Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A Quick HTTP Proxy Tutorial

If you are looking for a http proxy tutorial then be sure that you do your homework first. There are two basic kinds of proxy tutorials that you can find online. They fall into two broad categories: free and paid. Each of these has their own advantage; however, I would strongly recommend that if you are just starting out then the best solution would be to opt for some kind of paid tutorial. You’ll most likely end up saving a lot of time and hair in the long run.

If you do a quick Google search for proxy tutorials there are bound to be plenty of forums and websites that have the information that you need. The problem here is that the bulk of what you need to know is spread out over thousands of websites. Obviously this makes it extremely difficult for anyone who is a beginner to get a firm understanding or set of rules as to what or how they can setup their own proxy server. Having said that, if you are an experienced computer user and don’t mind a challenge, then searching forums and websites for tutorials will probably be fine. Just expect to spend a lot of time sifting through websites looking for the information you need.

This is why I strongly believe that some kind of paid proxy tutorial is worth its weight in gold. A good tutorial should come with both written and video instructions. Seeing how to install the software for your proxy makes it much easier and some people learn better by watching how things are done. Another good thing about paid tutorials is that you have someone who can answer your questions. Posting questions on forums is great but often you’ll find that people never answer or can take weeks to months to answer your questions. Going the path of a paid http proxy tutorial is definitely worth it.

Monday, April 19, 2010

How To Use A HTTP Proxy

Finding proxies online is easy to do but actually knowing how to use http proxy or proxies is a completely different matter. In order to use any kind of proxies you normally need to know at least two and possibly three things. Once you know what they are using a proxy is super simple and easy to do.

The first thing you must know about your http proxy server is what the IP and port number are. Without these two basic pieces of information you’ll need be able to connect to the proxy server. If you are searching for proxies online then commonly you’ll see the both the IP number and port displayed like this: IP:PORT. If the proxy server you are trying to use is free then that should be able all the information you need. However, if you are using a paid or exclusive proxy then there is a good chance that a username and password is required. The only way you’ll be able to get this is from whoever sells or rents the proxy setup. Once you have all this information then accessing and using the proxy is as simple as using any web browser.

Most of the major web browsing software available today has support for proxies. The area you need to visit will differ depending on the exact software you are using but it is commonly located in a settings and network area. You’ll see some reference to proxy or proxy servers. Once you’ve found it, all you need to do is to enter your IP, port number and any username or password if you have one. Once you’ve done that, using your proxy server is as simple as typing in the URL you want to visit. Your computer is now setup to access the HTTP proxy while you surf the internet. To disable the proxy just uncheck or delete the information you entered and you’ll no longer be using the http proxy server while web surfing. It is easy to see why knowing how to use a http proxy really isn’t that hard at all.

Friday, April 16, 2010

What Is A Fast HTTP Proxy?

What makes a fast http proxy? Finding http proxies online is fairly easy to do. Spend a little time using any search engine and you’ll find plenty of http and other kinds of proxies to use. However, you quickly discover that most if not all proxies you find are not reliable. What makes a proxy server fast and is there anything you can do to find reliable proxies online?

The main reason why most proxy servers are not fast is because they are free. Free isn’t always bad but the problem with proxies is that free ones are abused. They are abused because many people try to use them at the same time. Proxies have limitations on just how many people and load they can handle at one time. If too many people start trying to use a http proxy, it quickly becomes slow and unresponsive.

To avoid this problem you have two possible solutions. The first is to always be on the lookout for new http proxy servers. Spend an hour or so each day hunting for fresh proxies. This can be a pain and is time consuming, but this is about the only way you can ensure you have fast and reliable proxies that are free. The other solution is to setup your own proxy but this does come with a small price tag.

If you get sick and tired of wasting time looking for proxies each day, then the other solution is to setup your own http proxy server. This is much easier than it sounds but it does come with a small price tag. Setting up your own http proxy will cost around $9 USD a month. What’s the advantage? Your own proxy server is super fast and very reliable. This is possible because you share it with no-one else and have exclusive access to the server. Using this kind of fast http proxy to surf the internet is almost as fast as using your own home computer.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

How Anonymous Are HTTP Proxies?

Many people use http proxies for the main purpose of being anonymous. However, you really need to stop and think about what kind of anonymity you are looking for. There are two basic kinds of anonymity when it comes to using a proxy server to hide your identity. One is based on your IP and the other is actually a financial one.

Most people are concerned about hiding or changing their IP online with a proxy server. If this is what you call being anonymous then http proxies are one of the best ways to be truly anonymous online. You'll be able to surf websites, watch videos, post messages and do many other things online all without having to worry about a web master or website knowing your true home computer IP and location. You have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to IP anonymity with a http proxy.

What many people overlook is that while you can hide your IP, this is not the case when it comes to your financial information. What does a proxy server have to do with your personal finances? HTTP proxies are usually paid and not free, at least the good quality ones, and this means that you have to pay for your server somehow. This might mean providing credit card information, paypal account information or some other personal information that is required when making payments. Obviously this isn't something you should be concerned about, but you should nevertheless keep it in mind when hunting for a http proxy.