Understanding IP Addresses and Internet Privacy Tools

Ip Address

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to the internet. It enables devices to communicate by providing location and identity information.

VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server in a location of your choice, masking your real IP address and enhancing privacy and security.

Proxy

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your device and the internet. It forwards requests from your device to the internet, masking your IP address but without the strong encryption of a VPN.

Relay

A relay, often used in anonymization networks like Tor, is a node that passes your internet traffic through multiple servers, each knowing only the previous and next hop, thereby anonymizing your original IP address.

Tor

Tor (The Onion Router) is a network that anonymizes internet traffic by routing it through multiple volunteer-operated servers (relays). This makes it extremely difficult to trace the original IP address of the user.