Even though the Internet offers us a huge amount of information and opportunities for communication, government agencies in many countries still block users’ access to online resources. Let’s leave aside the question of the effectiveness and expediency of such measures in modern society, and consider ways to gain access to forbidden platforms and content, namely, the use of the to bypass blockages.
Proxy server: all that you need to know
First, let’s talk about what a proxy server is in general terms. These are the servers used to cache pages and filter incoming and outgoing connections. Proxy servers are provided by both local network system administrators and providers in your city.
And right away it’s worth talking about anonymity. A completely anonymous proxy server is not really the norm. In this case, such a server can be a misconfigured regular proxy server, which allows access to unauthorized users. Thus, the security of such a server decreases. It can also be a public open proxy server. And it turns out the work of the proxy is simple. You specify in the settings of your browser or computer the IP address of the proxy server, and the connection will be made to this server, not the Internet directly.
Setting up a browser to work with a proxy server is very simple. You only need to be aware of your browser settings. There are guides on the Internet for each of the browsers, or you can seek advice from PrivateProxy specialists.
Free proxies
Of course, you always have the option to use the free proxy. You can find lists of free proxy servers on the Internet. There are quite a lot of them and all you need is to Google the appropriate query. The sites that provide lists of IP addresses of active proxies are ranked well, and you will easily find the information you are looking for. In addition, these pages often have detailed instructions on how to set up a proxy.
The information you find on such pages includes the public IP address as well as the access port with a colon. Both of these elements are inseparable. The access port must be specified along with the IP address when setting up the browser.
Advantages and disadvantages of proxy servers
Proxy servers have the same disadvantages: low speed and low anonymity. Adblocking is one of the most important advantages of a proxy nowadays.
In the case of free servers, it is worth noting that they are quite unstable due to the fact that the configuration of the proxy as such is not quite correct. And it is possible that such servers will not work for a long time. When the proxy server administration finds out that the server has become public, they will definitely shut it down and you can no longer use its IP address.
Why should you use a proxy server?
Naturally, there are very good reasons for using proxy servers.
- To control Internet usage. Connecting proxy servers in an enterprise or at home is frequently done to restrict traffic. If we are talking about organizations, then it is normal for management to restrict access to specific websites during business hours. In addition, at work, all web requests can also be monitored and logged.
- Increase throughput and increase your speed. Proxy servers have the potential to increase the performance of the network. It works by caching frequently visited pages.
- Improved security: Proxy servers give additional protection in addition to privacy. Outgoing requests can be secured by each proxy server. Your transactions will be secure as a result of this.
Why is it advisable to choose private proxy servers for blocking circumvention?
Naturally, the availability of public proxies is associated with rather low quality, low stability, and slow speed, but it is not PrivateProxy case.
These private IPs have the following obvious advantages:
- Compatible with numerous network protocols, HTTP and HTTPS, as well as Socks-versions 4 and 5.
- Increased speed and stability because service providers own their own data centers and constantly monitor the operation of their equipment.
- Connecting to personal proxies implies getting access to more streams and channels with increased traffic bandwidth.
- Using private IP servers does not provide any restrictions on Internet traffic.
- This way of changing IP and bypassing online censorship is suitable for all popular operating systems.
- This service is always “one-handed”, that is, the selected proxy server will be assigned to only one user for the duration of the lease, which is an important factor in terms of security, speed, and stability of its operation.
From all of the above, we can conclude that when choosing a way to bypass blocking, it is best to use private proxies by PrivateProxy, as they are more effective and reliable.
How to use a proxy server for a normal user?
The first thing you need to know to connect a proxy server is the presence of a port. An example is 2.120.168.15, with port 80. In big proxy lists, the port is usually written with a colon after the address – 2.120.168.15:80.
The data that you receive will need to be entered in the browser or PC settings. On Windows, this is easy. You need a Control Panel. Next, go to Browser Options and then connect and network settings. Then check the “Use a proxy server” box, enter the IP address and port, and click “OK”. After that, enter on the command line as administrator:
netsh winhttp import proxy source=ie
After completing the configuration, you will be able to use the proxy server in all applications that support it. However, if you want to pass all your applications through a proxy, then you can configure each program individually.
Risks of using proxies and disadvantages
The biggest risk is using an unverified server. Their creators can collect information about those who connect and then sell their user databases to a third party – hackers or commercial companies. If you need a proxy, it is best to use a server verified by other users – lists of nodes with high ratings can be found on the Internet. There are specialized resources that publish lists of proven proxy servers. They are tested for ping, type, geographic location, connection speed, and degree of anonymity.