Articles regarding all the best and fastest Proxy Providers.
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To understand the differences between a shared proxy and a dedicated proxy, it must be clear what a proxy actually is. It will suffice to say that a proxy is basically a computer that allows other computers to make relayed, or indirect, network connections to other computers without a direct connection between the two. When a proxy client connects to a proxy server, it requests a connection, information, a file, or another resource, that is available on a different server. The proxy server then provides the client-requested resource by either connecting to the specified website, server, or even by serving it directly from a previously collected cache.
Shared proxies are proxies that are shared by many people/customers all using the same IP address.
A Dedicated proxy is a dedicated proxy and IP Address that is exclusive to one person/customer.
Most Private Proxies being offered by reputable providers, whether Shared or Dedicated, will be high-anonymous so your personal information and location are never revealed.
Some proxy providers sell revolving lists that can be downloaded, or refreshed, weekly or monthly. Other proxy providers give customers a set of proxies and only change them as needed or when requested, customers may even be limited on how often they can have their proxies/IP changed. This is something to consider when choosing between dedicated or shared proxies.
That being said, the pricing of shared proxies versus dedicated proxies varies considerably and thus usually becomes the deciding factor for most people. However, it’s certain that dedicated proxies will always be more expensive than shared proxies. You pay for reliability and speed with dedicated proxies – with shared proxies you pay for quantity, not quality.
While so many security and anonymous-browsing services are being offered online it can be a pain to figure out which proxy or VPN option to choose, and which benefits each would provide. Proxies and VPNs will both re-route a user’s internet usage and effectively conceal their IP address, but proxies and VPNs actually function very differently from each other.
The usual reasons for using a VPN or Proxy is to hide the user’s information/identity from ISPs and their government for security and privacy reason, or in order to bypass a geographical limitation enforced by IP address. Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora are good examples of websites that can’t be used by many countries outside of the United States.
Although a proxy and VPN can both perform this very similar function of changing a user’s IP address, the actual processes involved for each are very different which makes them both have different uses and limitations. Hopefully this article will clear up the questions most people end up asking when trying to decide on a Proxy or VPN which are “what is the difference between a proxy and VPN?”, and more specifically, “Should I use an full featured VPN or will a simpler Proxy do the trick?”.
Think of a proxy as relay that your web browser, or another specific program, routes it’s internet traffic through. While accessing the internet through a proxy the user’s security, anonymity, and even speed can be enhanced along with the bonus ability to choose a desired geographic location. However, the main problem with beginners and proxies is having to learn how to set up a computer’s programs and browsers to use the proxies.
Proxies are program-based and internet traffic is only sent through them by programs and web-browsers specifically setup to use their settings. Proxy server settings are usually input directly in your web-browser, or web-related program, no matter if you are using Firefox, IE/Edge, Chrome, Safari, or some other web browser/program. Some older browsers and programs may not have a proxy server option, though.
Some good news to keep in mind is that most serious proxy providers have started offering tools for Windows, Linux, Mac, and even Android and iOS that will automatically configure certain web-browsers to use their proxy servers. Also, premium software and browser plugins can also be found and bought that will allow a user automatically send traffic from any program through multiple proxies – often times from a simple list of proxies.
A VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network, service provider encrypts all of your computer or network’s traffic, skipping over your ISP’s servers and routing all traffic directly to the VPN server with high enough encryption that even most governments would be kept out from snooping. Think of a VPN as a long imaginary ethernet cord that your computer or router connects directly to the VPN server with for internet use.
A VPN works with all internet-based services and programs. Everything the machines connected to the VPN do over the internet will be routed directly through the VPN Server, so as long as you trust your VPN provider then you can consider your privacy and information 100% safe!
Most VPN Providers have proprietary or open-source software for Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS that will allow for seamlessly using their VPN Servers. Unlike proxies, there are no fancy premium software or plugins that you would ever need to enjoy the full benefits. However, if wanting to put your whole network behind a VPN, you would have to invest in a VPN Router or possibly consider flashing your current router to DD-WRT/Tomato to gain the ability if able.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of VPN and Proxy services to choose from.
A VPN is pretty much superior in all ways to proxies when it comes to security and anonymity. VPNs provide vastly greater encryption and can do a much better job protecting a user’s entire internet activity and usage. If staying anonymous and secure when you browse online, shop, or use other services – a VPN is the way to go.
While proxies with HTTPS encryption can provide a decent amount of security and privacy, a proxy is generally the better choice when a user has multiple programs or browsers that need to have different IP addresses and/or geo-locations all at the same time. Most proxy users are web-scraping, game-botting, and users trying to get around geo-location limits.
Proxy Servers are intermediaries, or middle-men, that are used by people and companies when browsing or working on the internet. Simply speaking, a proxy behaves like a buffer in between the internet and your computer. Proxy Servers allow anonymous usage of the web and can hide the IP address of its user.
An anonymous proxy also helps protect and conceal your location while web-browsing shopping, playing games, and even working online. If blocked from playing specific games or using certain websites because of geographical location, a proxy server can help get around those limitations.
When considering using a proxy, users should know the main differences of proxies and choose from them depending on the intended use, level of anonymity desired, and allowed budget.
Public and private proxies differ in many ways – Here is what needs to be understood when deciding to use proxies:
Summary of a Public Proxy
A public proxy is a proxy that can be connected to freely by multiple people and computers, instead of just a single user or client. Public proxies generally have no username and password authentication. However, there are public proxies that do have username and password authentication but the username and password is made to be easily obtainable to the public, therefore it is still a public proxy.
Sometimes public proxies are hosted by companies and people out of the goodness of their hearts. More often, public proxies are up and running because of a network misconfiguration or because of malware that users do not even know their machines have been infected with! Because of this, security cannot be guaranteed with public proxy servers; although public proxy servers can do a great job of hiding IP addresses, the proxy servers themselves may be logging online activity and information for their own use.
Summary of a Private Proxy
A Private Proxy is a proxy that can be connected to only by one user or client. Private Proxies usually have either username/password authentication or are authenticated using the IP Address of the user/client trying to access the proxy.
Private proxies hide IP addresses and deliver fully anonymous surfing on the internet. It is important to remember that web users leave a digital footprint in the form of IP addresses when using the web. This means that almost anyone with a bit of network-know-how can see what a user has been doing online, including hackers and spammers. Using a private proxy server almost guarantees a user’s IP address will be invisible. Plus, most private proxy providers do not log traffic or information and only keep short logs of client IP Addresses in the case of a crime.
Prоtесtіng privacy and реrѕоnаl іnfоrmаtіоn should always be of the highest priority. With the use of a рrоxу’s IP аddrеѕѕ instead of your actual IP аddrеѕѕ users are capable of connecting to other websites and servers without revealing any personal information. Public proxies are usually free of charge, but is anything really free in this world? Should personal information be trusted with publicly accessible and highly visible public proxies? Probably not.
If peace of mind is the goal, a private proxy should be used to safely and anonymously be on the World Wide Web.
A proxy, also called a proxy server, is simply another computer which acts as a hub that internet based requests are processed through. By linking through these kinds of servers, your computer transmits your requests to the proxy server first, which then processes your request and returns whatever reply your request was asking for. In doing this, a proxy functions as a middle-man between your local-home computer and the rest of the computers on the internet. Proxies are used with multiple objectives in mine such as accessing IP address blocked web-services, getting past geographic restrictions, as well as allow anonymity whenever surfing the web.
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application) that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server and the proxy server evaluates the request as a way to simplify and control its complexity. Proxies were invented to add structure and encapsulation to distributed systems. Today, most proxies are web proxies, facilitating access to content on the World Wide Web and providing anonymity.
If you want to browse the web anonymously, then proxies can provide you with a way to conceal your local IP address from the remainder of the web. By connecting to the web through proxies, the home IP address of your computer will never be shown and the IP address of the proxy will be displayed instead. This will ensure that you get additional safety than if you had been just connecting straight to websites and services on the internet. There are a vast amount of proxy providers that can give you an awesome proxy service. There are some proxies which are free and some that charge money, the choice is up to you, but it’s common knowledge that the premium paid proxies are more stable, faster and more secure.
HTTP(S) Proxies
HTTP Proxies are the most common proxy, and they operate on the HTTP Protocol. Because HTTP Proxies operate on the HTTP protocol and can understand the data being transferred through them, they are considered “High-Level” or “Smart” proxies. HTTP Proxies with the CONNECT ability which allows them to establish secure tunnels are referred to as HTTPS Proxies.
SOCKS4/5 Proxies
SOCKS Proxies are the older and less common proxy protocol. SOCKS proxies are TCP/IP based and therefore can not understand the data being passed through them, and are therefore called “Dumb” or “Low-Level” proxies. There are two versions of SOCKS proxies, SOCKS4 version and SOCKS5 version. SOCKS4 is the older of the two versions, SOCKS5 is newer and has more security features.
To learn more about the different proxy protocols, click here.
Transparent Proxies
This kind of proxy reveals itself as a proxy server and also makes the original IP address apparent via the http headers. These are usually utilized for their ability to cache data and do not effectively give any anonymity to those who use them. Although, the use of a transparent proxy will bypass simple IP bans. They are called transparent because your IP address is transparent.
Anonymous Proxies
This type of proxy reveals itself as a proxy server, but does not make the user’s original IP address available. This type of proxy server is detectable, but provides decent anonymity for most people.
Distorting Proxies
This kind of proxy reveals itself as a proxy server, but reveals a bogus originating IP address apparent via the http headers. They are generally considered the same level of anonymity as an Anonymous proxy.
Elite/High-Anonymous Proxies
This kind of proxy does not proclaim itself as a proxy server and does not make available the originating IP address.
To learn more about the different levels of proxy anonymity, click here.
So, in closing, a proxy is just another computer that your internet traffic is tunneled through. By sending your internet through a tunnel to another computer, the IP address of the proxy server is what websites will see instead of your real home IP address. There are different levels of “being anonymous” that proxies can provide, and some applications and software might need a different type of proxy than the one used for browsing websites. ?
