This project demonstrates how VPNs affect public IP addresses, geolocation, and web browsing behavior using Microsoft Azure and ProtonVPN.
The goal was to simulate real-world scenarios where users access the internet from different geographic regions and analyze how websites respond to those changes.
- Identify and record public IP addresses before and after VPN usage
- Deploy a cloud-based virtual machine in a different geographic region
- Route traffic through a VPN server in another country
- Analyze how websites behave based on location changes
- Microsoft Azure
- Windows 10 Virtual Machine
- ProtonVPN (Free Tier)
- Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
- Web tools: whatismyipaddress.com
- Checked my local machine's public IP address using:
- Recorded IP and location details
- Created a Resource Group
- Connected to the VM using Remote Desktop (RDP)
| Stage | IP Address Location |
|---|---|
| Local Machine | Original location (USA) |
| Azure VM | Different region (e.g., Korea) |
| VPN Enabled | Third region (e.g., Japan) |
Tested websites like:
Observed:
- Language changes
- Region-specific content
- Different URLs and layouts
- Deleted Azure Resource Group to avoid unnecessary costs
- VPNs mask your real IP and replace it with the server’s IP
- Web services use IP-based geolocation to customize content
- Cloud environments allow testing from multiple regions without physical travel
- Network behavior can change significantly based on geographic origin
This lab demonstrates practical understanding of:
- Network security concepts
- VPN functionality
- Cloud-based infrastructure
- Real-world troubleshooting and analysis
- Automate IP logging with PowerShell
- Capture packet data using Wireshark
- Compare latency across regions
- Integrate firewall rules and monitoring
Giovanny Perdomo
Aspiring IT Professional | Networking | Security | Cloud Labs