There are several reasons for getting a US IP address. Maybe you want to access your favorite TV shows and movies on Netflix or watch live streaming of FOX TV or any big sports event. No matter what the reason is, a US IP address is beneficial in various scenarios. And to achieve that change, you need a VPN.
Keep reading and learn how a VPN can help in getting a US IP address.
What Are the Reasons for Using a US IP Address?
Below are the reasons why you should use a US IP address:
- Unlike the EU, people are not subjected to mandatory data retention laws. If you’re outside the US and while browsing the web, you don’t want your ISP to monitor and track your activities and record your data, so you can avoid it by using a US IP address. This way data retention laws or any other anti-privacy laws won’t apply to you.
- The US Netflix library is the most popular around the globe for its extensive content library. However, because of the Netflix copyright agreement, people outside the US won’t access the content. By getting a US IP address, you can seamlessly stream on Netflix.
- You won’t be able to access US-based games because of regional restrictions.But, with a US IP address, you can easily bypass censorship and unlock as many US games as you want.
- A US IP address also helps you in accessing your online banking service from abroad. The payment processing applications red flags international banking service because of unauthorized access. By getting a US IP address, you can make secure online payments and ensure that no one can steal the data in the middle of the process.
- With a US IP address, you can even enjoy discounts that are only available to the USA such as booking hotel rooms or flight tickets.
By now, you would be impressed by the benefits that a US IP address offers. To have one, you should use a VPN. Below is an insight into how a VPN helps to get a US IP address.
1. Use a VPN
The easiest and reliable method for getting a US IP address is downloading a VPN onto your device. A VPN is secure and comes with several features that enhance your online privacy and security. It hides your actual IP address and assigns you the IP address provided by the VPN server. Moreover, it changes your location and allows you to access any blocked websites or services.
It also carries your data through an encrypted tunnel so that the ISPs, hackers, and surveillance agencies won’t be able to view and read the content of your data. In this way, you can browse the web safely and privately.
When you use a VPN and select a US server, your connection gets established within a few seconds, and you get a US IP address. A VPN offers other benefits as well like:
- You can stream on Netflix
- You can play online games
- Download torrents securely
Make sure that you choose the best VPN for the US to enjoy all the benefits of a US IP address.
How to Install a VPN on Your Device?
A VPN is compatible with all major devices and operating systems. To install a VPN on your device to get a US IP address, you need to follow the following steps:
- Subscribe to any one of the best VPN for the US.
- Create a new account
- Download the VPN app on your device.
- Open the VPN app and enter your credentials.
- Select a US server and tap to connect.
You’ve now got a US IP address and can enjoy numerous benefits while in the US or abroad.
Other Alternative Methods for Getting a US IP Address
Getting a US IP address is not just limited to using a VPN. There are other pretty reliable alternative methods that you can consider using. Below is an insight into these alternatives:
2. Use a Proxy Server
A proxy works as an intermediary server between you and the US service or websites you want to visit. When you connect to a proxy server, it routes your data traffic to the proxy server and then connects you to the destined website. In this way, it changes your IP address, and you browse the web with the IP address of the proxy server.
A proxy server is beneficial for a short time and when you don’t want to invest in an expensive premium VPN. It is helpful for in the following scenarios:
- Bypass firewalls
- Access blocked websites and services
- Circumvent censorship
However, there’s a significant difference between a proxy and a VPN provider. Unlike a VPN, a proxy won’t have any data encryption feature; you won’t get the same level of privacy. It means that your IP address might be hidden, but your data pa, and its content is visible to everyone. Thus, if you don’t want to buy an expensive VPN but want to enjoy maximum online protection, you can use VPNs with a free trial period instead of a proxy.
Moreover, a proxy won’t allow you the benefits that a VPN does, and it even doesn’t allow you to download torrents and play games. Also, since a large group of people is connected to the proxy server, that eventually results in slow connection speed. Without encryption and lack of security and privacy-enhancing features, it is easy for snooping eyes to track you. So, if privacy is not your primary concern, then you can use a proxy; otherwise, not.
3. Use a Tor Browser
A Tor browser is among the most secure browsers that allow you to browse the web anonymously without keeping any tracebacks. By using a layered encryption mechanism, it hides your IP address and makes your online identity hidden. Tor browser is popularly used for the following mentioned reasons:
- You’re a journalist or whistleblower who wants to report or share facts by keeping identity hidden.
- For accessing the deep dark web for legitimate reasons.
- To prevent online surveillance and monitoring.
In orde get a US IP address by using the Tor browser, you should use an exit server located in the US. Unfortunately, setting up an exit server in the US is complicated, and setting up a new circuit for the site needs to be set up.
Moreover, there are other issues associated with the Tor browser, which are as follows:
- Because the Tor browser hops your data three times, it significantly decreases the browsing speed.
- Your ISP knows that you’re connected to a Tor browser and hence might throttle your connection.
- It provides layered encryption instead of actual data encryption. Your data traffic and IP address will be visible once it leaves the proxy server.
As a whole, using the Tor browser isn’t the best option at all. But there’s a way you can reduce these issues. By connecting to a VPN first and then the Tor browser, you can gain anonymity and privacy over the web. A few VPN providers come with the Tor compatibility feature, so use the best VPN for Tor and enjoy using the US IP address. When you use it, and itest VPN for Tor, you don’t need to set up an exit server. Select the VPN server that is compatible with Tor and tap to connect, and that’s it. This way, a VPN saves you from the hassle of technical setup so, you should consider using them.
4. Smart DNS Proxy
It is the latest technique in which your DNS requests are spoofed or transformed in a way that it pretends that you’re browsing the web from some other location. It is helpful to access blocked website content like US Netflix. When you use a Smart DNS proxy, it changes the DNS of your device and redirects your traffic to a DNS proxy server that’s located in a country where the blocked website is located.
Even though it is a unique method that changes your location, it isn’t effective in providing security and privacy benefits like a VPN.
Like all the methods mentioned above, the smart DNS doesn’t encrypt your data traffic, and it means that the content of your data traffic is visible to the ISP, hackers, and government surveillance agencies. Some VPN providers do come with the Smart DNS proxy feature. If you want to enjoy the perks of this DNS proxy, then you can use them.
What Are the Dangers for Using a US IP Address?
The United States of America does follow intrusive surveillance practices that violate users’ privacy. As soon as you connect to the US, the ISPs all start monitoring and recording your data. Various laws, such as the data retention bill Congress passed in 2009, allow the ISPs to retain users’ data for two years. Moreover, with the repeal of Net Neutrality, the ISPs have gained unauthorized power to monitor and control users’ online activities. You won’t even realize that you’re being constantly monitored, and that’s why you need to use a VPN to get a US IP address that can’t be tracked.
While you choose a VPN to change your IP address, ensure that you don’t select any VPN with its headquarter in the US. The US falls in the five eyes surveillance alliance famous for recording and sharing users’ data. If you choose any VPN provider, you have to hand over the user’s data upon higher authorities’ request. Thus, to enjoy some peace of mind, make sure to select a VPN that falls outside the US jurisdiction.
Can a Free VPN Provider Help in Getting a US IP Address?
When choosing a VPN for getting a US IP address, you might get lured with free VPN providers. You can consider using a free VPN provider, but it isn’t recommended to opt for a free VPN for utmost security and privacy. A free VPN provider brings more risks than benefits because of the following reasons:
- Most free VPN providers leak your actual IP address and expose your identities and activities to your ISP and other snooping eyes.
- These VPN providers don’t adhere to a strict no-log policy, which means they retain your data and share it without your consent.
- The free VPN companies earn money from selling your data to advertising companies. As a result, you might view unwanted pop-up ads throughout your browsing experience.
- These VPNs offer limited monthly bandwidth of 5-10MB. Most of the time, the bandwidth ends before the month ends, and with such limited bandwidth, you can’t download torrent and stream hassle-freely.
- They provide pretty basic security and protection to the users. Whether it’s encryption or advanced features, a free VPN lacks both of them and makes you vulnerable to surveillance and hacking.
Nonetheless, to boost your online security and privacy in the US, you need to have a reliable, secure VPN provider.
Can An American Proxy Hide Your IP Address?
Besides using a VPN, there are other popular methods that you can use to get an American IP address, and one such way is to use a proxy server. You can indeed use an American proxy server for changing your IP address. Since they belong to a specific country, i.e., the US, they are easy to get, and since they are free like free VPNs. It is an effective way to change your online location and bypass firewalls to access the blocked content and websites. But unlike a VPN, a proxy won’t encrypt your data traffic.
Without encryption, it is easy for any prying eye or third parties to track your browsing activities. Moreover, these proxies don’t come with a kill switch, IP leak protection, DNS leak protection, or split tunneling features that maintain robust online privacy. Plus, there are no claims by which it can be proven that an American proxy service doesn’t log data and is utterly private to use. For all these security reasons, don’t experiment with an American proxy server to enjoy the perks of a US IP address.
Why VPNs Are a Better Option to Get a US IP Address?
There are VPN providers that, despite being cheap, are efficient, fast, and secure privacy boosting software that offers several benefits once you access a US-based IP address. Besides hiding your IP address and making you anonymous, a VPN also makes you private over the web. Upon connection, a VPN encrypts your data traffic; as a result, the data changes into unreadable and scrambled form. This makes it difficult for snoopers to spy on your online activities. A VPN also uses a range of features that ensures maximum online protection. Apart from this, the best VPN for the US offers impressive benefits like streaming any TV show and movie from the US Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
On the other hand, a proxy and Tor browser doesn’t offer basic data encryption features and won’t make you private on the web. Hence, VPN’s data encryption, no-log policy, and advanced features make it a better choice for getting the US IP address.
How to Have a US IP Address on Your Android?
Like any other device and operating system, you can install a VPN on your Android phone and have a US IP address by following simple steps. Here are the manual configuration steps that you need to follow:
- Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Click on Wi-Fi.
- Now hold on to the connected Wi-Fi network until a pop-up menu appears > Click on Modify Network.
- A password change screen will pop up> Tap on Advanced Options > Go down to the IP settings section.
- IP settings are set to DHCP by default > Tap and change to Static IP address on the Android device.
Now, a screen with a form will pop up that will allow you to change your Android settings, including your IP address, manually.
Is It Legal to Get an American IP Address?
There is no wrong to use a VPN to get an American IP address, and using a VPN is entirely legal in the US and many other parts of the world. Just make sure that the purpose for which you’re using a VPN is legal, too, because a VPN doesn’t support any illegal activities like downloading copyrighted content and buying and selling drugs through the dark web. Thus, be careful; otherwise, there’s no issue in using a US IP address.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the US or outside and want to enjoy the US Netflix, download torrents, or access the blocked websites and services, then getting a US IP address is the best idea. There are four best methods to get a US IP address. But the easiest way to get a US IP address is to subscribe to a reliable VPN provider. It comes with excellent data encryption, unlimited bandwidth, and impressive features that help access the US servers and allow you to do whatever you want.
