What is proxy server and how does it works?

A proxy server is a system or router that provides a gateway between users and the internet. Therefore, it prevents cyber attackers from entering a private network. It is a server, referred to as an “intermediary” because it goes between end-users and the web pages they visit online.

Every time you access the Internet, you get a unique identifier assigned to you known as an IP address. Your IP address can reveal a fair bit of information about you, including your location also. Hiding your IP address sounds like a good idea now, One way you can hide an IP using proxy server. A proxy reroutes your request through a proxy server, so it does not go directly from your computer to your ISP to the website. That way, the website can’t see your IP address when you connect.

Stay safe online

Using proxy server can be a good choice if you’re trying to maintain your privacy online. They typically have more practical applications for companies or organizations than individuals, however. As an individual web user who wants to keep their IP hidden or change the location of their IP, VPN usually works more beneficially.

There is different types of proxy servers-

Forward proxy

It is the most common type of proxy server. The work by taking a request and passing it through from an isolated, internal network to the Internet through a firewall.

Data center proxy

A data center proxy is an IP address that belongs to a data center like Amazon Web Services. They use remote servers you can connect to when you want to hide your IP addresses. Data center proxies are more prone to blocking , however, and are more easily detected as proxies since they’re not issued by the ISPs.

Public proxy

A public proxy is a proxy that is accessible by anyone on the Internet. You also called it an open proxy. For the most part, proxy servers work by only allowing users within a certain network or group to store and forward Internet services.Anyone can use it.

Residential proxy

Residential proxies are same like data center proxies.Residential proxies provide a bit more security than data center proxies, but they’re slower in use.

Shared proxy

Shared proxies are IP addresses used by multiple users at the same time. The upside of shared proxies is that they’re cheaper than private proxy servers. They can share one user as a time.

SSL proxy

Any proxy server that use the secure socket layer is an SSL proxy. They’re also referred to as HTTPS proxies (HTTPS meaning Hypertext Transfer Protocol). SSL and HTTPS protocols are basically methods websites use to secure the data that they process. HTTPS uses SSL to encrypt data as it passes from one endpoint to another. Since SSL proxies rely on encryption, they tend to be safer and more anonymous than proxies that don’t use SSL.

Rotating proxy

A rotating proxy does not assign you one IP address, but rather a pool of IP addresses. The IP address you use could change every few minutes or with every new request you make. Rotating proxies are super fast, making them useful for things like web scraping and data mining, where you need to make thousands of connection requests at the same time. Both data center and rotating proxies can be used as rotating proxies.

Reverse proxy

A reverse proxy is opposite of a forward proxy. Rather than sitting in front of the clients like a forward proxy does, a reverse proxy sits in front of one or more web servers to intercept requests from clients.Reverse proxies keep clients from interacting directly with servers.

Transparent proxy

Transparent proxies communicate to websites that they are proxy servers and will still pass along your IP address. Transparent proxies can also be used by companies who want their employees to use a proxy without employees knowing about it. They’re easier to use because it feels just like connecting with your home Internet.

High anonymity proxy

This proxy offers the highest level of privacy and security. Not only does the server you connect to not receive any information about your IP address, but it also can’t even tell that you are connected using a proxy. 

Distorting proxy

A distorting proxy hide your IP, and also provide a false IP address to the website you’re trying to access. The server gives the impression that you’re connecting from another location, hiding the geolocation from the website.

Different browser proxy

If you want to take advantage of the privacy and security that proxy servers can provide, you have to know how to set up a proxy server on your web browser. Generally, you’ll have to navigate to the settings or preferences of your browser and you’ll need to know the proxy server address. After you have that, it’s pretty straightforward.

Chrome browser proxy

Chrome uses the same proxy settings as the OS it’s running on. If you’re running Windows 10, Below to set up a Chrome browser proxy:

1. Open a Chrome browser on your device.
2. Select the three dots in the top right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Advanced from the column on the left side, then select the System tab.
5. Click Open your computer’s proxy settings.
6. The Windows 10 proxy settings should come up. Scroll down to Manual proxy setup and toggle the switch On for Use a proxy server. Ensure the switch for Automatically detect settings is toggled On as well.
7. If you already have a proxy server available, Windows will provide the name and prompt you to follow the instructions.
8. When Windows finds a proxy auto-config (PAC) file, you can get the setup script. Toggle the Use setup script button On, then enter the Script address.
9. Click Save and your proxy should be set up now.

Firefox browser proxy

If you don’t want to use a proxy server with Windows 10, then you can browse the web with Mozilla Firefox instead. Here’s how to set up a Firefox browser proxy:

1. Click on the Menu button (the three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
2. Click Settings.
3. Scroll down to Network Settings and then click the Settings… button.
4. You will see a pop-up named Connection Settings.
5. Firefox uses Windows 10’s proxy settings by default, so you should see the Use system proxy settings option selected. You can change this, however, and configure a separate proxy server for Firefox.
6. You can either select Manual proxy configuration and enter the proxy details or select Automatic proxy configuration URL and enter the address from your PAC file.
7. You can select certain addresses you do not wish to use the proxy for by entering them, separated by a comma (,) in the No proxy for text box. This is optional.
8. Click OK. Your proxy is set up now.

Advantages of using a proxy server

Why use a proxy server? There are several benefits, including:

• Privacy: If you want to look at something online but would prefer to hide IP address and location, you can use a proxy. You can also use a proxy if you want to post comments on a forum online without having it traced back to you.
• Security: Using proxy can prevent your system from cyber attack.
• Geo-blocked content: When you set up a proxy server, you can designate a specific location so that you can access content or websites that are locked to that region or country.
• Speed: Proxy servers cache information about visited websites for retrieval later, so they don’t slow down your web browsing speed.

Disadvantages of using a proxy server

Proxy servers have some downsides, which you should be aware of before you use one:

• Data tracking: Caching information can help speed web browsing up but it can also make it easier for someone within the network to download all the stored data and access usernames, passwords, and other sensitive info. If you use a proxy server, make sure you find one that offers protection to prevent this kind of tracking.
• Weak encryption: Most proxy servers use standard SSL certification as an encryption standard, which is vulnerable to an attack known as SSL stripping. For a more robust encryption option, you should use VPN.
• Cost: Setting up and maintaining a proxy server can be expensive if you’re using it for your company.