IP Leak: What Are the Reasons & How to Avoid

Always keep an eye on your IP information!

Your IP address doesn't just show your location, it contains information about almost all of your Internet activity!

If there is an IP leak, almost all of your information will be captured or even illegally utilized!

So how exactly do websites track your IP address? And how can you effectively prevent IP leaks?

We have prepared all the tips on IP protection!

What is your IP address?

IP addresses are shortened from Internet Protocol addresses. Your device is assigned an exclusive digital tag when it carries out communication activities over the Internet.

An IP address has two main functions:

• Identify the host or network interface.
• Provides the host's location on the network or network interface.

What are the types of IP addresses?

I think you are so familiar with them: IPv4 and IPv6.

IPv4 consists of four numbers (0-255) and they are separated by dots. There are totaling about 4.3 billion unique IPv4. Because of the increasing growth of Internet usage, IPv4 addresses have become not enough.

IPv6 consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits and each of them is separated by a colon. Approximately 340 trillion billion IPv6 addresses exist. It can undoubtedly handle the demand for the Internet's rapid expansion.

Protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP use IP addresses to route packets between devices.IP addresses are used by devices to communicate with each other over the Internet. And all IPs are absolutely unique.

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How does a website track your IP address?

Websites track IP addresses for the purposes of understanding the geographic location of visitors, detecting malicious activity, analyzing traffic sources, personalizing content, and conducting security reviews. The main ways they track are:

1. Server logs

When we visit a website, the server will record the access request. These logs usually include IP address, browser information, requested resources, access time, etc. Websites can analyze our logs to identify our IP address.

2. HTTP Request Header

In addition, when visiting a website, the browser will send an HTTP request header, which includes our IP address. So the server can identify and record it.

3. Web Analytics Tools

Various web analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Matomo, etc. can track website traffic and record our IP address.

4. Third-party services

Yes, the most direct way is to use the API provided by third-party services to obtain and track IP addresses. These services usually provide more detailed geolocation and other information.

5. CDN

Finally, CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) will also record our IP addresses to optimize content delivery and provide analytical data.

What are the reasons a of IP leak?

Is IP tracking already hard for you? What we didn't expect is that some of our inadvertent network activities actually leak our IP information!

That's dreadful!

Here are the 8 main reasons for IP leaks:

1. VPN misconfiguration

If your VPN is not configured correctly, you may encounter an IP leak. This is due to VPN software not routing all traffic correctly. Wrong connections will cause traffic to go directly through the ISP instead of the VPN tunnel.

2. DNS leak

If your VPN client is not properly configured to the DNS server, you will also face IP leaks. When using a VPN, DNS requests should be sent through the VPN server. However, sometimes DNS requests may be sent directly to our ISP, which exposes the real IP address.

3. WebRTC leak

If the VPN or proxy fails to block WebRTC requests, there will be IP leaks. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a technology that allows browsers to make peer-to-peer connections. It can access the local network configuration and discover the real IP address through JavaScript.

4. HTTP referer header

When you click a link to go to another website, your web browser sends a "referer" header to the new website, which contains the URL of the previous website. If the previous website is an untrusted website or a website that tracks your activity, your IP address may be exposed.

5. Cookie

Cookies are used by certain websites to monitor user behavior and customize the user experience. However, your IP address may be ascertained if a website places a tracking cookie on your device.

6. IPv6 Leaks

Many VPNs only protect IPv4 traffic but are not configured to protect IPv6 traffic. So, if the user's device and network support IPv6, unencrypted IPv6 traffic may be sent directly through the ISP, causing IP leaks.

7. Proxy Setup Errors

If the user does not configure the browser or application correctly when using a proxy server, some traffic may bypass the proxy and be sent directly through the ISP, exposing the real IP address.

8. Software Vulnerabilities or Malware

Some software or browser plugins may have vulnerabilities that cause IP leaks. In addition, malware may also try to bypass VPNs or proxies to obtain and leak users' IP addresses.

The most effective way to avoid IP leaks - Antidetect Browser

Antidetect browser is a specially designed browser to hide the user's real identity and IP address when performing various online activities, thereby avoiding IP leaks.

Nstbrowser, designed specifically for privacy protection, is a powerful tool to avoid an IP leak:

• Disguise browser fingerprints (such as screen resolution, User-Agent, operating system, etc.) to hide the user's real identity.
• Automatically rotate the IP to hide your real IPs.
• With the built-in premium proxy, you can configure different proxy servers (such as HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5, etc.). They can make sure all traffic goes through the proxy server.
• Provides an option to disable WebRTC to prevent IP address leakage through WebRTC.
• Use a custom DNS server to prevent DNS leaks.

Alternative Methods to Bypass IP Leak

• Use VPN: Use a well-known VPN service that does not leak IP addresses when conducting online activities.
• Use reputable ad blockers and anti-tracking extensions: Such powerful programs can prevent websites from tracking online activities and identifying IP addresses.
• Use Tor network: You can also use the Tor network to anonymize your Internet traffic.

The Bottom Lines

IP addresses contain a lot of important information about us. IP leaks are expensive. Therefore, protecting your IP is a top priority.

Already aware of the risks of IP leaks and the importance of checking IP regularly to ensure your information is safe?

Start using Nstbrowser for free now to avoid an IP leak!