IP Addresses - What Are They and How Are They Used?

[BobH]

Having recently become interested in making my web browsing anonymous, I've investigated proxy server software on my desktop system. My understanding is that this software will change my IP address known to my ISP server at intervals I specify in setting it up. From what I've read, the company keeps a list of available IP addresses and pulls from them when changes are made.

What I've noticed is that all of my online browsing is made painfully slow if I allow this software (HideMyIP) to run. I also noticed that I could not sign on to Eileen's Lounge at all. I got a 403 error. On ending the process in Task Manager, I was immediately able to log in the Eileen's Lounge.

I decided to check to see what ipconfig showed by invoking the command line. Upon entering ipconfig I got back identifications of my router IP addresses and subnet mask IP addresses but nothing that gave me the IP address that is sent to the world by my browser. I don't understand this at all.

Further, I sent myself an email from one email account to another to see what IP addresses would be revealed by viewing message source information. In it, I see the standard IP address that has always been associated with me.

Obviously, I do not understand the use of IP addresses. Is it possible that my computer uses one IP address for email and another for internet browsing? Why would this be so? Why is it that when I check ipconfig, I see only the router IP address information and nothing about how the world sees me?

HideMyIP software information says that it takes browser transactions and drops in a changeable IP address in the place of my 'native' IP address so that any website I visit will not see my native IP address which will identify my place of residence and ultimately who I am. I can see how that would work, but I don't understand why there is so much response time delay involved. It seems to me that if the software is operating in the background in a system with 16 GB of RAM that response time delay should be minimal for any browser address. The only additional overhead should be the action of changing from the native IP address to the IP address of the moment - a trivial thing, no? Of course, when the software periodically retrieves a new IP address at the appropriate interval, there is overhead. One would assume that generated or spoofed IP addresses are maintained for the duration of a session and that could add up to a lot of memory used for storing session variables, but my system is never so busy for so long that the response delays should be so egregiously bad.

For what it's worth, there is no encryption/decryption going on here - to my knowledge - that would involve overhead.

??

[John Gray]

Have a look at http://www.whatismyip.com, which gives you your external IP address, by which you are addressed by "the internet".

IPCONFIG shows you what are your addresses on your local LAN.

Probably best to Google for "ip addresses explained", and do a couple of days' reading!

[BobH]

Thank you, John!

I've been trying to understand this but haven't been able to find the base I need to build upon.

[StuartR]

When you use a proxy server it does not change your local IP address. What happens is that requests for web content are sent to the proxy server, which forwards them to the required site and then returns the data to you. The site you are accessing only sees the address of the proxy server, not your local IP address.

Of course this means that the proxy server has a convenient list of what web sites you accessed and when, so depending on who you are hiding from this may not help. It also won't affect email because that is not sent from a web browser to a web server (unless you're using web based email of course).

[BobH]

Thank you, Stuart.

I'm still a bit confused about if or how ip addresses are used with email. As I understand it (very poorly, I know) e-mail follows the TCPIP protocols which calls for a packet header which contains an ip address, no? Or is it that e-mail doesn't use TCPIP at all or that it is routed based on user and domain names and not on ip addresses?

The more I think I've learned the more I'm convinced that I know nothing at all.

[StuartR]

When you send an email you connect to an SMTP server, which sees your IP address. That SMTP server then sends the email on to another SMTP server, which also forwards it, until eventually it arrives at the destination.

Each SMTP server adds the IP address that it received the email from to the email header, which is why you see a whole chain of IP addresses in mail headers.

[BobH]

Thank you, again, Stuart!

So I was correct, the same native ip address that appears with browser transactions is used in e-mail transactions but different servers are used. In the case of my software purchase, it apparently traps browser transactions and replaces the 'native' ip address but doesn't, or cannot, do the same for e-mail client transactions.

[StuartR]

You could probably hide your IP address for an email transaction by using web based email, and logging in via a proxy or from a public WiFi network. This is not going to provide much anonymity though as the email account will still be associated with you, from when it was created.

What are you actually trying to do here, and who do you need to hide from?

[BobH]

LOL

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that the illegitimate ones aren't out to get me!

Actually, I'm not trying to 'hide' from anyone but merely trying to preserve a modicum of anonymity and to prevent web sites I visit from generating unwanted communications.

[DaveA]

from generating unwanted communications.

What unwanted communications are you getting that you want to hide from?

[stuck]

...to prevent web sites I visit from generating unwanted communications.

As in you don't want adverts related to previous browsing shoved at you? In which case use Firefox and install Adblock Plus. The targeted ads will still be served up but you will never see them.

Or are sites sending you email? In which case abandon the email address you gave them.

Ken

[BobH]

Thanks for the suggestions, Dave and Ken.

It seems that after visiting some web pages using Firefox, they capture enough information to be able to send me email. This might be coincidental but it seems to happen frequently enough that I suspect a linkage and from my limited knowledge that would be the ip address they capture from my browser transaction.

I use AdBlock and I try always to decline any offers of notifications when browsing. I even try the 'unsubscribe' process; yet I continue to receive email from those sources that I do not want.

My adventures into learning about ip addressing are as much an exercise of intellectual curiosity as they are attempts at problem solving. I was hoping that as I learned more about how ip addresses are used that I might infer better ways to web surf and to use other available tools.

[stuck]

It seems that after visiting some web pages using Firefox, they capture enough information to be able to send me email.

I can't see how that's possible unless there is something nasty on your system is dishing out your email address.

I even try the 'unsubscribe' process

Ah well that might explain it. By so doing you gave them your email address. Armed with that and by gleaning info from tracking cookies I could imagine emails being triggered by your browsing.

I'd run a full AV scan, a full Malwarebytes Antimalware and I'd ditch the email address that the messages are arriving on.

Ken

[BobH]

Thank you, Ken!

I know that something fishy is going on. Of course, it might only be senility, too.

[viking33]

I agree with Ken that your replying to an "unsubscribe" link gave out the fact that here is a live URL that can be put on their hot list.