Proxy Ip Addresses
Proxy Server – What They Are & How to Use – What Is My IP …
Learn what a proxy is and the risks involved.
You may not know it (and once you do not know it, it may not bother you), but every time you reach out to a website or connect with anyone online, your online connection gives your computer “address” to the site/person you’re connecting with.
Why? So that you the other end knows how to send information (a Web page, email, etc. ) back to your computer…to you. That address is your public IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol. Want to see yours right now? Just go here to our home page and it will be there.
Without an IP address, you wouldn’t be able to do any Internet/online activity and others online wouldn’t be able to reach you. It is how you connect to the world.
Where does your IP address come from?
You can thank your Internet Service Provider (AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, etc. ) for your IP address at home, as well as for your Internet connection. Your smart device also uses an IP address when you’re browsing the web or using an app.
Most people are completely happy with how all of that works.
But there are few realities about public IP addresses that does bother some people:
Your IP address identifies where you are in the world, sometimes to the street level.
It can be used by websites to block you from accessing their content.
It ultimately ties your name and home address to your IP address, because someone is paying for an Internet connection at a specific location.
But there are a few ways you can get around those realities, and one them is to use a proxy service or proxy server (people simply say “proxy. ”)
Proxy means “substitute. ”
A proxy lets you go online under a different IP address identity.
You don’t change your Internet provider; you simple go online and search for “free proxies” or “list of proxies” and you will get several websites that provide lists of free proxies.
It’s really that simple to find proxies, just like you order shoes, movies and airline tickets online. However, it isn’t so simple to figure out how to use one without some guidance. For more help and information on proxies, visit our Learning Center.
How a proxy operates.
A proxy server is a computer on the web that redirects your web browsing activity. Here’s what that means.
Normally, when you type in a website name ( or any other), your Internet Service Provider (ISP) makes the request for you and connects you with the destination—and reveals your real IP address, as mentioned before.
When you use a proxy your online requests get rerouted.
While using a proxy, your Internet request goes from your computer to your ISP as usual, but then gets sent to the proxy server, and then to the website/destination. Along the way, the proxy uses the IP address you chose in your setup, masking your real IP address.
Why you might want to use a proxy.
Here why some people turn to using a proxy—and why you might be interested as well.
A school or local library blocks access to certain websites and a student wants to get around that.
You want to look at something online that interests you…but you would prefer it couldn’t be traced back to your IP address and your location.
You’re traveling abroad and the technology set up in the country you’re in prevents you from connecting to a website back home.
You want to post comments on websites but you do not want your IP address to be identified or your identity tracked down.
Your employer blocks access to social media or other sites and you’d like to bypass those restrictions.
Why you might not want to use one
You should keep in mind that your employer, your ISP and other networks might object to your using a proxy. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. And in some cases, websites will blacklist IP addresses they suspect or know are from a proxy.
Not all proxies are alike.
Even though all proxies help you access websites you might not otherwise get to, not all proxies behave the same way. A proxy can fall into one of four categories:
Transparent proxy. It tells websites that it is a proxy server and it will pass along your IP address anyway.
Anonymous proxy. It will identify itself as a proxy, but it won’t pass your IP address to the website.
Distorting proxy. It passes along an incorrect IP address for you, while identifying itself as a proxy.
High Anonymity proxy. The proxy and your IP address stay a secret. The website just sees a random IP address connecting to it…that isn’t yours.
As mentioned before, you can find proxy servers easily for free; but as with any free service, you should be aware of the risks involved, because a free proxy may not be as safe or secure as you hope it would be. That being said, here’s an article you should read: Anonymous Proxy Risks
As with anything else you do online, be sure to do some homework first.
Get hidden now. »» I want to hide my IP
Related Articles
Anonymous Proxy Risks
How to use a Proxy Server
TOOL: Advanced Proxy Test
Open Proxies, abuse, and detection
Internet Anonymity
Your IP Address
How to change your IP address
Can someone find me from my IP address?
Proxy Basics. 5 Things You Know Before You Use One – What Is My IP …
One of the most misunderstood computer terms—and services—may be the proxy. Most of us aren’t IT experts or computer geeks, so all we want to know is “What does it do for me? ” So let’s try to answer that question as simply as we can.
You may have even used a proxy, but just not have been aware of it. Today, a common type of proxy is called a VPN, for “virtual private network. ”
If you look up the word proxy, you’ll see that it simply means a “substitute who stands in for or represents another. ” In the Internet world, a proxy is an IP address that you can use as you go on the Internet that also shields your actual IP address at that time.
You either have to sign up for a virtual private network or be given access to one, by your employer, for example.
A VPN is more than just a substitute IP address—it also provides a highly secure connection that delivers more security that most on the Internet, including the one offered by your Internet Service Provider.
A VPN is a connection that’s available online, on-demand. Once you sign up for a VPN account—whenever you want anonymity, a safer secure connection or a way around Internet blocks on your IP address—you can route your connection through your VPN provider.
You get to keep your current ISP, which remains your primary Internet connection at home. There are some free VPNs, but it’s better if you pay for better service.
There are two different types of VPNs that are common today. One is for private/corporate work purposes and the other is for Internet browsing only.
A VPN for work purposes.
For example, my wife works for an advertising agency as a proofreader. At times, she’s asked to do work on the computer long after she’s left work. But she no longer has to go back to the office to do her work, thanks to the company’s very own virtual private network.
Instead of going into the office, she simply goes to her work laptop in our home office. We have an Internet connection that is always running. She doesn’t have to open an Internet browser, such as Google Chrome or Internet Explorer—she simply clicks on an icon and keys in her password to open up the VPN automatically.
Once she’s on, she can access drives and folders on her company’s server, which are accessible only to employees who are on-site or who have the exclusive VPN connection. That way, she can open up a presentation or a document that she’d typically be able to open only at work. That whole time she’s online and connected to her workplace computer/server, she’s using a virtual private network.
A secure connection is what is important.
This VPN connection provides her with a data “tunnel” which all of her online activity will go through. This is the first and most well-known quality of a VPN. All data “traffic” that goes through a VPN, whether it’s an email or a Google search, is encrypted—that means it’s electronically “scrambled” and would be undecipherable if tapped into by a hacker.
A VPN for ordinary folks.
As you might know, a lot of people have become worried about Internet safety and privacy. Many of these same people are worried that their IP addresses might be captured by “outsiders” or hackers and used for scams or computer attacks.
Thankfully, there are VPNs that are dedicated to the one application (program) that people care about the most: Internet browsing. Instead of a corporate virtual private network to connect to the workplace, a public VPN lets you connect to a network of computers to hide your IP address and give you a secure connection on the Internet while protecting all of your data transmissions.
To recap: People don’t use VPNs just to hide their IP addresses. A VPN can also protect your data when you’re on the Internet and can give you access to the websites and information that might otherwise block you out.
Get hidden now. »» I want to hide my IP
Compare VPNs.
There are a number of virtual private networks you can sign up with. To help you, we’ve put together a VPN comparison page on our website that can link you directly to VPN services. Plus you can learn more by checking out our articles on VPNs.
See the VPN Comparison List.
Pilot Network – Proxy Server IP Address – Windows
For networks using a proxy server to filter content, you might be required to enter the proxy IP address and port number into the Beam Desktop App to direct data traffic appropriately.
The instructions below are based on Windows 10 locate your Proxy Server IP Address:
In the Windows search bar, type “Internet Options”.
Select Internet Options from the results list.
Click to open the Connections tab.
Click the LAN settings button.
Notice in the Proxy Server section:
If a proxy server is in use, the checkbox next to “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connection) will be marked.
The proxy server address and port in use for HTTP/HTTPS traffic will be displayed.
Note: Under the Automatic Configuration settings, if Use automatic configuration script is checked, the address listed may contain a file (proxy auto-config) script. In this case, you will be required to download the file to determine your proxy address and port.
Please contact your IT/network administrator for additional assistance locating your proxy information.
Frequently Asked Questions about proxy ip addresses
Are proxies IP addresses?
If you look up the word proxy, you’ll see that it simply means a “substitute who stands in for or represents another.” In the Internet world, a proxy is an IP address that you can use as you go on the Internet that also shields your actual IP address at that time.
How do I find my proxy IP?
Errors & TroubleshootingIn the Windows search bar, type “Internet Options”.Select Internet Options from the results list.Click to open the Connections tab.Click the LAN settings button.Notice in the Proxy Server section: … The proxy server address and port in use for HTTP/HTTPS traffic will be displayed.
How do I use a free proxy IP address?
How do I use a free proxy server? To use a free proxy server in Google Chrome, go to Settings> Advanced> System> Open your computer’s proxy settings. Under Manual proxy settings, enter the proxy address and port.Dec 1, 2020
