Ok well I thought I had my computer locked down pretty good, but after visiting a security website and doing a scan it reveiled my ISP and real IP address. Now I'm running Win XP with DSL connection behind a router and ZA firewall. I was reading preventative measures on the website and it said that the only way to block or disguise your ISP/IP info was to set up a proxy. What I want to know is that is this true, if so what am I going to need to accomplish this? Or are there easier solutions to this prob? I thought that if I had a firewall installed that it would block this information. Can anyone help?

What type of router do you have? The "software" on your PC can not block out your "hardware" (routers) IP. No matter what your router sends the info in its packets as to where it came from. (this info can also be pulled out of packets that have gone through a proxy.) It has to other wise the PC, Web server, proxy server, so on, so on. would not know what ip addy to reply to in order to send you the info. (When you download, view a webpage.. ect.) So you set up your router....(have it drop packets and suck for pings and what not to stop DOS attacks.) Put your PCs with data on them behind the router on thier little secure subnet. Add in the firewall software if your worried about trojans infecting your PC and calling home. (Soon we will all just dig a ditch in the back yard... buy our PCs and put them in the ditch... cover them up... never power them on... and finally be able to say "I have never had a problem with this PC. Never even got a virus." (maybe a few earth worms, but never a virus.)

Opps... LMAO Suck for pings.... So you set up your router....(have it drop packets and suck for pings and what not to stop DOS attacks.) Should read So you set up your router....(have it drop packets and such for pings and what not to stop DOS attacks.)

Thanks for the reply. My router is nothing fancy, I'm not sure if you could even call it a router, instead a fancy switch :) It's the DLink 604. See I'm not sure how to set that up. I'll check the instructions (can't believe I said that hahah) and see what they say. Now say I figure out how to do that, will it stop displaying my ISP/IP info? What I got from that proxy article was that your real connection talks to the proxy then the proxy gives spoofed info to whatever site. Therefore your system will still be able to comunicate without any troubles.

There are many free proxys out there (try google :) but most have the problem of being extermaly slow, so unless you are doing somthing untoword or you are extreamly paranoid theres no use. Nb: not all proxys completly hide your "true" ip there are websites that can check this. As long as your network is locked down (theres guides + forums about this, firewalls,switches configed good ect) and you have a nat thing running for your network all should be fine

First of all, can you hide your IP? Should you hide your IP? Unlikely and No. The reason being when you click, the return has to know where you are are to send the result. Then, as long as you follow the usual suggested security practices, you'll get as much safety as possible, without being actually being disconnected from the Net. Besides, hiding is just that, why hide, and fear of being hacked is not that good of a reason for it, I don't think. Especially if you always have current AV, use Antitrojan scanning, use a software firewall and hardware device like a router or NAT and then use common sense when scanning and know your PC's contents like you know your best friend and being "paranoid" helps so as to remain vigilent, don't download attachments from unknowns and scan the ones first that you do download and you don't receive and circulate jokes, cards, screensavers, etc and are not on 100S of emailing lists and don't publicize your email address and don't frequent IRC, P2P and underground hacking networks. Besides, why do think the corporate people block the WEB or most sites from their employees, as they realize that that simple action can go a long way in protection their assets.

Go to the hosts file, it should be in either In Windows 95/98/ME: C:\WINDOWS In Windows NT / 2000: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\ In Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM It should be named "hosts" - no extension. Should look somthing like this: # Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp. # # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows. # # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name. # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one # space. # # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol. # # For example: # # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host 127.0.0.1 localhost 127.0.0.1 ar.atwola.com 127.0.0.1 opera3-servedby.advertising.com After you click it should ask to open file with ?, just instruct it to open it through notepad or any other text editor you may have. Now, create a new line at the verry bottom and in that line add 127.0.0.1 (which is your computer no matter what), press tab key, and enter the desired IP address you wish to block. Save file, and it should take effect immidately.