How to use a proxy server

If you need to bypass IP blocking or visit a website that is not available in your region, then you just need to learn how to use a proxy server. First, let’s find out what it is, and in what other cases it is used. Why and how to use a proxy server? This simple question is asked by many. The answer is also very simple. In fact, a proxy server is needed, first of all, in order to see the Internet with somebody’s “eyes” – using a computer, or rather, a server located elsewhere.

Using a proxy server

Why and how to use a proxy server? This simple question is asked by many. The answer is also very simple. In fact, a proxy server is needed, first of all, in order to see the Internet with somebody’s “eyes” – using a computer, or rather, a server located elsewhere.

 

But how to use this opportunity is up to each and everyone.

Here are just some examples of the use of proxy servers, paid and free:

  • A webmaster posts some material on his website and then enters through a proxy server to see it with the eyes of ordinary visitors.
  • An employee of an enterprise prohibiting the use of social networks can go to his favorite websites using a proxy server.
  • A forum visitor who has been blocked by IP for posting pirated software or putting a password in open access can use a proxy server to re-register on the forum and read it.
  • A Crimea or Sevastopol resident may use a proxy server to download materials that are not available in his region (as a rule, software created in the USA).
  • Anyone who cares about traffic may try to use a proxy server with compression. This proxy server works similarly to Turbo mode in the famous Opera browser; only it works with all browsers. Compression allows reducing the page size by one and a half to two times due to images. Their quality slightly deteriorates, but it is enough for web surfing.
  • Using a proxy server allows you to remain anonymous, since only the proxy server web page, and not the desired website will remain in the history on your computer; and on the website you visited through it – only the proxy server IP, not yours.

As you can see, a proxy server is used almost everywhere. If you also want to use a proxy server, then you need to know how to do it.

Configuring the connection to a proxy server

First of all, you need a browser, and secondly, the address of the desired proxy server.

Some proxy servers charge for their services. When asked which proxy server to use, don’t rush to answer “free one”. It happens that a paid server offers you several necessary services at a time. First, it is caching. If the server is located in your city, its download speed is much higher than the average download speed from the global Internet space. Thus, if you frequently visit certain websites, they will start loading much faster from the second time if caching is enabled on the server.

Secondly, it is a compression. This will save more than you spend on a proxy server, if your network connection is charged according to the amount of data downloaded, and not according to the time.

Thirdly, it is the maintenance of history, bookmarks, and other small, but very useful features that significantly improve the possibilities of Internet viewing.

In order to connect to the chosen proxy server, you need:

  • Open your browser settings. In all the latest browsers (IE Edge, MS Firefox 45 and later, Chrome) you need to click the button with three lines under the close button.
  • After that, in the resulting menu, you need to open the “Settings” window.
  • The next steps depend on your browser. In Firefox, for example, you need to go to the “Advanced Settings” tab.
  • There you must select “Connection Settings”.
  • After that, in the resulting window, select manual proxy settings, and then enter IP address of this server.
  • Close the window by clicking OK, if available. Exit the Settings window and restart the browser (close it and reopen it.)
  • Done!