What is a proxy and how do they work?

In today’s digital world, our online activity leaves a trail that can be used by companies and malicious actors to influence us. This makes the protection of personal data extremely important, as it can be used without our knowledge. Proxy servers play a crucial role in safeguarding privacy by hiding your IP-address and ensuring anonymity. We value our customers’ security and want to explain how proxy servers help protect your privacy and what types of proxies exist.

What is a proxy server?

Proxy servers act as intermediaries between users and internet resources. They receive requests from users, forward them to target servers, and return responses back to the users. This helps enhance security and anonymity and allows bypassing geo-blocks.

A proxy server can be compared to a mailbox. Imagine you want to send a letter but don’t want the recipient to know your real address. You send the letter through a trusted intermediary (proxy), who forwards it to the recipient on your behalf. The recipient sees the intermediary’s address, not yours, preserving your anonymity.

By using a proxy, you can browse web pages anonymously, which can be relevant for almost any user. Algorithms can analyze your digital footprint to predict your preferences and suggest content that can influence your decisions. For instance, by controlling YouTube recommendations, it can change your opinion or affect your perception of certain topics. Whether you are an individual or a corporate user, proxy servers help you perform your online tasks more efficiently and securely.

Types of proxy servers

There are many applications for proxies. They can be compared to a toolbox, where using the right type of proxy can achieve the desired outcome more effectively.

There are proxies that can be used as a filter for your web server. These proxies are called reverse proxies. In large companies like Amazon or Google, reverse proxies distribute user requests among multiple servers, ensuring high availability and performance. They are also often used for caching static files (images, videos, documents), which speeds up access for users. Reverse proxies act as a shield to protect your server from DDoS attacks by filtering malicious traffic.

The most commonly used are forward proxies. They sit between the user and the internet. A forward proxy server receives requests from the user and forwards them, returning the response back to the user. It hides the user’s IP address, allowing access to content blocked in their region. In large companies, network administrators can use forward proxies to control and filter outgoing traffic.

Let’s look at forward proxies in more detail. There are several main types:

Residential proxies: use IP addresses provided by internet service providers to real users. This makes them more reliable and realistic for sites that check traffic authenticity. The main advantage is that you pay for the traffic used, not the usage time. The IP addresses of such proxies change depending on the selected parameters.

Data center proxies: these use completely static IP addresses located in professional server farms. These proxies are stable and reliable, providing maximum speed and performance.

ISP proxies: also fully static, they combine the advantages of residential and data center proxies. Provided by internet service providers, they offer high speed and reliability, along with a level of anonymity comparable to residential proxies.

Proxy protocols

To choose a proxy, you also need to understand what protocols are. There are Internet protocols IPv4 and IPv6. Here is the difference between them:

IPv4

The Internet protocol was created in 1981, and it is still relevant today. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses. This means the number of addresses is limited to 2^32, which equals 4,294,967,296 IP addresses of this type, but the actual number is even lower because many IP addresses are reserved for government use, private companies, etc. Unfortunately, the last IP address was used in 2015, meaning that “clean” IPv4 proxies no longer exist.

An example of what an IPv4 proxy looks like: 222.46.15.156

IPv6

This internet protocol is a newer version, and there should be enough addresses to last until the end of this century. The total number of proxies with this internet protocol is 2^128. Full transition to IPv6 is currently impossible due to the large number of devices, including outdated ones, that do not support this protocol.

An example of what an IPv6 proxy looks like: 2001:db8:0:42e9:f:c360:8a:b00

Which protocol to choose: IPv4 or IPv6?

Due to the fact that IPv6 is newer and a large number of devices do not support it, its usage is limited. You can only connect to web resources that support it. On the other hand, the IPv4 protocol supports all web resources.

However, this does not mean that the choice is simple, as IPv6 is more secure, IPv6 proxies are “clean” because their total number is 340 undecillion, and they are faster and more efficient due to a more convenient architecture. Additionally, such proxies are cheaper due to their abundance.

If you know that the web resource you are going to connect to supports the IPv6 protocol, then this internet protocol will be the best choice. If it is important for you to be able to connect to all web resources, then the IPv4 protocol will be the best choice.

Now that we understand what IPv4 and IPv6 internet protocols are, let’s look at the main protocols that proxy servers are divided into. There are three main protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS (4,5), and Shadowsocks.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol):

The HTTP protocol is the most common, supports data caching, but does not encrypt it. HTTP proxies come in various levels of anonymity: transparent, anonymous, distorting, and elite.

HTTP proxies can be configured in browser settings, the operating system, or specialized programs.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure):

The HTTPS protocol is almost identical to its predecessor. It supports SSL encryption and provides access to secure web pages. This protocol is more secure because it encrypts your data.

SOCKS (Socket Secure):

The SOCKS protocol creates a tunnel for the proxy through which all traffic passes. It is suitable for bypassing internet censorship. This type of protocol allows running programs through the proxy that initially did not have internet access. It is also more versatile as it can handle any traffic.

SOCKS4 supports TCP connections but does not encrypt data.

SOCKS5 supports TCP and UDP connections, authentication, and encryption.

Shadowsocks

This protocol was developed in 2012 in China due to the need to bypass strict restrictions and sovereign internet controls imposed by the Chinese government. It is based on the functionality of SOCKS protocols, but the proxy tunnel is hidden. Your requests are concealed, making this protocol suitable for bypassing severe blocks. It uses modern encryption methods (AES, ChaCha20) and offers high speed.

Which protocol to choose for work?

These protocols and technologies provide varying levels of protection, anonymity, and performance, allowing users to choose the most suitable tool for their specific needs and tasks. For serious work on the internet, it is better to use SOCKS proxies as they are more reliable and secure.

Advantages of using proxies

Increased online security

Your security is in your hands. Using a proxy allows you to hide your location, protect your data, and avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Moreover, using a proxy gives you the ability to access information that is not tailored to your digital profile. Any company also needs web security, and proxies are a convenient way to create an additional layer of security for all devices within the corporate network. An additional benefit is the ability to configure proxies as a firewall or web filter to protect against online threats. Setting up a proxy does not require specific skills and is a simple solution to achieve a good level of security for both business and personal life.

Web scraping

Web scraping is the process of automated data collection from websites. Using software (scrapers), you can extract data from websites that are accessible for viewing through a web browser and save it in a structured format such as tables or databases.

Imagine your data-gathering robot wants to collect information from a large number of different trees in a garden, but the garden owner has set a limit: no more than 5 fruits per hour from one tree. To bypass this restriction, the robot uses helpers (proxies), each of which has its own access to the trees. The robot distributes the task among the helpers, and each of them collects 5 fruits per hour, thus significantly increasing the overall speed of fruit collection without violating the garden’s rules.

SEO monitoring and research

When using a browser search, we get a list of websites that occupy positions from the first to the last depending on the advertising funds invested and the settings of this advertising. For any SEO specialist and business owner, it is important to understand how effectively and well the advertising is configured by using different IP addresses.

Enhancing speed and saving traffic

High-speed internet connection is important for every user, whether it is watching videos, movies, gaming, or data transfer. Some types of proxy servers can cache frequently visited content. Frequently visited sites will store images and videos in the cache, which allows these resources to load faster.

Blocking unwanted websites:

Proxy servers can be used as a filter, allowing company owners to prevent employees from accessing distracting websites during work hours. Proxies can also be used to monitor traffic usage and track its usage.

Managing multiple social media accounts

In some situations, it is necessary to have multiple accounts on social networks or other web resources. Often this is prohibited by the company’s policy. To avoid blocks, it is better to use completely static different IP addresses.

Conclusion

In today’s digital world, where every online activity leaves a trace, proxy servers have become an essential part of ensuring our privacy and security. With a variety of proxy types and protocols, users can choose the most suitable tool for their needs, whether it be anonymous surfing, bypassing geo-blocks, increasing access speed, or protecting against cyber threats.

Using proxy servers offers numerous advantages: from protecting personal data to efficiently managing internet resources in a corporate environment. Proxy servers not only hide your IP address but also help bypass restrictions, providing access to necessary content and protecting your information from malicious actors.

Each type of proxy and protocol has its own features and purposes, whether it be reliable residential proxies, fast data center proxies, or highly anonymous ISP proxies. It is important to choose the right option considering specific needs and tasks. For individuals, this may be protecting personal information and accessing content, while for companies, it may be optimizing traffic and enhancing overall network security.

Thus, proxy servers become not only tools for maintaining anonymity but also key elements of digital security, allowing us to stay protected and confident in today’s internet space.

Proxywing – your ultimate proxy solution

At Proxywing, we understand the importance of security and anonymity! We value our customers’ satisfaction above all. Here, you will find proxy servers at competitive prices, suitable for both personal use and business. All our proxy servers support SOCKS5 connections, ensuring that your activities remain secure and anonymous.