Why should you change your IP address?

Changing your IP address can help you avoid hacking, snooping and other forms of surveillance. Because you are hiding your identity and location (essentially your online identity), you will have many privacy and security advantages. There are other benefits too.

Here are the reasons why you should change your IP address (skip down to the different types of IP address).

Protect your online privacy: changing your IP address will hide your geographical location from hackers, your ISP and websites that use web tracking. Your IP address can also be used to monitor your private internet traffic - changing it will protect your online activity.

Avoid website bans: Some governments use IP addresses to restrict access to certain websites. Changing your IP address can help you avoid government censorship, unblock restricted websites and access the free and open internet.

Access to regional content: Due to geographical restrictions, you may not be able to broadcast your favourite sports team's games abroad or may be blocked from trying to watch programmes that are only available in certain countries. By changing your IP address, you can bypass content blocking by making websites think you are from an approved region.

Solving internet problems: New routers often provide incorrect IP addresses for devices. Changing your IP address manually can solve this problem. It can also help gamers experience laggy gameplay.

Remember, it is perfectly legal to change your IP address. As long as you are not doing anything criminal, you have nothing to worry about.