Virtual Private Network or VPN is a handy thing. VPN is used to secure our data, boost our network, ensure our privacy, protect us from tracking, and provide us freedom while using the internet with any ISP. But whenever we use VPN or any proxy site, a question remains: how do some websites like Netflix or Amazon Prime get to know that we are using a VPN or a proxy?
Whenever we use a VPN, our IP address changes and the data on our device gets encrypted. The sole and essential purpose of using a VPN is to change our machines’ IP address, which results in a change in the location from where we are using our device, no matter what Wi-Fi we’re on. For instance, if a person sitting in America uses a VPN and connects to a Chinese server, then his IP address will be changed, and if someone tries to get his location, it will display China.
Moreover, using VPN providers mixes up all of our encrypted data, making it complicated for others to read the encrypted data. And if we use premium VPN or some famous VPN services, it becomes almost impossible for other people to get to know where we’re browsing from.
However, as mentioned above, using a VPN may also be traced. Many Internet Service providers, websites, and even the Govt. may detect if we are using a VPN or not. They cannot trace our activities, but they can know that we are using a VPN. But the fact is, how do they get to know that we are using a VPN or a proxy server site? If you want to get the answer to this question, then go through the post.
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How come the ads I see are targeted at my geographical location?
Source: searchengineland.com
After going through this, there is one more question that evolves in our minds: how the ads that we receive are of our nearby locations? So, this happens due to geotargeting. Now, what is this Geotargeting? Let’s go through this as well.
What is Geo-targeting, and how does it work?
The process of sending different content or adverts to consumers based on their geographic locations is known as geotargeting. Geo-targeting is frequently used in sponsored search operations to market to local prospects.
Geotargeting allows search marketers to define a single location, or a set of areas, as the only place where their ads should appear. For businesses that need more traffic and visits on their websites, such as restaurants, brick-and-mortar stores, and eCommerce sites, this is a vital strategy to enhance their reach to the customers and maximize their profit.
Why and how do companies use Geotargeting?
Source: singlegrain.com
If we target useless and irrelevant ads to the customers that are not available in their location, it all goes wasted, and all our efforts pay nothing to us. So, geotargeting is the best way to use our funds wisely while dealing with ads. Showing relevant ads to the customers of their locality increases businesses’ reach and maximizes their profits.
It is now coming onto how to use geotargeting? So, there are many third-party websites available that provide us with the tools for geo-marketing.
Abstract’s IP Geolocation tool is the best choice to go with. It helps us to get the location of any IP with a top-class API and is among the top and best tools for this purpose because it covers more than 4 billion IPs addresses throughout the world. They offer you the best API after having few improvisations in itself.
It provides you with excellent documentation, tutorials, and ways to use the libraries that it offers. You should definitely give it a try because IP geolocation has become vital while carrying online businesses. So, the API that their IP Geolocation uses works at a blazing speed and thus gives you rapid results that significantly improve.
It also has excellent technical support so that we users do not suffer at any time. They help us to run the app smoothly and resolve all our issues the fastest.
How is the VPN traced?
If we use a premium and trustworthy VPN service, our personal information cannot be traced. However, our IP address, along with our port number and DPI, can be traced.
VPN IP Address
Source: vpnmentor.com
Determining IP Addresses of VPN servers is not a highly complex task. Many dedicated databases help detect a VPN server and find out which service provider offered this VPN server. When we go through any website or service, then the information that we are using a VPN or not gets traced because of our IP. The websites use VPN’s IP to detect if we are using a VPN or not.
However, they do not get to know the person using the VPN, and they get to see if we are using a VPN.
Port Number
VPNs that we have to use different and unique port numbers to establish the connection. For instance, OpenVPN (UDP) uses port number 1194, and OpenVPN (TCP) uses 443. So, the people who want to detect our VPN may use this information to see if we are using a VPN or not. And also, the type of VPN connection that we are using.
Deep Packet Inspection
Source: techrepublic.com
The government of China uses this method to block VPN. The primary use of Deep Packet Inspection is to know and identify the structure of data packets, and it is also used to secure the malware. Moreover, it is used to determine the VPN server that we are using.
Wrapping Up
So, after going through the article, you might have got your answer: how do websites know if we are using a VPN or proxy server, and how come the ads we see are targeted at our geographical locations.
Moreover, if you want websites that do not trace out VPN’s IP Address, we can apply some small hacks and tricks for that. Although they trace our VPN’s IP address, our data and privacy does not get affected. So, we need not worry about any such thing.
