Proxy websites can vary depending upon the site, but most are paired with software installed on the server like PHProxy, Glype and CGIProxy as well as custom scripts. You use these proxies by visiting their website through a browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox and enter in the URL that you want to visit. Most do not require you to download anything or to install any additional software in order to use the service. Proxies like this can help those restricted from sites like Facebook, MySpace, Paypal and other regionally restricted sites access them. Here is a list of twenty of the best.

• Free-school-proxy.info This proxy features a clean interface and no pop up ads, and is protected with High Anonymity functionality as well as SSL. The server offers 100 percent uptime and is extremely fast with average response around 0.7 seconds. It is based in the United States and is tested regularly. This site is free and although the front page does list a plethora of Google Adsense ads the URL bar is directly below and takes you right to the website you want.
• Laydo.net This site also offers HiAnon and SSL and is available 24/7 with 100 percent uptime. It is highly rated and is a United States based server, relatively new and tested regularly. The response time is clocked at 0.5 and it is an easy interface with no ads on the front page. The web interface offers a above your window frame that is unobtrusive and allows you to decide to allow forms, show images, accept cookies and remove scripts if you decide.
• Proxyhost.info This proxy follows the exact same format as free-school-proxy.info and features much of the specifications. It is in the United States with 24/7 access and one hundred percent uptime, with a 0.5 response time and HiAnon and SSL protection. The browsing bar is at the bottom of the page below the Google Ads.
• Unlock-now.info Yet another proxy server following in the footsteps of Free School Proxy and ProxyHost.info this server is a United States based server, with a clean and easy to use interface if you can scroll down past the popup ads with a 0.8 response time and HiAnon and SSL protection. The server is 24/7 and boasts one hundred percent uptime and is tested often. There are no pop up ads or other problems using this proxy.
• Anonyhide.com Easy and clean interface with no ads on the homepage and features the ability to disable Java, allow cookies, show images, strip meta and include URL forms right from the web URL search bar. The server is in India, and will not work on some sites, simply redirecting you to Google Germany, but does work on many.

One way that you can make your browsing more secure is by using what is commonly known as an Elite Proxy, rather than simply using an anonymous proxy. The difference in the two is in how the proxy website is presented to the systems and servers that it is requesting resources from. An anonymous proxy identifies itself as such, whereas with an elite proxy, the server that you are connecting to doesn’t know that it is communicating with a proxy server. A third type exists as well called a transparent proxy server which offers no protection whatsoever.

Two types of proxy scripts are commonly used on proxy servers, called CGI Proxy and PHProxy. CGI Proxy scripts work better with Java and are usually faster than PHProxy scripts. However, there is the disadvantage that CGI proxies require more resources from the server which can cause webmasters to choose to go with PHProxy, as they are paying for the service. However, often webmasters can modify PHProxy scripts more easily so that they are safer and have added functionality, so both have advantages and disadvantages.

Often proxy servers have tools that allow you to configure certain options when using the proxy server to make your anonymous surfing even more secure. For instance, most web proxies will have the option to enable a URL toolbar on the top of your content to type in your next URL so that you don’t have to go back to the homepage, and may display additional options such as accepting or deleting cookies, remove scripts that are running on the page as well as objects, or to disallow images from displaying. Also, you can enable Rotate13 and Base64 encoding as well with most web proxies.

Risks of Not Using a Proxy Server

Obviously, if you are attempting to access blocked content from a workplace or school, then you run the risk of not being able to access that content by not using a blocked computer. However, even if you do not have blocks on certain websites your internet history will show which websites you have visited and unless you delete your history someone may be able to look at sites that you have visited. Also, you may have a history of search terms that are stored by your computer, which try to autofill your search engine forms when you begin to type and this may give away sites you visited, or search terms you used. A proxy server eliminates that problem, because the data is stored on the proxy computer. However, someone may still be able to view websites you visited via the proxy unless the URLs are encoded.

Do Proxy Servers Really Protect My Freedom?

The short answer to this question is yes, they do protect your freedom. However, there are some things that you should be aware of when using a proxy server, so that you are as well protected as possible. For one, your browser history will hold the proxy server name and any URLs that you visited within it, which may even include the site name, in your history unless you delete it. Also, you cannot do everything with a proxy that you may be able to do with your regular computer, such as watching YouTube videos.

There are other disadvantages as well. With anonymous proxies, all data has to pass through the server without encryption, which means that if you are sending sensitive data while using a proxy server, then you may be at risk of someone being able to access it. Also, proxy servers are often slower than using your computer itself, which can be inconvenient and if you are using a proxy server at a school or other institution they may find out and block the server from being used, which may cost you your computer privileges, or at the very least, force you to find another proxy server.

Does the Government Watch People Using Proxies More Closely?

Normally, governments do watch proxy servers closely, as they are something that criminals and terrorists use to access information on the web. However, an ordinary person that is simply accessing material that is blocked by their school or company does not usually arouse the governments suspicions. Some people believe that proxy servers are an effective method of keeping government officials from finding out what they are doing, but this is generally not true, as even with the most effective encryption methods, the top level IT specialists working for the government can easily crack.

Generally, internet monitoring and email watching by the government is done by seeking out certain words or phrases that may be linked to terrorist activity. However, since this level of security is not accessible by the general government it is not clear exactly how much the government sees or does not see when monitoring email communications and web searches. However, the fact is, that if you are doing nothing more than trying to watch YouTube videos from work or from your school, you are probably not in danger of being flagged for watching.

Anonymous website proxies are servers that allow public access where you can browse the web as if you were sitting at that computer. Generally, they are a website that you visit, and then use the toolbar included to type in your URL. You will be taken to the URL that you want to visit and be able to log in to Facebook or MySpace as long as the server exists in a location where those sites are not restricted. There are hundreds, even thousands of web proxies, and more are added daily as certain ones become popular and are blocked by companies and schools.

Why Are Proxy Servers Important?

Proxy servers are important for a few different reasons. First, they provide anonymity to those wishing to surf the web privately, and allow those people in regions that certain websites are blocked in, to visit those sites and be able to access those sites with only the restrictions placed on the web that is put in place for the region that the proxy server is located in. Many people cite their right to privacy and freedom as one of their main reasons for using a proxy server, in a world where person freedom may rapidly be disappearing.

However, web proxies are used for more than just surfing the web anonymously. Proxies are also sometimes used to cache webpages and other resources so that users can access them faster, and save bandwidth in large organizations, as well as for reformatting certain websites to be accessed by other methods such as mobile internet browsers. Also, proxy programs are often used in exact reverse of those wishing to visit blocked sites, by requiring users connect through the proxy so that internet use can be monitored and certain resources can be blocked.

Another way in which an SSL proxy is beneficial is by making it more difficult to block websites. Many organizations filter the websites that you look at including your company, schools, airports and even public libraries where you use their internet. However, using a proxy with SSL will help you easily access those sites that were blocked by whichever company’s policy prevented you from accessing it, and you’ll make sure that you know which website that you are visiting with SSL encryption as well.

Are Proxy Servers a Good Idea?

Proxy servers in general are great for those who want anonymous web browsing. This may be because you are planning to visit sites that you don’t want your IP address associated with, or it might be that you simply don’t want targeted ads from those sites when you visit or need to overcome the targeted geographic information presented, or allowed to display based upon your IP address. There are many reasons for using a proxy server to browse anonymously and using one that supports SSL encryption means that you can do a lot more online than you could without SSL.

Those that live in countries where access to certain websites is not allowed can use proxies to access sites and SSL may be required to log in to some of them. This can include MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and many other social media websites as well as video sharing websites like YouTube. Those that are in a restricted country can access these websites and get a full internet experience by using a proxy server. Use the internet to read reviews of proxy servers with SSL encryption so that you can determine which of the myriad of proxy servers out there will allow you to securely access the websites that you want to visit.

How Do I Know if My Proxy Supports SSL?

The HTTPS:// prefix denotes a secure site. If you are accessing a secure site that has this in the name of the server, rather than the normal HTTP://, and you are doing it through a proxy server then your proxy server supports the SSL. Many websites have this secure feature and finding a proxy server that will support the SSL encryption is not difficult, as there are lists that include information on whether or not the proxy does support SSL encryption. Find one of these lists and test out the proxy servers yourself to find out if they will work.

How Does SSL Encryption Proxy Servers Work?

Secure Sockets layer is the standard method used to protect sensitive data transmission over the internet. SSL connections are required for anything that you purchase over the web normally, and can provide extra protection for visiting websites in which SSL is necessary to provide added security for transactions like purchases and anything else that a secure connection is used for. This can also be used when you are trying to access a protected area that requires that you enter a username and password to gain access to.
SSL Encryption allows you to both verify that you are communicating with the website that you intended to, and that no one can determine what your communication with that website is while it is in transit. For instance, sometimes hackers set up spoof websites that look exactly like your bank’s website, paypal or some other secured site and unless you check the URL on every page, you cannot be sure of being at your bank’s website and not a hackers. Also, information sent over the internet can be monitored and  SSL Encryption works by using public key cryptography. Normally, encrypted files can be translated with each person having a password, which is used to both encrypt and decrypt the messages. But that doesn’t help those who have never communicated before, and that is where the SSL encryption with its public key cryptography comes in. Each person has a public key and a private key and that allows messages to only be decrypted by the person that they were meant for, and to verify that a certain message came from that person and not someone else.

This public and private key is known as a certificate, and they are provided by companies such as Thawte and Verisign, which require that the companies prove who they are and that they are able to use the URL provided. They usually fill out a great deal of paperwork and pay a fee in order to have the privilege of a certificate. Then, when a client tries to communicate with the company’s website they encounter a certificate, which proves that the website that the client is trying to communicate with truly is the company’s website.

The good news is that most web proxy servers are free. There are a few that are require you to pay for their services but most do not cost anything and are available online. You can generally watch videos with these proxies but many do not work on YouTube and therefore not all video sites will be accessible. However, there are many free pornography sites that are easily viewed by proxies such as Tube8, and other free full length and sample video sites. Simply type in the URL and visit the site as you would on your own computer.

Will I Be Reported?

Although proxy servers do protect your IP address and allow you to surf pornography sites through them they are not 100 percent secure, and if you are watching pornography that is wholly illegal there is still a chance of it being reported and traced back to you. Also, since some proxy websites still store the sites that you visited in the URL in your browsing history, unless you delete your history you may still have the name or logo of the website in your history. However, most encode the URL and page, or at least allow for that option.

Are Proxy Servers Safe?

For the most part yes, proxy servers are safe. However, there are some proxy servers that exist simply to serve ads or download programs to your computer. You should be aware of these proxy servers, and can recognize them by popup ads appearing almost as soon as you begin to browse with the proxy server. You should check out third party review sites that you trust in order to find legitimate proxy server sites. There are many lists that rate proxy servers based on speed and security features and you will find which ones are safe this way.
For the most part proxy servers are a great way to surf the internet undetected, and to determine the safety of a certain website. Although sometimes the proxy server URLs include the sites that you visit, most of the time you will be able to simply delete your internet history to keep any one checking your computer from knowing what websites you visit and as proxy servers are free most of the time, this is a great way to protect your privacy, whether you are searching for pornography or doing something else on the web that you want to keep private.

Why Are IP Addresses Important?

It is important for many reasons that have an IP address. Most of this is security. Those using the internet to defraud or scam people can sometimes be traced by their IP address, and to a limited extent, even the average person can determine information about a website or IP address using a whois website. Generally, unless the information is made to be private, you can tell the location of the IP address and the internet service provider and in some cases, even the name and address of the person the IP belongs to.

How Are IP Addresses Assigned?

IP Addresses can be assigned one of two ways. They may be assigned when the device is booted up, or may exist as a permanent fixture in the hardware of software. This permanently assigned number is called a static IP address, as in an address that never changes. However, IP addresses that change each time the device is booted up, they are known as dynamic IP addresses. The exact method of assigning them depends upon what platform is being used, but they are generally assigned by a administrator manually.

Why Are IP Addresses Important?

Every machine that is connected to it must have an IP address assigned. Without this IP address it is impossible to communicate with other machines on the net. In this way, your IP address is truly like your address at your home, with others being able to find you and to communicate with you. There are five classes of IP address, separated by the range of numbers that they allow addresses to be assigned from. For instance, Class A starts with 0, Class B 128, Class C 192, Class D 224 and Class E 240.

How Can I Find My IP Address?

Finding your IP address isn’t difficult. You can use many different websites to find out what your IP is, simply by going to the website. Usually, this site will be able to find out your IP and display it on the page somehow. Common examples of these websites are www.whatismyipaddress.com and www.whatismyip.com. It will show either your static IP or the current dynamic IP address assigned to you. If you type in your IP then you will likely get a connection error, but in some cases, you go to the login screen for your modem or router.