How To Hide Ip Address Free Mac
How To Hide IP Address In Windows PC. Web-Based Proxy Servers. Web-Based proxies are the best and easiest way through which you can hide your IP Address. There are many Web Proxy sites go-to sites and search whatever you want it will hide your original IP Address and let you surf on the internet through their own server. 8 ways to hide your IP address. Use a VPN to hide your IP address. A VPN, or V irtual P rivate N etwork is a software service that encrypts all of the data sent to and from the internet and routes it through a VPN server in another location.
With this exclusive offer, you can use ExpressVPN 30 days, risk-free! Table of Contents. The BEST way to hide IP address: Use a VPN. Hide my IP address with Tor – FREE but slow. A riskier method: Use a proxy to hide your IP address – SLOW. The long and short of this discussion is that it is impossible to 'block' your IP address. Your IP address is your identification on the internet. Without it, you would not be able to access the internet. There are ways of masking it, or making it more difficult to obtain, but there is no way to 'block' it completely.
Learn how to spoof your MAC address with a MAC address hider.
Learn how to hide your MAC address (courtesy Christiaan Colen / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Why learn to hide MAC address for your computer and protect your privacy? It is interesting to note how our Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) is increasingly under attack. A quick check on Wikipedia gives you a long list of over 20 different pieces of data which can be (and are) used to identify, locate, profile and target you.
Although it’s of scary, I guess we all have become used to the threat of our privacy being compromised. Long gone are the days when the only way persons were identified was by their face, fingerprints, or handwriting.
By the way, for cynics who may scoff at the need for privacy as simply an excuse to do illegal activities, they should know that there is a community of law-abiding citizens who do prefer privacy. In fact, what seems more unethical is that there is an entire industry ranging into the billions of dollars involving the sale and resale of our personal information – not to mention the wholesale spying of governments into every bit (literally) of our online data.
Our Privacy Under Increasing Attack
Our lives creep ever closer to what is depicted in futuristic dystopian movies. Check or yourself. Go to Facebook ads and check out how easily you can specifically target an audience. If this is the sort of targeting available to Joe and Jane Blo, imagine how specific the big & powerful players can target you? It’s no stretch to imagine they can target right down to the level of specific individuals.
You have probably noticed how Google can suggest a particular item for you to buy or when Facebook and LinkedIn suggest that you send a friend or connection request to a particular person. Of course, this is all just the tip of the iceberg.
As you become more informed, you will discover many more potential ways in which your privacy can be compromised or is already compromised—that is the reality. For starters, ensure that you read https://www.cogipas.com/top-10-essential-internet-privacy-tips/.
Tracking and Profiling is Getting More Sophisticated & Moving Away from IP Addresses
Most people know that the IP address of our devices can give away our location and a whole bunch of other information. That is just one important reason why we recommend using a trusted VPN service as a basic privacy measure.
- see What’s My IP Address?
However, another way in which individuals and their online activities can be identified is through the manipulation of the MAC address on their devices. The stark reality of this was highlighted by the famous whistle-blower Edward Snowden who disclosed that NSA tracks persons via their devices’ MAC addresses.
The startup company Renew tested this successfully by tracking mobile devices in and around London. This is why Apple has started introducing a system of generating random MAC addresses on their iOS devices.
What is a MAC Address?
The MAC acronym actually stands for Media Access Control. It is a unique identification code which is hard-wired or hard-coded into your computer’s and other mobile devices’ Network Interface Card (NIC) hardware. The NIC is needed by your devices when connecting to a network whether it is wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi). The MAC address is usually in the form of six sets of two-digit characters, separated by colons. A typical MAC address may look something like 00:0a:98:9d:65:16.
Please note that there is a different MAC address for each network interface. And so, a laptop computer that has an Ethernet port and a Wi-Fi radio will have different MAC addresses for the wired and the wireless network interfaces.
MAC addresses are 48 bits in length and the first 24 bits contain a unique set of characters known as the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) or vendor ID. This identifier or ID uniquely identifies the manufacturer of the networking hardware. The following are the OUI for some manufacturers:
Belkin: 00-30-BD
Cisco: 00-40-96
Dell: 00-14-22
Nortel: 00-04-DC
Some manufacturers of larger networking hardware may use more than one set of Organizationally Unique Identifiers (OUI).
With your MAC address, you become identifiable on a network. As a matter-of-fact, there are some schools and companies which require that persons accessing their wifi provide their MAC address. With that information (and, may I say, under normal conditions), network administrators can use MAC filtering and prevent unauthorised entry to their network even if the unwanted device was issued a different IP address by DHCP.
Network administrators also use MAC addresses for diagnosing network issues since they don’t change (under normal circumstances) in comparison to dynamic IP addresses which may change.
Can I Block my MAC address?
Well, the answer to this question may have a YES-NO kind of answer. As for the NO-part of the answer, every device on a network has to present a MAC address and so access to a MAC address cannot be blocked. The situation can be compared to the postal system. For persons to get their mail, they need to use an address. Without an address, the postman will not know where to leave a package. In a similar way, devices on a network have to present a MAC address so that their data packets can be routed to them. However, that MAC address need not be the original hard-coded MAC address that the device was manufactured with. And so, in this context, YES we can hide (or if you prefer block) our original MAC address by using another MAC address. This pseudo-MAC address may be a random one that is changed by the user or generated by computer software or it could be one that is spoofed from another device which has access to the network. In this way, a computer system may be manipulated so that the MAC address reported by the operating system does not match the permanent physical MAC address. This is beneficial for addressing privacy concerns when doing things like using a Wi-Fi hotspot.
IMPORTANT: This method of switching the MAC address is not permanent. The computer will restore the permanent physical MAC address after it is rebooted.
NOTE: Apart from the MAC address on your computer’s network adapters, there is also a MAC address for your router. Therefore, if you are operating your own home network, you may have to change your router’s MAC address as well as your computer’s MAC address. You will be able to change the MAC address on your router using your router’s web interface.
Software which can spoof your MAC Address
The following is a list of software tools which may be used to change your computer’s MAC address. The list includes tools for both Windows and Mac systems.
- Technitium MAC Address Changer https://technitium.com/tmac/
- NoVirusThanks MAC Address Changer http://www.novirusthanks.org/products/mac-address-changer/
- SMAC MAC Address Changer http://www.klcconsulting.net/smac/#Download
- Change MAC Address http://lizardsystems.com/change-mac-address/
- MacAppStuff Spoof MAC for Mac http://download.cnet.com/MacAppStuff-Spoof-MAC/3000-2144_4-75289372.html
- ChangeMAC for Mac http://download.cnet.com/ChangeMAC/3000-18508_4-169342.html
- MAC Change http://download.cnet.com/MAC-Change/3000-2085_4-10343579.html
Spoofing your MAC Address in Windows
Although there is software designed specifically to spoof MAC addresses, spoofing is possible without the use of additional software. It can be done safely within the Windows operating system — and it is legal too. The following sets out how you may spoof your MAC address within Windows — of course, you do so at your own risk.
STEP 1: Locate the Device Manager
For Windows 8.1 and higher, you may press Windows Key + X before clicking Device Manager.
For Windows 7, you may type “Device Manager” in the Search box which comes up when you press the Windows key. Click Device Manager or press enter to open the console.
STEP 2: Identify the network interface that you wish to modify or spoof.
Identify “Network Adapters” from the list of devices. Double-click it to reveal all available network interfaces. Right-click the one you wish to modify and then click Properties.
STEP 3: Change the MAC address
Open the Properties window, click the Advanced tab and then select Network Address from the options listed. If you don’t see this option then your network driver doesn’t have this feature.
Switch the option from “Not Present” to “Value”. You may see “0000000000” in the Value box. Remove this entry and then insert your new MAC address without any additional spaces or characters. Press OK.
Spoofing your MAC Address on Apple’s Mac OS X
Although the Mac OS X allows you to see the MAC address for each network interface via its System Preferences, it does not allow users to change it from that point. However, users may change it by using a single command.
Press Command + Space, type “Terminal”, and press the Enter key to open a Terminal window. You will need to run the command below. Remember to replace en0 with the correct network interface name and replace xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx with your desired MAC address.
sudo ifconfig en0 xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Generally speaking, the network interface will be en0 or en1 based on whether you are modifying the Wi-Fi or Ethernet interface. If unsure of the network interface name, run the ifconfig command to view all interfaces.
REMEMBER: This method of switching the MAC address is not permanent. The computer will restore the permanent physical MAC address after it is rebooted.
Therefore, you must use a VPN to hide your IP address on Mac. All you have to do is: Sign with a VPN provider. We recommend ExpressVPN; Download and install the VPN app on your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device. Log in and connect to any server that appears on your device. Double check your new IP address on WhatIsMyIP.network.
Tor (The Onion Router) is one of the most popular hide IP tool used on the internet due to its simplicity and efficiency. To be more precise, we have to say that Tor is not actually a tool, is more a network of computers that working together achieve anonymity for its users. Learn about the best Tor-based tools to hide your IP address.
How Tor Works
You can do this on your Mac itself, by going to your TCP/IP settings and asking for a new DHCP lease, which will give you a new IP address which is private. Or to change the IP of your entire network, you can ask your ISP to change your ISP for you if your current IP is compromised. But remember one thing, you cannot hide your IP from your ISP. Tor is built around making sure that your activity online remains private, so if you want to hide your IP address and make sure your searches stay private, utilise Tor and Duckduck go. Final Thoughts When it comes to hiding your IP address on your Mac, there is no single solution. 6 Ways to Hide Your IP Address. Check out these six ways to alter your IP address. Get a VPN Software. Probably the best and most convenient way for changing your IP is to choose a good VPN service. Here’s what VPN does: Hide’s your IP address; Encrypts your internet traffic; Allows you safely torrent. Your Mac will now have a different private IP address. You can never hide your IP address from your ISP. It’s not possible to hide your IP address from your ISP. It makes sense: my ISP provides me with internet service and therefore an IP address. Without an IP address, I can’t connect to the internet.
A user of the Tor network runs a proxy server on his computer. Internet-facing software can then access Tor through a SOCKS interface. Once inside a Tor network, the traffic is sent from router to router, the Tor software periodically negotiating a virtual circuit through the Tor network, ultimately reaching an exit node at which point the cleartext packet is forwarded on to its original destination.
Viewed from the destination, the traffic appears to originate at the Tor exit node The Onion Router (Tor) is a free software implementation of second-generation onion routing – a system which claims to enable its users to communicate anonymously on the Internet. [Via Wikipedia]
The best Tor-Based Tools
Free Ip Hider Mac
To connect to Tor network easily you need to use an application that performs most of the configuration steps. Here are the best tools that use Tor network to hide your IP address and achieve online anonymity:
1. Vidalia Tor Bundle
Vidalia is a cross-platform controller GUI for the Tor software. Vidalia runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux or other Unix variants using the X11 window system.
>> Vidalia Tor Download
2. OperaTor – Opera + Tor
OperaTor is a portable software bundle which allows you to browse the web anonymously. It combines the power of the Opera Browser, Tor, and Polipo. With OperaTor no data will be stored at the computer you plugged your portable memory into.
>> OperaTor Download
3. TorFox – The Anonymous Browser
Torfox is a simple secure portable open-source browser based on The Tor Project and Mozilla Foundation technologies: an anonymous browser which allows users to browse web pages hiding their IP address and other parameters which may be used to identify user data.
>> TorFox Download
4. Xero Bank Browser
xB Browser is a free and open-source anonymous web browser that can be used to securely and anonymously surf the internet, and bypass firewalls and website censorship.
The main advantage compared to other anonymous web browsers is that the xB Browser requires no configuration or technical knowledge in order to achieve anonymity. xB Browser is open-source so you can feel safe knowing what goes into our code. Additionally, it is even portable on a USB stick so you can take it to work, school, or on vacation.
>> xB Browser Download
5. Portable Tor
PortableTor allows you to connect to the Tor anonymous internet system from any computer with your flash or thumb drive. This allows you to browse the internet anonymously from public locations, such as internet hotspots, library, or school computers, and public terminals.
PortableTor has all of the features as the regular Tor, except without actually installing the application.
>> Portable Tor Download
6. Incognito
Incognito is an open source LiveDistro based on Gentoo Linux assisting you to securely and anonymously use the Internet almost anywhere you go, e.g. your home, work, university, favorite Internet café or local library.
Incognito can be used from either a CD or a USB drive and has several Internet applications (Web browser, IRC client, Mail client, Instant messenger, etc.) pre-configured with security in mind, and all Internet traffic will be anonymized.
>> Incognito Download
7. Tor Browser Bundle
The Tor Browser Bundle lets you use Tor on Windows without needing to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser and is self-contained. The Tor IM Browser Bundle additionally allows instant messaging and chat over Tor. If you would prefer to use your existing web browser, install Tor permanently.
>> Tor Browser Bundle Download
8. TorButton
Torbutton is a Firefox add-on that provides a button to securely and easily enable or disable the browser’s use of Tor. It is currently the only addon that will safely manage your Tor browsing to prevent IP address leakage, cookie leakage, and general privacy attacks.
>> TorButton Download
How To Hide Ip Free
9. FoxTor
FoxTor is a Firefox add-on that provides an easy and convenient way to browse the web using the anonymous and encrypted TOR network. This offers greater privacy compared to regular proxy services or extensions.
>> FoxTor Download
10. TorChat
TorChat is a peer to peer instant messenger with a completely decentralized design, built on top of Tor’s location hidden services, giving you extremely strong anonymity while being very easy to use without the need to install or configure anything.
>> TorChat Download
11. Torcap
Torcap is a tool that allows any network application to connect through Tor, even if the overlying application doesn’t support SOCKS. Torcap works by injecting a DLL into every process running under the current user. This DLL then hooks Winsock API to intercept DNS lookups and TCP/IP connections.
>> Torcap Download
What do you think of our list of the best Tor-based tools? Do you know other good Tor tools?
Share them with us!
Make sure you also read: Pros and Cons of Using Tor.
CloseIn order to hide your IP address you must replace it with another decoy IP. This means you’ll need to use a VPN service to achieve true anonymity in Chrome.
Unlike browsers like Firefox that allow you to enter proxy settings (supplied by a VPN service) natively, Google refers directly to your OS network settings.
Step 1
Locate the options icon to the far right of the Chrome browser window and click on it. A pull down will appear. Select “Settings” near the bottom.
Step 2
The settings page will appear directly in the browser window. Scroll down to the very bottom and click on “Show advanced settings…”
Step 3
Continue scrolling down until you see a heading called “Network.” Click on the “Change proxy settings…” button directly below it.
Hide Mac Address Free
Step 4
Mask Ip Address Mac
In order to complete the next steps you’ll need an IP address, login and password supplied to you from a VPN service.
Avoid free services for anything other than testing. They’re uniformly unusably slow plus I wouldn’t trust my browsing data with most of the operations offering it.
Sign up with a reputable service listed below. They’re fast, inexpensive ($10/month or less) and highly recommended.
Recommended services:
Step 5
Windows
The “Internet Properties” window will open with the “Connections” tab selected for you automatically. Click on the “Add VPN…” button to the right.
Enter the Internet address supplied to you by your VPN provider and give it a name in the field below. Click the “Next” button.
A window will appear. Enter the login and password you were given by the VPN company.
Mac OS X
How To Hide Ip Address On Mac Computer
The “Network” window will appear with the “Proxies tab” selected. To use a VPN, check the box next to “Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS)” [preferable] or “Web Proxy (HTTP)” depending on the service.
Check the box next to “Proxy server requires password” and enter the login and password provided to you by the VPN company.
All Done
Congrats! You’re now ready to browse with your true IP hidden from prying eyes. Go back to Google Chrome and surf to your heart’s content.