Turn a VPN on, and within seconds your public IP address changes. But what's actually happening behind the scenes, and how real is that change?
What a VPN actually does to your IP
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server somewhere else in the world. All of your internet traffic first passes through that tunnel and exits from the VPN server. As a result:
- Websites and services you visit see the VPN server's IP address — not your real one.
- The location shown also reflects the VPN server's location, not your actual location.
- Your ISP can still see that you're connected to a VPN server, but the traffic content itself is encrypted and unreadable.
How is a VPN different from a proxy?
Both change your apparent IP address, but a proxy usually only routes traffic from one specific app or browser and often doesn't encrypt it, while a VPN routes your device's entire traffic through an encrypted tunnel. That's why a VPN is generally considered more reliable for privacy than a free proxy.
How do websites detect that an IP belongs to a VPN?
Specialized services maintain lists of IP ranges belonging to known datacenters and VPN providers. When your IP address appears on one of those lists, it gets flagged as "datacenter/VPN." You can try this yourself right now: open the Show-IP.ir homepage and check the "Security Check" section — if a VPN is active, "VPN / Datacenter" will usually flip to "Yes."
Does a VPN completely hide your IP address?
A VPN hides your real address from the websites you visit, but that's not the same as being completely anonymous — your VPN provider can, in theory, still see your connection unless it has a genuine no-log policy. For a full comparison of ways to hide your IP — including VPN, Tor, and proxies — read How to Hide Your IP Address.
Key takeaways
- A VPN replaces your real IP address with the VPN server's address and encrypts all your traffic.
- The location shown reflects the VPN server's location, not your actual one.
- Services can detect a VPN connection by checking known IP ranges.
- You can see your IP change and VPN detection status right now on Show-IP.ir.