No Name Online

With the growing number of hackers and identity thieves out there, there is also an increase in need for ways to protect our identity online. This has led to a high rise in the number of people searching the internet for ways to go about anonymous surfing. Because of this, there is a free web-based application, called web proxy, that have been developed to change your IP but it does not come without its own shortcomings.

There are also commercial applications available that help do the job of anonymous surfing. It is called the hide-your-ip software. By installing it on your computer, it does a real-time protection of your identity. Whether you are browsing the net, chatting or shopping, your internet protocol address will be hidden from sniffers.

There is a limit to what you can do with the web proxy. Because they cannot open secured http, you may be able to open your email box. Another limitation they exhibit is that cannot play videos and several other media. Proxies also have problem loading javascript on them. There are arguments that anyone using a web proxy can easily be detected by administrators of website you visit.

Therefore, web-based applications are only good for casual internet browsers. If you are one who just visits sites to get latest updates or you only seek for information on websites, and you do not want your location to be known, then you can change your IP with these applications.

All you have to do is visit one of the proxy website, and then type in your destination website. It will take you to the site you requested but the site will not register your IP but that of the proxy server. Again, there is a limit to the number of sites you can open at once because these web applications are usually slow due to the number of people using them.

A serious internet user cannot settle for free proxy with all its problems. Anyone who knows that stakes will be high if his internet protocol address is exposed must learn anonymous surfing with the use of paid applications. It is a pretty sure way to protect your identity online. With it, you can do your online shopping without fears.

This program does not affect the speed of your internet or the amount of web pages you can open at once as free web applications do. You can also visit secured websites and chat without any hassle.

It does not end there, it can also change your IP to your desired choice, and also helps protect your computer from hackers and identity thieves. It is just right for you to get one of these hide-your-IP software installed on your computer and begin anonymous surfing.

Businesses nowadays have come about global market and logistics. Companies are apt for fast, secure and reliable communications. During the growth of internet, businesses are frequently extending their own networks. It was earlier in time when intranets came into existence. These are sites designed only for the use of company employees. Until recently, companies create their own Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to accommodate the needs of remote employees and distant offices. VPN services can be used for safe, anonymous surfing, anonymous mp3 and movie download, safe access to adult sites, unblock VoIP (skype), and bypass any restrictions to view any site.

A VPN or virtual private network is a network that is layered on top of a basic computer network and uses a public telecommunications infrastructure like the internet. Primarily, it uses virtual connection routed through the internet from a company’s private network to the remote site or employee. VPN is provided to individual users and remote offices for them to have a secure access to their organization’s network. Furthermore, companies and organizations use VPN to send voice, video and data in a private manner. One nature of VPN is when a data travels over the VPN, generally it is not visible, rather it is wrapped up in the network traffic. The traffic with the VPN appears to be just another traffic stream.

VPN is consist of two types, the remote access and the site-to-site. The former, also called a Virtual Private Dial-up Network, is a user-to-LAN connection used by a company that has employees who need to connect to a private network from various remote locations. Often, if an organization wishes to set up a large remote-access VPN, it provides some form of internet dial-up account to their users using an internet service provider (ISP). Hence, to reach the internet and use VPN client software, user must dial a 1-800 number to access the network. Remote-access VPN permits secure, encrypted connections between a company’s private network and remote users through a third party service provider. Site-to-site VPN, on the other hand, is categorized into either intranets or extranets. A site-to-site VPN which is built between offices of the same company is said to be an intranet VPN. When a VPN is built to connect the company to its partner or customer, it is said to be an extranet VPN.

Disadvantages of VPN may include set up and company’s policy. Though VPN works across different manufacturers’ equipment, there may be no documentation specific to your situation. And also, the company network to which you connect will require you to strictly follow the company’s policy and restrict you from doing other things beyond the company’s concern. Despite all that, VPN has few of the specific potential advantages. One is VPN allows you to be working at home accessing your company’s computer in the same way you did in the office. Second, VPN is nearly impossible to tap or interfere data in the VPN tunnel. And lastly, a VPN client software can connect you to your company from anywhere around the globe.

A well-designed VPN can greatly benefit a company. It extends graphic connectivity. It also reduce operational costs, transit times and travelling costs for remote users. Likewise, it improves productivity and simplifies network topology. Global networking opportunities, telecommuter support and faster Return On Investment are provided as well, other than the use of traditional internet.

As a result of recent events in Europe I began to think about anonymity on the web and while using its services. I started to meditate how to change IP address nowadays and what is the best way to hide IP address to be anonymous on the Net.

In Germany they’re considering a law that can be passed in the nearest future. Among others it states that from now Internet providers MUST give away their clients data to the investigating agencies.
E.g. in the case the law is passed in 2008 all the information about Internet surfing, searches and crossings and even whole google.de users’ correspondence will be among the data shown to the authorities by the Dutch department of Google.

Perhaps Europe will follow German and your and my security along with anonymity will be doubtful. On the one hand I agree that cheaters, thieves and other criminals are to be punished, but not to put person’s privacy undecided. How to talk to your lover? How to evade your boss? How to write letters via email and messengers if you know somebody’s reading them?
I might be exaggerating but we have different interests and everyone uses the Internet on his own and each of us has what to hide from other people/colleagues/friends/wives/husbands/bosses etc.

Can it be we can do nothing but become the users of the ‘closed’ Internet like in CPR? For the past years China has been leading in the list of the nations practicing wide political Internet censorship. Cyber police team tracks and blocks resources disagreeable for the authorities within the framework of special government program – Great Firewall of China. And last week companies Yahoo China, MSN China and some others signed the Code assigned for their blog services which would oblige the companies ‘to protect CPR and public interests’ and to remove ‘unordered and immoral messages’ from online journals.

Tell me what you think about this and your opinion regarding the fact you will be watched.

Is it forbidden to visit the sites not concerned with your work while you are in the office? Is it ok to talk messengers?

So let’s put everything to its place – what ways to stay anonymous on the net are available for us (we won’t consider different variants using vpn/ssh tunnels, let’s take account of mass usage thus the variants with exhausting tuning are thrown away) I suggest just 3 ways how to change IP address:

1. Software using proxy servers. I mean all traffic is passed through a proxy.
2. Software using ssh tunnel. It is a socks server to the remote server with an encoded channel. It can be used for http/mail/icq.
3. Software with encoded tunnel client server with tcp/udp packages transmission. Based on this any program -http/mail/messenger/p2p/games/dns/etc – can run.

1. This software is often called hide ip/change ip/anonymous surfing. I will show you how it works.
Surfing through the proxy server is anonymous for the remote server only.

E.g. go at google.com and it will see ip of our proxy server. On the one hand the program is performing its function – changing ip. But on the other – your admin/provider/boss can review all enquiries made with the help of software and the pages you visit. Moreover we cannot send a letter or write a massage anonymously as we know we are under Big Brother supervision. It appears from this such programs are suitable in the case you want to play a joke on your friends or you’ve been banned at a forum. This software doesn’t match anonymity.

2. I haven’t seen much simple and understandable services using ssh tunnel. This method enlarges the range of the program which can change ip address and even encodes all sent and received data.

For example, if you enter myspace.com or digg.com using ssh tunnel your boss/admin/provider won’t be able to see this and read your messages. But there is a hitch – using ssh tunnel DNS enquiries are sent without being encoded ’cause it doesn’t support udp protocol. Anonymity will be under the risk as domain you enter or domain you send email to are invisible. None would guess what you were doing at the site but they would know you were there. This software doesn’t match anonymity too.

3. I have found this one lately, running vpn, paying for the separate server, its tuning and administration. And now I only press “Make me invisible” and all questions drop away.

Benefits of such software are prevalent from the others. Application running through the tunnel, tcp/udp support. Any p2p, games WOW3, icq application support. No need to customize browsers and programs – one button click and that’s it. The only shortcoming is its speed. No matter what channel you have, your speed is decreased, but I ran a free version of it and I can’t say for sure, maybe paid services don’t have this limitation.