This article explains both, what a proxy server is as well as how to use a proxy server. Here you find all you want to know about free proxy servers and anonymous proxy servers in a nutshell including valuable tips and top proxy web addresses.
Purpose of Proxy Servers
A proxy server is a specialized computer fetching websites on behalf of the user. Proxy servers may or may not cache the visited web sites.
The use of proxy servers usually falls in one or more of the following categories:
i) Faster load times for cached pages / Reduced bandwidth consumption
ii) Control / Freedom of Web browsing
iii) Anonymity
Yet, when people ask what is a proxy server their question is usually either related to overcoming control or restriction of Web browsing at work, school, or in a country, or, alternatively, stems from a desire for anonymity.
Caching & Bandwidth
Using a proxy server can be helpful in faster load times of websites at the same time with reduced bandwidth consumption. Supposed a company headquartered in Europe places a proxy in their branch office in Sao Paulo then the employees in Brazil can see the temporarily stored, cached Web pages much faster than if each Web page was fetched trough the Internet backbone which likely passes a web request first to the United States, where the traffic is relayed over the Atlantic.
Control / Freedom of Web Browsing
Many employers have implemented technical means at the office so that its staff cannot access social network sites such as, for instance, MySpace or YouTube, during work. The same goes for free Web mail services such as Gmail for example. Similar do schools and certain countries block access to “inappropriate” web sites.
There a more sophisticated technologies for restricting or blocking user’s web requests; however a proxy server may be used as well for restricting free web browsing: If the URL (web site address) is on the blacklist the proxy won’t let users connect.
That’s why the savvy users make use free proxy servers such as NoTrack.org or Ninja Proxy. Upon the navigation to the proxy the user enters the URL he or she wants to visits and the proxy server fetches the website.
Sooner or later though it will be discovered that a certain website is in fact a proxy server, and the administrator or software will block the proxy, too. That’s why many proxy sites offer newsletter so that its user base gets the latest (unblocked) proxy list proactively into their mailbox. Alternatively, unblocked proxy servers can be found on many proxy lists such as www.proxies4u.com for example.
Anonymous Proxy Server
Apart from bypassing a firewall or similar restrictions some users make use of proxies for anonymity. As the proxy server in the section above provide little anonymity is recommended looking for a SOCKS proxy as they conceal the IP address of the originating computer for a monthly nominal fee in general. More about SOCKS proxies can be found in Bright Hub's article How to Browse the Web Anonymously for Free.
The Bottom Line
Most proxy servers are free, and designed to overcome restrictions of free Web browsing; proxy servers also offer a degree of anonymity. If you are looking for removing traces of your Web activity on your local computer then check out Bright Hub’s article How to Browse the Web Anonymously for Free - A Guide to Anonymous Web Surfing.
BTW: Proxy servers log their traffic and may be forced to hand out their log files by a court order, so it’s not a good idea to conduct illegal activities or sending Spam using proxy servers.