IP addresses at each location.
Does your IP address change?
Yes. Even if you only use the internet at home, your home IP address can change. You can contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to change it, but even doing something routine like restarting your modem or router due to internet connection problems can make for a change.
Can more than one device have the same IP address?
This is a bit of a tricky question – the answer is yes and no. More than one device can share the same external (public) IP address, but each device will have its own local (private) IP address. For example, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) sets up your home with one external IP address. Since your router is what actually connects to the internet, your router is assigned an IP address. Your router then assigns a local IP address to each device connected to the Internet at a time. An external IP address is what is shared with the outside world. Your local IP address is not shared outside of your own home network.
Can we run out of them?
When the Internet was first designed, “v4” titles were used. These are 32 bits, which means we can have up to 4.2 billion addresses. That seemed enough at the time, but not close enough in a world where the average American family had 11 connected devices.
We now have version 6 IP addresses, which have 128 bits per address. Unfortunately, v4 and v6 can’t talk to each other directly, so people will need v4 titles for a long time.
Should your IP address be hidden?
You don’t need to hide your IP address, but there are some times you might want to. The most common reason is privacy. In the United States, Congress has repealed privacy regulations designed to protect the privacy of broadband users. ISPs can see your browsing habits, what you use the internet for, and how long you spend on each page. This connection is not encrypted, so third parties can see the website you are visiting. One way to combat this is DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH). This encrypts DNS (Domain Name System) traffic, making it difficult for ISPs to see the websites you are trying to visit. For Firefox users in the US, by default your DoH queries are directed to trusted DNS servers, which makes it difficult to link you to sites you are trying to visit.
There are also circumstantial reasons to hide your IP address. You may want to hide it when you travel. A VPN will also give you more privacy when connected to WiFi to stream and shop while exploring the world.
How do you hide it?
A VPN is a way to hide your IP address. When using a VPN, your external IP address will come from the VPN server’s external IP address, rather than the external IP address of your location. So if the connected VPN server is located in California, your external IP address will look like it’s connected from California, no matter where you are actually. In addition, your online activity is transmitted over an encrypted and secure connection to your VPN server, giving you more security and privacy. Mozilla VPN is one way to hide your IP address. We do not keep logs of your network activities, and we do not share with third parties that create profiles of what you do online. We offer complete device protection for up to five devices with servers in more than 30 countries, and you can connect anywhere and from anywhere.
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