It's possible to mask your IP address while surfing on the internet with Mac and Windows computers. This type of IP changing trick can do quite a few cool things, including...

• Unblock websites
• Bypass firewalls
• Get privacy online
• Secure your data on shared networks
• Make you anonymous

So, here are some potential situations which you might want to mask your IP.

If you've been banned from a website unfairly, you can mask your real IP to gain access, create a new identity (with a new email of course), and start anew.

If you find that a websites block you because they only accept local IPs, you can get an IP from a different country and gain access to the site.

If you work or school network has blocked some sites you can get a private IP to bypass network restrictions and unblock these sites.

If you think privacy online is important, you can mask your IP and become anonymous while browsing online. This will prevent your ISP, network admin, and even government from seeing what you do online.

If you frequently connect to shared networks, your private data may be at risk for eavesdropping or identity theft. Masking the IP of your computer can hide your presence on shared network, and in some cases even encrypt the data.

How do you mask the IP on Mac OS/X and Windows XP/Vista/7?

Luckily, there's not too much difference between these systems. Here's a breakdown of what you could be using.

Proxies

Web based proxies are web based, so are not operating system specific. All you need to do is connect to the proxy site and enter the URL you want to browse.

Open proxies work with your browsers manual settings and are also not OS specific. Each browsers manual proxy settings setup will vary slightly, but Firefox on Mac will function the same as Firefox on Windows.

Proxies are convenient because you don't have to install any software. Though some proxies have a bad rep for spam and security risks, professional proxy services can be a powerful tool for masking your IP. In fact, proxies with SSL encryption can provide you with similar privacy features to VPNS.

Virtual private networks are going to be OS specific, so be sure you download the right one. Though PPTP can be used on Mac and all version of Windows, the type of PPTP VPN connection you get will vary for each OS, so getting the right one is important. The VPN service will make this easy, and of course ask what OS you're running.

L2TP is basically in the same situation as PPTP. The difference is that it has more advanced privacy and security settings. At VPN services where OpenVPN is not available, L2TP is a good option for people who want to mask IP for privacy.

OpenVPN will also work for all OS, but has very advanced privacy and security features. This doesn't mean it's more difficult to set up or run, it just means that it requires more bandwidth to function properly.

SSTP is another type of VPN that will only work with Vista and Win 7. It's also a privacy/security centric VPN protocol that uses SSL encryption. Not all services carry this, so Vista and Win 7 users who want a VPN connection can use OpenVPN when necessary.