How to set up a proxy

It is impossible to live without a proxy in 2021. Half of interesting sites on the Internet are blocked, individual applications do not work, and in some countries it will be impossible to use the Internet without a proxy. For this reason, any user should know how to set up a proxy server to make surfing the Internet easier. Not sure how to set up a proxy? We have created an instruction that will answer any of your questions!

What is a proxy?

In standard operating mode, a computer or smartphone connects directly to the network. Any remote server determines the IP address of your computer, geolocation and a huge amount of other data. It is with the help of IP-address recognition that most site blocking services work. The provider restricts access to the resource based on the user’s IP address.

But setting up a proxy network saves you from this problem. You will not be connecting directly to the server, but using a special additional server located in a neutral country. After finishing the proxy settings, you will again have access to any sites, applications, game servers.

For the final configuration, we only need two parameters: the hostname (which is the address of your proxy server) and the port. The port may be given to you automatically, but some servers are configured to manually select the port. Also, some servers have a standard port – you do not need to specify it.

In what situations can a proxy help

There is nothing to do without a stable connection to a proxy server on the modern Internet. For example, in Russia many sites with useful and interesting information, some news resources, and some foreign portals are blocked. In China, without setting up a proxy, it is generally impossible to connect to the “external” Internet and only “internal” Chinese sites remain. Torrent trackers are being blocked in the US and Europe. Therefore, if you live in one of the listed countries, or are going on a trip, then you need to take care of setting up this tool on all your devices in advance.

It is not recommended to choose free proxy servers. The fact is that most of them have long been known to admins, so IP addresses are actively blocked. Even in a situation where you have used the free server correctly, this is not a guarantee that you will be able to connect to the desired site. Paid proxy can be purchased, for example, here: Proxy-Seller.

Plus, proxies are a great help for gamers. This method allows you to avoid blocking a game account by IP address. If the administration on your favorite game server prefers to actively use “banhammer”, then it is the proxy that will allow you to go there under a new name.

Proxy or VPN

VPNs also need to be considered when it comes to proxies. This technology is also designed to bypass blocking, but VPN is also distinguished by the ability to completely protect its data and hide it from an outside observer. But it should be noted that for an ordinary user who just wants to bypass blocking, there is not much point in using a VPN. Therefore, it is better to spend money on a good proxy server with a stable connection, which will be used to surf the Internet.

Existing types of proxy servers

There are several types of proxy servers, each of which is suitable for specific tasks:

• CGI – the simplest type of servers, is used exclusively for bypassing locks. Most often, it is a page on the Internet through which the user views the content of blocked sites.
• HTTP – this type of proxy is used to make full use of the Internet. Connects through the settings of Windows, macOS or another operating system. However, today it is already considered obsolete.
• HTTPS is the best kind of proxy for viewing content on blocked sites. It also connects through the settings of your operating system, but allows you to view sites with SSL encryption (you can identify them by the address – they start with https).
• SOCKS4, SOCKS5 – such proxy servers are also connected through the operating system settings and are used not only in the browser, but also in individual applications.

It is enough just to set up a proxy on your own by purchasing a virtual server in another country; but you can also use ready-made solutions.

How to configure a proxy in Windows 10

In recent versions of Windows, proxy configuration was carried out using the command line or through the network settings in the control panel. Today the procedure has become much easier. To set up a proxy in Windows 10 you need to:

1. Click on the “Start” menu;
2. Go to the “Parameters” item (has a gear icon);
3. Expand the item “Network and Internet”;
4. Go to the “Proxy server” subsection in the side menu;
5. Go to the subsection “Manual proxy settings”;
6. Click on the checkbox “Use proxy”;
7. Enter the address and port of your proxy server;
8. Click on the “Save” button.

This completes the configuration of the Windows proxy server. To disable the proxy and again directly connect to sites and applications, you just need to uncheck the box of the item “Use a proxy server”.

How to set up a proxy in the Google Chrome browser

Setting up a proxy in the browser also does not take much time. In Chrome, you can use the built-in store and choose special extensions for yourself to automatically configure a proxy. However, you can always use the manual setting. To configure a proxy in Chrome, you need to take a few simple steps:

1. Open the browser and go to the control menu, for this you need to click on the icon with three dots in the upper right corner;
2. Click on the “Settings” item;
3. We are transferred to a tab where all the settings of your browser will be presented;
4. You need to click on the “Additional” button;
5. Scroll to the “System” subsection and click on the button “Open proxy server settings for a computer”;
6. A pop-up window opens, in it you need to click on the “Network Settings” button;
7. Another pop-up window opens, in it we find the subsection “Proxy server” and click on the checkbox “Use a proxy server for local connections”;
8. Enter the necessary parameters for the connection;
9. If you click on the “Advanced” button, then a pop-up window will appear again in which you can specify exceptions – the addresses of sites or servers that you will visit directly.

If you are using a new version of Windows, then the window from the previous paragraph will open. You will need to repeat the same steps, specifying the server address and port.

Congratulations, you have finished configuring proxies in Google Chrome. Now you can visit go to any sites on the Internet without the risk of bumping into a blocking page. To disable the proxy, you need to go to the settings again and uncheck the box “Use a proxy server for local connections”.

How to set up a proxy on Android

Setting up a proxy on Android is an even easier task than on other platforms. You need to store your proxy address (or hostname) and port beforehand. Most Android smartphones and other devices have different interfaces, but for most of them the sequence will be approximately the same:

1. Go to the “Settings” menu (from the desktop or by swiping down);
2. Find the section “Wireless networks” (it is usually one of the first);
3. Click on the item “Wi-Fi”;
4. Choose your Wi-Fi connection, go to the additional settings menu;
5. Swipe to the “Proxy server” section, click on the “Manual” item;
6. Specify the hostname and port (if necessary).

Now you know how to set up a proxy on android. In the same menu, you can additionally specify exclusions – sites to which you will be connected directly, without using a proxy server. To disable the proxy connection, you must again go to the “Proxy server” section and click on the “No” item.