A proxy server is an excellent place to start if you're looking for internet anonymity or a way to evade those "geo-restricted blockers." A proxy server is simple to operate, quick, and provides a high level of privacy. It functions as a go-between for you and another service on the Internet.
In this post, we describe the technical definition of an agent and show some of the most common types, use cases, and pros and cons.
So what exactly is a proxy?
A proxy server is essentially a server that acts as an intermediary between two networks. The purpose of this "intermediate" server is to construct the traffic of a complex and decentralized network. A proxy server consolidates, organizes, modifies, and cleans up requests and responses between the network requesting the service (your computer) and the network providing the service (the Internet).
When you use a proxy, the proxy server disconnects your computer from the Internet on your local network. For example, if you connect to an anonymous web proxy, HTTPS requests from your computer will be obscured by the proxy's IP and forwarded to their destination.
Why do you need a proxy?
- Proxies can be used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to:
- Access region-restricted content, such as streaming or gaming services.
- Bypass government censorship.
- Avoid network restrictions on company or school networks.
- Avoid blacklisting your IP address during web scraping.
- Web scraping allows for quick and invisible large-scale SEO efforts.
Proxies of many kinds
There are various types of proxies available. However, protocol-based HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS proxies are the most commonly used. These proxies vary in their level of anonymity, IP origin, and type of service.
The following diagram shows a simple proxy that transmits traffic to the Internet. Without a proxy (red), access to certain parts of the Internet is restricted.
SOCKS proxy vs HTTP proxy
So what's the difference between the two most common types of proxies? What is the difference between an HTTP proxy and a SOCKS proxy?
HTTP proxies (layer 7) are commonly used to surf the web anonymously. As mentioned earlier, the proxy centralizes requests. When an HTTP proxy focuses HTTP, it can modify the content of the original HTTP request and redirect it using the proxy's IP address. This means that when you browse the web, anything behind the proxy will show up as HTTP requests from the proxy instead of you.
HTTP proxies only handle web-based traffic, while SOCKS (SOCKets Secure) doesn't care about the type of application traffic that goes through. SOCKS operates at the session layer (OSI model layer 5), which opens, terminates, and manages sessions between end-user application processes.
You can use a SOCKS proxy to filter all traffic regardless of the application. This is why SOCKS5 proxies are preferred for torrenting and streaming applications. SOCKS5, a new version of SOCKS, now includes authentication for increased security and is substantially faster.
The Benefits of Using a Proxy Server
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between you and an external server. Depending on how the anonymity level of that proxy server is configured, it might either hide or reveal your IP address. Furthermore, the results will differ depending on where the proxy server is located, such as behind your Internet gateway or around the world.
What are the advantages of utilizing a proxy?
- Get around geo-restricted content. For example, if a proxy server is located in the United States, you should be able to access US-based material such as Netflix, HBO, Prime, and so on.
- Avoid web restrictions. If your local government or school has strong censorship or network limitations, connecting to a proxy in another country or network will allow you get beyond those restrictions.
- Large-scale data collection. Rotating proxies are highly efficient in terms of speed, keeping anonymity, and relatively cheap, which is great for data scraping.
- Controlling Internet usage. Offices use reverse proxies to control Internet usage inside corporate networks. A proxy may act as a firewall (but without the rules) to filter and block some traffic.
Advice when using proxies?
Use free proxies at all costs. Stay away from free proxies unless you're just impersonating a browsing location and not handling sensitive data. Free proxies tend to attract a lot of users. So when other users share the same resources, the server will be 10 times slower and the security will be greatly reduced. Threats come not only from other users, but also from free proxy providers. Remember, proxies don't encrypt data; they just obfuscate IP addresses.
Therefore, handling sensitive information while connecting to public free proxies is discouraged. If you must use a free proxy, use your own encryption (SSL or HTTP) and avoid loading unknown JavaScript scripts.
Last Words
If you value privacy and speed, consider using a private proxy. Private and paid proxies handle servers and privacy very differently. On the other hand, a private proxy allocates resources to the service itself.
Because these private proxy servers are not blocked by hordes of shared users, they are 10 times faster. They also have a privacy policy explaining how they handle data logs. If you value privacy, speed, and customer service, a private proxy like Rapidseebox might be the best option for you.