Today we’ll talk about what a proxy server is, why it is needed and how to use it. Let's look at how IP addresses work using examples and tell you how to prevent IP leaks.
To understand why a proxy is needed and how it works, let’s dive into the theory.
Theory: how we see information on the Internet and what do proxies have to do with it?
When we open a web page, the device sends a request, transferring its data. Thanks to this data, the site understands which device to show the content of the page - your phone, and not your neighbor. And it shows: it conveys information about itself. This is text, pictures, videos and so on. This is how we see the contents of the entire site.
The device sends data that tells you:
- what OS do we have?
- what is our time zone?
- what font is on your computer/phone;
- what plugins are installed in the browser, etc.
This data includes an IP address. It allows us to find out where we live.
If a site is blocked in a certain region, the device will not receive information about the web page because there is a restriction on the IP address. A proxy just helps to get around this limitation.
What is a proxy
A proxy is a server that you connect to to change your IP address. It works like this:
- A user from Russia connected to a US proxy. The user's IP has changed from Russian to American.
- A person visits a web resource.
- The device sends a request to the proxy server.
- A proxy server sends a request to a web page on its behalf.
- The web page sends data to an intermediate server.
- The intermediate server delivers this data to you.
At the same time, the web page sees the US IP, so it delivers information without any problems.
In some cases, users build IP chains. This makes it even more difficult to reveal the real address, but chains are not needed for surfing the Internet or forking. They are built by hackers.
The most popular types of intermediate servers are HTTPS and Socks. “Socks” are considered more anonymous by default because they use modern encryption technologies, unlike HTTPS.
There are IPv4 and IPv6 proxies. The most popular IPv4s for 2021. Once upon a time, a global transition to the IPv6 protocol was planned, but this never happened, all sites remained on the “four”. “Six” is supported by very few sites, so this protocol is cheap - 10 rubles per IP. In the next 5 years, IPv4 will not give way to IPv6, so calmly buy the “four”.
How to use it
The proxy server connects to:
- in a computer/telephone system;
- in the browser;
- in the messenger/program/game system;
- in a special application.
Let's consider each of the options in more detail.
On your computer/phone
When you set up an intermediate server on the device system, the work of the proxy generally applies to all programs, games and browsers. But not always.
For example, IP for Mozilla Firefox connects separately, directly in the browser. It's the same with safari: The proxy in this browser will not work if you connect it on Mac OS.
In the browser
There are two options: the IP is connected in the browser settings or using a special extension. Plugins are more convenient because they allow you to load several intermediate servers and switch between them in one click, delete unnecessary addresses in one second, and name IPs in a certain way to make them easier to navigate.
We recommend using the ProxyControl extension. In it, you load IP addresses in two ways: using a special API key or each address separately, whichever is more convenient.
In the messenger/program/game system
In this case, IP is configured directly where you sit. For example, if you want to access Instagram through a proxy, you configure it there. Or you intend to speed up the process of collecting the semantic core - connect an intermediate server directly in the program.
In a special application
Special applications are software like Proxifier. They are used to work through a proxy in a program that does not support its configuration. For example, if you need to go to “Viber” from a computer through a proxy, then first the IP is connected to Proxifier, and only then the messenger opens.
There are paid and free software. Which one to choose depends on your tasks.
How to prevent IP address leakage
If you connect only an intermediate server, the real IP will still be visible. It will leak via WebRTC. Therefore, disable this setting in your browser.
How to do it. Type “How to disable WebRTC in” in the search bar and insert the name of your browser. The Internet will give you several methods, choose any one.
Disabling the WebRTC option along with the proxy completely hides the IP address.
Paid or free proxies: which one to choose?
Choose paid IPs. Both paid and free intermediate servers will hide your address, but free ones are less useful. They are used by 5-10 people at once, therefore:
- they are very stupid: the page loads not in 1 second, but in 40;
- IP stops working every 5 minutes, you have to constantly change it;
- most proxies are broken. They just won't connect.
In addition, many sites have added free IPs to the blacklist and therefore immediately see the use of a proxy. For example, a user decided to download the sixth book from an online library, where the download limit is 5 pieces per day. The user connected a free IP and tried to download the book, but the site gave an error because the IP was on the blacklist.
This will not happen with paid intermediate servers. They are protected by a username and password, so only you can use them. The Internet is not slow, pages load quickly. IPs work stably, they are not changed every 5 minutes.
Conclusion
We figured out what a proxy server is, why it is needed and how to use it. Socks is considered the most anonymous protocol. IPv4 is most often used because very few sites support IPv6. The IP address is configured in the device system, in a browser, program or special software. Depends on your task and where you like best.
