[moscatomg1]

I realize that it's relatively futile to be too obsessed w/ privacy on the net, but I'd at least like to do what I can from being yet another target of marketing and government surveillance. So I'm in the process of learning and trying some things like Hide IP platinum and some MAC address changes (courtesy of http://devices.natetrue.com/macshift/) to see how those work. But, also, I'm curious about something: I used to be a Cox cable internet subscriber. But thankfully now I use a free public wireless hot spot.

BUT when I check my ip address on sites like http://whatismyipaddress.com/, it still shows that Cox is still my IP. May be a stupid question, but: WHY?

I suspect it's some leftover IP and/or MAC address "trace" or the like. And I don't think Cox even has wireless internet in this area yet.

In addition, when I go to my wireless network connection, that gives me Another IP address--one which turns up bogus when I enter it in an IP address check site. WHY?

Could someone explain any of this to me in "Newbie" lingo. Thanks for any help.

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BUT when I check my ip address on sites like http://whatismyipaddress.com/, it still shows that Cox is still my IP. May be a stupid question, but: WHY?

because whoever set up that wireless hot spot uses Cox as their internet provider...whoever is supplying this connection has a wireless router hooked up to a Cox cable modem basically

In addition, when I go to my wireless network connection, that gives me Another IP address--one which turns up bogus when I enter it in an IP address check site. WHY?

because the IP you're getting on the wireless access point (the free public wifi) is a PRIVATE ip address...that "checker" or whatever checks PUBLIC ip addresses

[dsenette]

BUT when I check my ip address on sites like http://whatismyipaddress.com/, it still shows that Cox is still my IP. May be a stupid question, but: WHY?

because whoever set up that wireless hot spot uses Cox as their internet provider...whoever is supplying this connection has a wireless router hooked up to a Cox cable modem basically

In addition, when I go to my wireless network connection, that gives me Another IP address--one which turns up bogus when I enter it in an IP address check site. WHY?

because the IP you're getting on the wireless access point (the free public wifi) is a PRIVATE ip address...that "checker" or whatever checks PUBLIC ip addresses

[moscatomg1]

Ah-ha! Thank you very much--Interesting, and always nice to know.