Benefits of using a proxy server

Proxies are an interesting option for people who need to access blocked websites. The primary benefit of using one is that it can allow you greater privacy and anonymity while browsing the web, but there are also some drawbacks – like speed limitations, which should be considered before deciding whether or not this service suits your needs! Before we can get to benefits and drawbacks let’s dig a little deeper into what are proxies, what does proxy do and why use them.

What is a Proxy server?

A proxy server is any machine that translates traffic between networks or protocols. It’s an intermediary server separating end-user clients from the destinations they browse, providing varying levels of functionality depending on your needs and company policy with security built-in for safety purposes. A proxy server is a system or router that provides a gateway between users and the internet. When you reach for the benefits of proxy servers you should know that it helps prevent 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. In more delicate terms, in computer networking, a proxy server is an application on a server that behaves as an intermediary between a client requesting a resource and the server providing that resource.

How Does a Proxy Server Work?

The benefits of a proxy is enabling you to hide your true identity, and thereby your geographical location. For example, a  reverse proxy hides the real address of the server you’re visiting by using its own, while a forward proxy uses another server as an intermediary between yourself and the website you want to visit. In both cases, all requests from your computer will seem as if they come from an entirely different machine than the one that actually sends them.

Proxy servers are often used on the company network to allow employees to access internal websites they would not normally have access to from outside their office, or on the Internet. Brands may also use them so that advertising campaigns can be targeted at different geographical areas by showing different advertisements on a server for users in New York than those shown for users in Paris, for example.

The administrator of a proxy will decide which services are allowed, and which are forbidden by editing configuration files or via an easy-to-use web interface that is usually part of the package. Proxy servers generally filter traffic by IP addresses but may also filter it according to protocols (e.g., HTTP, FTP) and ports (.g., 80). Some proxies are transparent and simply pass all requests through, where others hide your IP address from the sites you visit.

So what does a proxy do in short? It hides your IP providing further access on the web with now your new identity. If you want to set up your own proxy server you may want take a more technical insight because to make your own proxy is not enough, you will need to be able to do maintenance. This is why we recommend going for a ready proxy extension that will get you going in few clicks. 

Types of Proxy Servers

There are many different types of proxy servers, each with its own set of features. Some may be more suited for certain tasks than others but all can give you an alternate address to use while browsing online so that your original IP won’t show up on anyone else’s radar—including advertisers looking at what sites you visit and government entities tracking everything we do. The benefits of using a proxy server will actually depend on the type of proxy server you have chosen to go with.  If you wonder which proxy servers are the most common type of proxy server you can read our comprehensive list of them below. 

Forward Proxy

A forward proxy server is a network device that sits between an organization’s internal servers and clients, usually in order to provide IP address security for those on the inside of your company while also allowing you straightforward administrative control. However, this can be limiting if an enterprise needs more capabilities from its end-users or less power over their data given off-site providers such as Google Cloud Platform offer certain features which may not always sync up with what exists within our own networks. A forward proxy is best suited for internal networks that need a single point of entry.

Transparent Proxy

A transparent proxy can give users an experience identical to what they would have on their home computer. They are “transparent” and offer seamless user experiences, but there is one downside: the risk of security threats like SYN-flood denial of service attacks increases with these types of devices since most people don’t know that they’re using them behind the scenes.

Anonymous Proxy

An anonymous proxy is a tool that can be used to hide the user’s identity and computer information while they access the internet. A transparent proxy does this by acting as an interface between your devices, such as laptops or phones; it lets you surf without being tracked with cookies from sites like Facebook which store logs about what pages were visited in order to collect data on advertising strategies (and more). Transparent Proxies provide some of the best possible protection against digital eavesdropping but there are also drawbacks: many view the use of transparent proxies as underhanded, and users sometimes face pushback or discrimination as a result.

High Anonymity Proxy

A high anonymity proxy is an anonymous proxy that takes your information before it attempts to connect you. The server works well for users in need of complete privacy, such as employees who want nothing traced back to their activity at work or school. The biggest benefit of this proxy is that it erases traces of your request before actually completing it. 

Distorting Proxy

A distorting proxy identifies itself as a website’s safe and secure connection but instead masks its own identity. It does this by changing the address on the computer you’re using to access external websites so it appears as though your traffic is coming from somewhere else altogether – often countries where there aren’t any blockages against those types of proxies. This makes browsing online feel more anonymous than ever before. However, some websites automatically detect fake IP addresses for sure-fire ways around blocking them.

Data Center Proxy

Datacenter proxies are not affiliated with an internet service provider (ISP) but instead exist in physical data centers. The user’s requests are routed through this server, which has the benefit of giving people quick response times and low prices for intelligence gathering purposes-hence their popularity among those who want power without cost! The proxy server exists in a physical data center, and the user’s requests are routed through that server.

Residential Proxy

Residential proxies are well-suited for users who need to verify the ads that go on their website, so you can block cookies and other pieces of code sent by advertisers, it’s one of the main benefits of using such a proxy.  They often come at an extra cost but provide peace of mind when it comes time to block unwanted content like pop-ups or malware attacks because they’re located in your home network rather than some public space where software could easily access them too. 

Public Proxy

Public proxies are usually free and a great way to access the web, but they’re not always fast enough. They work well for users who need cheap and not-so-secure alternatives or are ok with having things slow down from all the other people on it trying to use that same connection at once! These free offerings often have long wait times because everyone wants what you’ve got and there’s only one IP address in circulation at any given moment. To do anything remotely complex with these kinds of services will cost money though, if security is more important than speed then we recommend going for a paid proxy. 

Shared Proxy

With a shared proxy, you can get access to an IP address that may be used by other people and appear as though browsing from any location. Shared Proxies are one of the most affordable options available for those who do not want to spend too much money on their internet connection or require fast speeds; however, there is always risk involved when using these types of services because they could possibly ban someone else’s bad decisions (whoever abuses it).

SSL Proxy

A secure sockets layer (SSL) proxy provides encryption between the client and server. As data is encrypted in both directions, this hides its presence from both parties; it’s best for organizations that need enhanced protection against threats like those revealed by SSL protocols. Most commercial options for Proxy servers already offer SSL proxy, so you should be protected with most of the offers you see online. 

Rotating Proxy

Rotating proxies are a lot like visitors to your website. Each person who visits is assigned an address that’s unique from the one before them, and as they keep coming back it helps you stay anonymous! However, there are some things to be aware of when using this type of service-some rotating proxy services contain public or shared proxies which could expose our data if utilized incorrectly. Great to use for activities like web scraping.  

Reverse Proxy

Reverse proxies are often used in popular websites to manage incoming requests. They can help an organization reduce bandwidth load because they act like another web server, but one major downside is that reverse Proxies will forward all of your data back through it so no information gets lost or altered on its way from client browser – meaning you should always use encryption when communicating with any Reverse Proxied site.

Benefits of Using Proxy 

One of the main benefits of using a proxy is that it will hide your real IP address. Your identity can stay anonymous while you browse online and hackers won’t know what country or city in which to find out more information on who may be looking for them. Don’t forget – your IP address can divulge a lot about you, such as –  it reveals your location as well as ISP, zip code or street name; not just this but those with malicious intent could also use such data points – along with other identifying elements like browser types/version numbers etc., stored cookies from sites visited previously-to help identify potential victims.

Another benefit of using a proxy would be caching. Caching is a way of making web pages available on-demand and saving bandwidth. When you visit a website, it caches your browser so that whenever the same page loads in future visits without downloading it again from scratch each time; instead of using previously saved data (cached version). This technique makes accessing those sites faster as well as reduces internet usage because these cached versions can be accessed anytime. 

If you have a proxy service from a dedicated service, like a VPN provider, it’s very possible that this proxy will allow you to unblock geo-restricted content.

What Are the Drawbacks of Using Proxy Servers?

Most of the drawbacks of using proxy servers are most related to free proxies. As you already know, free proxy will not involve any cost on your part so you have to wonder why do they exist and how are they maintained for your use. Free proxies can be a tricky and confusing frontier in the world of internet anonymity. Some “free” servers are just looking for your credit card numbers, so they should always be verified before use. 

You know how it is: when something sounds too good to true – usually with bad consequences later on down the road.  

The proxy server has your original IP address and web request information, possibly unencrypted, which could be saved locally. Make sure to check if the proxy logs this data – it may even contain sensitive personal details about you or other users in case a hacker steals their credentials. 

Encrypting a proxy server is not cheap, it requires additional resources, all of which are usually not invested in free services. If you use a proxy server without encryption, not only will it be very easy for someone to figure out what information is being sent because of the lack in security but also when using one people may accidentally leak their credentials. Make sure whatever program or website that can connect remotely through an encrypted connection does so with all traffic from now on. 

Conclusion

To sum up, there is no great free service in the world. If you do not want to compromise all vital qualities of a proxy service, you need to opt for paid options. Better yet, go for a VPN service as you will get the same benefits but with increased security. 

HideIPVPN is a cheap, fast, and secure VPN service with Free Proxy servers for each one of your VPN servers, and we are proud of the years of experience the team behind our project shares.

Whether you want to set up proxy on chrome or set up proxy on firefox our company has the best solution for you with free proxy add-ons included in any of our VPN plans.  

On top of this, our client is user-friendly, having been designed by a team of experts with you, the customer, in mind. We offer all the major VPN protocols and our support team is always available in case you have any questions or issues.

Give it a shot and you won’t be disappointed!