# Hiding my IP address

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 9, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491 "2002-10-09T07:01:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/1 "2002-10-09T07:01:06Z")

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Is there a way so I can block my IP address? This way, people in forums, etc, won’t be able to view my IP. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/2 "2002-10-09T07:22:04Z")

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You may be able to find proxy services that ‘disguise’ your true IP address by making page requests on your behalf (therefore using their own IP address) but many forums – including this one – regard it as grounds for instant banning.

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**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/3 "2002-10-09T07:24:08Z")

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Yes, I know, I was merely using forums as an example. Does anyone know a program that can hide my IP for me?

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/4 "2002-10-09T07:53:38Z")

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None of the ones I’m aware of are programs – they’re services (free or paid, although most I’m aware of are paid now) from other websites. Of course, they’re not absolutely confidential, since the web proxy companies themselves keep logs of which IP addresses have been using their services.

Sorry I can’t help more but the board administrators here are understandably not happy about information – legal or otherwise – being passed on that unscrupulous others might use to contravene the board rules.

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**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/5 "2002-10-09T07:57:47Z")

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I hadn’t even thought of using it for malicious purposes, and even if someone were to, I’d imagine they’d be banned fairly quickly.

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/6 "2002-10-09T08:01:11Z")

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Yep. Some people have too much time on their hands to find better things to do, I suppose.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiding-my-ip-address/131491/7 "2002-10-09T13:46:28Z")

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We do not permit discussions of IP spoofing here. Using such a service to access the SDMB is grounds for immediate banning. Two posts in this thread giving links to providers of such services have been deleted.

bibliophage  
moderator GQ