The internet is more divided than you might think, and if you're looking for a Croatian IP address for your phone, computer, or TV, then you've probably discovered that there are some websites that are unavailable outside of Croatia. It's also possible that you're looking for some privacy on the internet, and your local advertising agencies, ISPs, or governments are getting too nosy for your comfort. Having a foreign IP address with a bit of encryption is just what the doctor ordered.

Privacy online

Having a Croatian IP could get you some privacy on the internet. As the people in power start to lose control on the information that's distributed for public viewing, they try to implement measures that may not stop the flow of information, but allow them to monitor it. Ok, so that sounds a bit paranoid, but with things like The Patriot Act in The USA, and new laws regarding online profiling and ISP cooperation with the government in The UK, your country may know more about you than you like. Yeah, no one cares what you buy online and what sites you browse in the late hours of the night, but things like Facebook activity, bank account numbers, who you know and even the contents of your personal email may soon be public property. Ok, enough conspiracy theory - the point is that you can encrypt this data and gain privacy through a VPN connection.

By tunneling your online data to a VPN server in another country like Croatia, you leave the jurisdiction of your local government, and enter Croatia's. This of course means you'll be subject to a new set of regulations, but perhaps the internet zone in Croatia is more suitable for you. I'm sure you have your reasons.

Croatian Websites

I don't speak Croatian, nor do I know much about Croatian websites. But I do know that there are restricted websites for every country, and it's very annoying when you go abroad and can't access your favorite sites. It's also annoying to run into languages that you don't understand, or have websites constantly translated as you browse (this is all related to IP address). I live in China now, and my Google Webmaster account is translated into Chinese when I don't connect to the VPN first.

So you already know one advantage of using a VPN - translations into your mother tongue. You can also use a VPN in Croatia to access local Croatian sites. It may be a small website like a local business, or a famous streaming site. Maybe you're not comfortably navigating the local TV and movie streaming sites of where you are, and want to access Croatian sites. This is what a Croatian IP address can help you do.

Details

You can install a VPN connection on your smartphone and computer. PPTP VPN is available at almost all VPN services because it's the basic VPN protocol. Upgrades to L2TP and OpenVPN for smartphones and computers are also common, but not available at all services. Also, availability of Croatian VPN servers may be limited. Be sure to check that you can access VPN servers in this country as part of the package you choose. Some cheaper options may only allow access to US or UK servers.