A VPN achieves the effect of "IP switching" not by literally changing your device's internal IP address, but by routing your internet traffic through a secure server, effectively hiding your real IP address from the outside world and presenting the server's IP instead.
Understanding VPN and IP Masking
When you connect to the internet without a VPN, your device uses an IP address assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This IP address identifies your location and device on the network.
However, a VPN works by routing a device's internet connection through a private service rather than the user's regular internet service provider (ISP). This private service is typically a VPN server operated by the VPN provider.
The Routing Process
- Initiation: You connect to the VPN server using a VPN client application on your device.
- Encryption: Your internet traffic is encrypted before it leaves your device.
- Tunneling: The encrypted traffic travels through a secure tunnel over the public internet to the VPN server.
- Traffic Exit: The VPN server decrypts your traffic and sends it on its way to the destination website or service (e.g., a website you are visiting).
How the IP Address Changes (Appears to Switch)
Because your traffic exits onto the internet from the VPN server, the destination website or service sees the VPN server's IP address as the source of the traffic, not your device's original IP address.
The VPN acts as an intermediary between the user getting online and connecting to the internet by hiding their IP address. Your real IP address, assigned by your ISP, remains concealed behind the VPN server. This is the mechanism that provides the appearance of "IP switching" or changing your location online, as the external IP address shown is that of the VPN server, which could be located anywhere in the world.
| Connection Type | Your Real IP Address Seen By: | External Website/Service Sees: |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Connection (No VPN) | Your ISP, Websites/Services | Your Real IP Address |
| VPN Connection | Your ISP, VPN Provider | VPN Server's IP Address |
In essence, the VPN doesn't change your device's IP, but rather changes the publicly visible IP address associated with your internet activity by masking it behind the VPN server's IP.
