Hiding your IP address on the Internet is a great way to surf the Internet without worrying about your ISP, advertisers, or hackers tracking your IP address while you surf the Internet. It's also a great way to get an IP address from a specific part of the world, such as The UK. There are a couple reasons to get an IP address from the UK, mainly fitting into three categories: Entertainment, Business, and Freedom.

Get a UK IP address for entertainment

Television streaming sites like the BBC iPlayer, Sky Player, Channel 4, and Demand 5 allow users to stream recent TV programs from the UK and The US online. Some require a premium charge, and some are for free. The catch is that you have to be in a country in The UK to be able to access the streaming feature of the sites. They are able to block users outside The accepted areas by IP address. When you get a UK IP address while you surf the Internet, regardless of your real location, you'll be able to access these sites.

Get a UK IP address for business

When you travel abroad, there are some times where you can't just "leave it all behind". Keeping in touch with clients, being able to sign important documents, or resolving issues from back at the office may be necessary while you're outside The UK. That's fine, and that's what the Internet is great for. But if you're signing into secure websites over public networks in hotels or airports, you should be aware that you're putting yourself at risk. Stealing data over a shared network is very simple these days, and masking your foreign IP address with a local UK IP address is one way of eliminating that risk.

Get a UK IP address for freedom

Yeah, it sounds kind of corny, but its true. Western, developed countries often take for granted the ability to access information. There are many countries around the world that block news sites, information centers, and social networking or blogging sites in the name of "national security". Wikipedia, BBC Online, and Facebook are just some that fit into these categories. You never know when you'll run into a site that's blocked, especially if you're traveling or doing business overseas in areas like The Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, and other places. With an IP address from The UK, you can avoid Internet censorship, and surf any site you want, just like back at home.

How to get an IP address from The UK

The fastest, most secure, and most reliable way to change your IP address while you surf the Internet is with a virtual private network. Through a VPN, encryption and tunneling will actively protect you from blatant attacks online, as well as passively keep you real IP address hidden from site.