Easiest ways to install a proxy server on a computer

For many modern, but inexperienced users the question remains open, what is a proxy server and why it is necessary.

A proxy server is a kind of intermediary between a home PC and a target node in the network. Its main task is to receive and send data from both recipients. In fact, a proxy serves as an intermediate link between two recipients and does not allow them to exchange data directly. Such a ban not only ensures anonymity on the network, but also protects your confidential data.

Now let’s turn to the question why actual proxies are popular and what we need to protect ourselves from. Modern crooks have long since moved into the online world. Their purposes are the personal data of the user, among the main ones – credit card payment data. The second category of fraudsters specializes in identity theft for the purpose of extortion, blackmail, etc.

Using proxies, you can protect yourself from such network hooligans – hiding the history of visits, anonymity in the network will not allow intruders to calculate the victim and steal its data. Data encryption or even a regular proxy will hide the actual location or even the IP address – a unique identifier. This also has a positive impact on safety. Finally, the answer to the question of why a proxy is needed is to be able to bypass most of the existing blockages that prevent the user from accessing the site or its content.

Summing up, we can say that a proxy will be interesting to the average user because of:

• the ability to keep your personal data intact;
• the ability to remain anonymous online;
• the ability to bypass existing blockages and restrictions for a number of sites or to block at an existing ip address.

It should be noted that there are proxy servers that can offer high speed, additional encryption and other functions. Fast proxy servers are both free and paid. In order to increase security and provide access to them, it is necessary to pass authorization, without which the connection will be impossible.

Selecting the method of installation and connection of the proxy server

How to register a proxy or how to install it? There are several different methods for this.

Quotation: The proxy is either a data set for connection or it can be a separate program. Therefore, it is possible to apply settings and install proxies.

The first, most common method among advanced users – is to install specialized programs through which you can connect to the active server, and create your own. And with the help of the program it is possible to change the configuration and settings. The list of available functions is very wide. Even a remote connection via another PC is available.

Prescribe a proxy server

The second method implies the ability to prescribe a proxy server. In this case, no software is used. It is necessary to find the optimal server, record or remember the data to connect to it. This can be address, port, authorization data. Next, you will need to go to the network connection settings on your PC, open the configuration, specify the connection to the proxy and write the connection address in the corresponding lines. After that, the connection of the PC, all programs installed on it, will be carried out only through a proxy.

This method is relevant in cases when a user tries to run a proxy server for the whole of his software. In some cases, in particular, with communication programs (Wyber, Skype), connection via proxy can lead to deterioration of communication quality. Therefore, it is necessary to check this connection after setting it up.

Quote: You can check the quality of connection, both with and without a proxy, on specialized sites, which can be found by simply typing in the search string “Internet speed measurement”.

The given method can seem to the inexperienced user difficult – after all for its application it is necessary to have at least a minimum knowledge of principles of work of network protocols and methods of construction, connection of a network as a whole.

The simplest methods of proxy connection

In most cases an ordinary user doesn’t need complex methods offering a lot of functions. He’ll be safe enough to be anonymous while surfing.

For this purpose, you can use proxy extensions that are installed in browsers.

Moreover, even if the extension-based method seems complicated, there is a simpler option – to install browsers that have proxy or VPN functionality by default. In that case, no additional manipulation is required. The proxy is enabled and disabled in one click.

Quotation: Browsers in which proxy and VPN functions are available as standard are Opera and POP. These browsers should be installed without even removing other similar programs, after which the functionality will become available.

To set up a Google chrome proxy by means of extensions, proceed as follows:

• you need to login to your browser and open an extension store using the search form;
• then type in the proxy in the search box and select the desired extension. Then proceed to its direct installation;
• When the installation is complete, a new icon will appear in the browser toolbar, which is an indicator of the proxy extension status.

Quotation: After installing proxy extensions in your browser, you must reboot the browser to avoid errors and problems.

The existing assortment includes several dozens of extensions, which will be able to perform the functions of full-fledged proxy servers.

If another browser is used, for example, Yandex, then the proxy server for Yandex.

It is worth mentioning that you should choose the extension not by the appearance of the icon, but by its characteristics. In order to compare the values, it is necessary to carry out an initial measurement of the Internet speed during a normal connection to the network. To do this, you can use connection testers. For example, 2ip. ru. After the test, pay attention to the incoming and outgoing speed, the ping value and the ip address value.

Next you need to perform a similar test, but with the use of the selected proxy extension. Change the proxy in the chrome, as in any other browser will need to be, if the value of the speed will fall significantly, but the ping on the contrary will grow. Also, the extension can be considered unusable if it does not replace the real IP address we learned during the testing of a normal connection with a virtual one.

You can compare several extensions, thus finding the one that offers the best connection characteristics. It is necessary to check periodically the quality of connection to the proxy server – in case the indicators will fall, it is necessary to change the proxy.