or am i just screwed i have them anyway just in case
Yes a VPN encrypts your data and masks your IP address and changes it to one from the VPN server.
If someone has your IP address, all they know is what ISP you use and what town/city you are in.
Just change your IP address
Your ip address isn’t private information. It is part of how the info on the internet gets sent to you.
A VPN doesn’t help this. It does change the ip address of the device you are using but your standard IP address is still used to get that data to you. So if someone has your ip, there is nothing to worry about. Unless this person is very talented and has unreasonable hatred for you.
And even the location is inaccurate most of the time, mine thinks I’m halfway across the country (I live in the Netherlands)
If someone has your IP address, regardless of whether or not you are using a VPN, they can scan your network for points of entry. Most people don’t have to worry about that because they haven’t opened their NAT.
HOWEVER, if someone has the IP, they can rent a botnet to hit you with a DDoS attack. Your VPN won’t protect you.
If someone has your IP, you can contact your ISP to ask them to delete your DHCP entry so that you will get a different IP.
couldnt figure it out on my macbook air but i got a proxy server and vpn
yeah i have ppl harassing/stalking me irl and online but i got a proxey server and vpn so it should be fine
Yes I have not experienced this in the US, but I know of others who go to European countries and their ISP shows as one country over.
Mine once found me in a whole different country. No, it wasn’t a scammer, it was me trying to log into who knows what app who detected some weird IP.
Is also regularly detects me 2 counties over.
For most people, their public IP will change every few days or even every few hours anyway. And for residential customers, no one is trying to hack your home LAN lolol
?? I have worked for 5 ISPs and have been a network engineer for over 20 years.
Your IP changes when the DHCP reservation expires. By default, normally, is 2 hours for your residential gateway (what people call their router).
HOWEVER, halfway through that period, your computer will check signals with the DHCP server, and update the address.
Many ISPs will actually go with a 24 hour lease period, and some 48 hour.
And LOLOLOLOLOLOL, what’s your IP? I know you are just dropping some 8th layer OSI model shit right now, so it’s all good, just joking. But dude. I’m not salty, but Donny, you are out of your element.
Nothing you’ve said here in any way contradicts what I said. I’m aware of how DHCP works and I know address leases are often renewed at 50% of the lease time. And yet, my public IP changes all the time, so clearly leases frequently expire and the device is assigned a new address. And how is this helpful by the way? Thanks for letting me know how much experience you have tho I guess
Changing the IP on your computer doesn’t make a difference. The IP on end devices like your laptop, phone, game console, smart tv, etc are private non-routable addresses, they don’t go outside your home network. All the devices in your home network “borrow” the single public IP address of your router. You probably don’t have any control over your router’s public IP at all. It’s assigned by your ISP and will probably change every few hours to every few days.
Everything I have said completely contradicts what you have said. Your IP isn’t going to change in a couple of hours.
Your computer will renew the lease. That means it keeps it. Ask around whether or not if it is worth purchasing a static IP for a home use. I have my IP memorized and has not changed in 8 years.
And the irony, because r/networking came at me when I said, “well, if you just lose power for a day, it will likely change.”
oh okay that makes sense ty
Congrats on your free static IP I guess, but mine changes all the time. I had to go through the trouble of setting up DDNS to access my home server from work because the IP on my router changes so frequently. Maybe next time you barge in swinging your digital dick around trying to tell everyone how wrong they are you should base it on something other than an anecdote
Congrats on your free static IP I guess, but mine changes all the time.
Dude, I am just talking about how routers work. Your ISP can be COMPLETELY different, and that’s fine.
I am talking about how the damn protocol works. No big dick energy. I swear, fuck offering free consultation.
Good community, buddy.
I know how DHCP works. I’m aware devices attempt to renew at 50% and 87% or whatever. I also know that in practice some times it doesn’t happen and you get a new IP address. So my original statement to OP that their IP could change every few hours to every few days is accurate. The wide/vague time range I gave was intentional given the differences across ISPs.
All good. What’s option 60? Just playing around. Have a great evening man.