If you browse the internet, the chances are good that sooner or later you will come across adverts that are tailored to your browsing location and mention the nearest significant town to your location e.g. meet singles in YOURCITY.

The way this is done is actually quite simple as the advert will have a script that looks up your IP address (Internet Protocol address) and alters the text accordingly. For reference I have pasted two widgets below, the first which will show your nearest city to your browsing location and the second which shows your IP address and allows you to get a bit more information about it

It should also be noted that the IP address is what is used by companies to locate illegal file sharing, which I in no way condone of or approve. It is also used to region block web content on sites like Hulu.

Can I Change or Mask my IP Address?

Yes and No, taking the negative part first it is not normally possible to simply “give” yourself a new IP address. There are however 2 possible steps to work around this, the first is to use a proxy server and the second is to use a virtual private network (VPN).

The problem with both of these is that it can be difficult to find free ones and the best cost money. On a personal level I occasionally use the free VPN Hotspot Shield. While it has a few drawbacks the most notable being that it is supported by adverts and you have a 5GB monthly download limit. It is free, and is useful if you occasionally want to access region locked content as it gives you a US IP address.