For modern society, the issue of personal data preservation is extremely important. For internet users, this is a critical issue. After all, important personal data includes not only the location of the user and his pc, but also:
- payment information regarding credit cards, purchase history;
- personal data, correspondence, important documents and the like;
- personal data that not everyone wants to disclose even includes the history of visits to websites.
To protect your data from theft, loss, or third party access, you should use a proxy to work on your network.
What is a proxy and what is a proxy
The fastest proxy servers can secure user data without any loss of network access speed. But what are proxies and why are they needed? Proxy is literally translated as a bridge or intermediary. In the digital world, the definition of intermediary is more appropriate. This intermediary receives information from the user, modifies it, sends it to the target node, and then redirects the information from the node to the user. At the same time, the intermediary excludes the real data of the user, including his or her ip address, which serves as a kind of identifier and coordinates for determining the location in the real world.
Specialized programs were used to install proxy earlier. However, today any user can configure this type of connection on their own. Moreover, a quick proxy change is offered if the user is not satisfied with the currently used variant.
To set up the connection, you need to go to the network connection of the operating system itself and change the values there. The data offered by the selected proxy server is used to replace the values. This is both the address of the server itself and the port to the connection. In rare cases, authorization may be required to connect via a proxy server.
Often it is not possible to change proxy server settings in the browser, and even more so in the operating system of an ordinary, inexperienced user, will not be able to. For this purpose it is necessary to know in details all features of work of connection, logging, accurately to understand the address of a network and not to be mistaken in a writing of the necessary values.
Quote: A common error when connecting to a proxy server is an error when writing its address.
For the convenience of users, there is an automatic configuration that will allow you to spend a minimum of time and not take much effort from the user.
Features of automatic adjustment
The script of automatic proxy configuration implies several options:
- through separate programs;
- using the configuration file;
- using proxy extensions.
In order to choose the best way to connect, it is necessary to determine whether all incoming and outgoing traffic should be configured to work with a proxy or only work under a proxy for surfing sites will be enough.
In case you need to set up the proxy automatically, and to make all the software available in the operating system work only through the proxy, it is worth installing programs that allow you to automatically configure it. In other words, when activated, all current network connection settings will be replaced by the proxy server that uses the program. When the program is deactivated, the normal operating system connection settings will be returned.
You can also use the script for automatic proxy configuration if you do not use programs. If the user does not need to return the normal connection settings, if he wants to be connected via proxy permanently, it is worth downloading the configuration file, which is often offered by the servers. This file should be downloaded either through a browser or from the window of network connection settings. In a special item that offers to download settings from the file, you should specify the local path to the file if it is downloaded and is available on your computer’s hard drive.
Quotation: If the automatic proxy configuration file cannot be downloaded, you can assign its network address and the information will be taken from there.
The so-called automatic proxy configuration script can also work as an ordinary exe file. In other words, it will be enough to run it once, after which the executable file, executing the commands and scripts prescribed in it, will make its own configuration of the current state of connection to work with the proxy server.
The disadvantages of such methods are some complexity, which may be beyond the control of novice or inexperienced users. And also some inconvenience of operation – if it is necessary to use periodically usual and proxy connection such switching can be inconvenient or can lead to failures in OS as there will be frequent rewriting and replacement of valid connection values. In addition, there are simpler tuning methods that will require much less effort, energy, and knowledge of networking technologies.
The third way is to expand
Automatic proxy service configuration in this case will be relevant to those who need such a function only in a browser to bypass the locks, secure surfing in the network and anonymity. It implies the use of special extensions for browsers. So, regardless of which browser the user uses, he can install special extensions that can provide proxy functions.
Quotation: For TOR and Opera browsers, no additional extensions are needed – the proxy function is available by default.
When installing extensions, the user does not need to know the address and port of the proxy server – the extension will be able to connect independently and set the necessary values itself, providing work through the proxy.
Be sure to make sure that whatever method of proxy connection is chosen, the connection not only works, but also the proxy does its job. In particular, and most importantly, is the replacement of the real IP address. If the replacement is not performed, the user will not be able to access the resources that he wanted to bypass by installing a proxy.
Another important selection criterion is the connection speed offered by the proxy. Depending on this, it will or will not be comfortable for the user to work in the network.
You can check whether the ip address is replaced by a proxy server, and what speed is provided, by means of specialized sites. There, before connecting a proxy connection, you should find out what your real ip is, and measure the normal, normal connection speed. And then, by connecting a proxy, run the test again. Based on the results of the proxy connection, you can see if the proxy connection will be convenient or if you should find another server.
You should be prepared to compare several servers before you find the optimal one that offers a decent speed and stable connection.