Changing the IP address of a device can be a relatively simple task, depending on the reason for doing so and which IP address needs to be changed, since changing the IP address of a computer/device connected to a home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable is not the same as changing the IP address of an internet connection.
Changing your internet connection's IP address to one from another country allows you to access geographically blocked content , such as streaming video services or websites censored in a particular country. These two functions are the main advantages offered by VPN services.
What is IP
An IP address is the unique identifier we use to browse the internet. Every time we access a website, the destination website stores our IP address, our unique identifier, so they know in real time who has accessed their services. This IP address, provided by our internet service provider (ISP), can be static or dynamic.
If the IP address is static, we will always have the same IP address when browsing through that connection, so the internet service provider can associate that IP address with our name and know at all times what we do online. If the IP address is dynamic, it changes regularly, but it remains associated with a name.
What is a VPN
Once we understand what an IP address is, we need to talk about VPN services. These services create virtual private networks (VPNs) between our computer and their servers, so our internet service provider doesn't know what we're using their internet connection for , and therefore can't log our activity.
Furthermore, when using a VPN service, the IP address we use to browse is completely different; it's an IP address from the country we've selected . This way, we can access geographically blocked content, whether it's streaming video services or websites censored in our country.
How to change the IP
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that changing the IP address of a device on a local network is not the same as changing the IP address we use to browse the internet. Below, we'll show you the steps to follow to change both IP addresses and the advantages and disadvantages involved.
Change IP on a local network
Every single device in your home with an internet connection has an IP address that begins with 192.168.xx. This address allows other devices in your home to connect to each other. If you change the IP address of one device, you must also change the associated IP address on all devices that connect to it.
Is it really worth changing a local IP address? It's not worth it because of the change itself, since we have to change the IP address on all devices that connect to that device. The only reason we might need to change the IP address of a local device would be if it conflicted with other devices, meaning another device had the same IP address. This is unlikely, but not impossible.
To change the IP address of a device connected to a local network, you need to access the device's settings, whether it's connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable, and assign a static IP address. This way, the device will assign its own IP address, rather than the network assigning it.
Change the IP of an internet connection
When changing the IP address of our internet connection, that is, the IP address used by all devices that connect to the internet through the same modem or router, we have three options.
Restart the router
The easiest way to change the IP address associated with a modem or router is to restart the device . Depending on your internet service provider (ISP), you might still have the same IP address after restarting. This means your IP address is static; your identifier with the ISP is always the same, not a dynamic one.
Having a static IP address allows you to create your own server through your computer, a server you can access using your IP address (an option also available with dynamic IPs, but it's a more complex process). Some internet service providers allow you to change your dynamic IP address to a static one, an interesting option if you want to create your own server without using a NAS.
Use a VPN
The other method we have available to change our IP address is to use a VPN service. When using a VPN, before connecting to the internet, we have to use the service's application to select the country from which we supposedly want to connect.
This way, our internet provider will never know what we're using our internet connection for. Thanks to the anonymity these services offer, we can download any type of content from the internet (such as torrents) without our provider knowing and being able to report it to the appropriate authorities, since it's completely prohibited in some countries.
Paid VPNs don't store any logs of your internet browsing, so when choosing this type of service, it's always advisable to use a paid one. Free VPNs do store your activity for the sole purpose of selling your data, just like internet service providers do.
Using the Tor network
Thor is a browser that allows us to navigate the Dark Web, where all the content that search engines like Google cannot index is located , primarily because it is illegal. When we use Thor, the browser connects to a server that temporarily provides us with an IP address to browse the internet, not just the Dark Web.
The IP address it temporarily assigns us is random, so it's not a VPN alternative if we want to access geographically restricted content, but it is useful for anonymous browsing without our internet provider being able to track all our activity. Keep in mind that browsing speeds are much slower than what our ISP offers.
Conclusion
Once we understand what an IP address is and how VPNs work, it's easy to see that you don't actually need apps to change your IP address . This process can be done directly from the device you use to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, or you can use a VPN directly.
On the internet we can find a large number of applications that claim to allow us to change the IP of our connection completely free of charge , applications that in most cases, include some type of malware.