Meet Jonathan. He is an investigative journalist who occasionally researches and publishes news articles contrary to the government's ideologies. On one such occasion, he could not access a global news website dealing with uncensored information. It seemed his IP was blocked from visiting the news website. With his IP blocked, Jonathan turned to a popular proxy service that was able to unblock the news website, thereby allowing an open internet to all users.
Just like how your friend gives a proxy attendance for you, a proxy server serves as a stand-in user to keep the real client private. But what is a proxy? Let's understand its working by taking a look at how Jonathan was able to access geoblock content without much hassle. A proxy server acts as a gateway or intermediary server between a user and its destination website. When Jonathan wasn't able to access the news website, he connected his system to a global proxy server.
Regarding accessibility to proxy servers, you must first set it up on your computer, device, or network. Next, check the steps required for your computer or network, as each operating system has its setup procedures. In most cases, however, setup entails using an automated configuration script. There are plenty of free proxy services available on the internet; however, the safety of such proxies is rarely verified.
When it comes to hiding IP addresses, many people consider a VPN to be the primary solution. While that's true up to some extent, there are a few things proxies do differently. In the case of VPNs, extra encryption is also carried out to create a secure tunnel between the user's device and a VPN server. A VPN is usually much faster, more secure thanks to multiple layers of encryption, and has little to no downtime.
What about the benefits of a proxy service, though? Besides allowing access to blocked content, proxies can serve as an efficient firewall system. They can also filter content from third-party websites, allowing control over internet usage. In many cases, browsing speeds are stabilized compared to vanilla internet, thanks to proper optimization on the base proxy server.
