A Complete Guide To Proxy Settings
If you’re a regular reader and subscriber to our various newsletters, you have already heard about how important it is to make sure that your home audio system has the capability of connecting to the Internet.
We’ve written a lot on the subject. In fact, we’ve even created an entire guide for just that purpose. However, if you are a new user or someone who is not aware of the importance of proxy settings when using internet streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, etc., then this article should help you out.
Before we get into some details, let us explain what proxy setting means. Essentially, a proxy server acts as a middle man between your computer and the web servers where all those online content websites reside. When you access a website from a browser, your computer sends its requests to the local DNS (Domain Name System) server. The DNS server looks up the IP address of the website you want to visit and sends the request to the local ISP (Internet Service Provider). This ISP acts as a traffic cop and decides whether to allow the website to load. If it does, the ISP passes the request along to the IP server where the requested content resides.
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The proxy server is nothing but a software program that sits between your computer and the web server. It intercepts the request made by your browser and forwards it to the correct IP address. So, while your computer is looking for the website, the proxy server redirects it to the website’s IP address.
In a nutshell, a proxy server is used to make sure that all your computer’s network connections are encrypted, secure, and protected. This way, hackers can’t access your data and use it against you.
Now that you know what a proxy server is, let’s talk about how you can set one up. To do so, you will need to go to the network connection properties. Then, click “Properties” under Network settings.
From there, you must select the Advanced tab. You also need to check the box next to Enable Proxy Support. After that, you will be prompted to enter your proxy information. All you need to do here is type in the appropriate proxy server’s IP address and port number. Once you finish entering the information, click OK.
How to change your proxy settings
You might wonder why you would need to change your proxy settings every time you start a new game or application. Well, the answer is quite simple – because each browser or application has its own proxy setup. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to find a single app that works with every single device you own. That’s why most modern operating systems have a built-in proxy support feature.
Windows 10 users can enable proxy support within their browsers. They can choose which browser they wish to use and select “Use a proxy server for your LAN”. On Windows 7 and 8, you can enable proxy support in any browser. Just right-click on the Start button and select Settings. From there, click on Network & Internet. Next, scroll down and click on Change Proxy Settings. Under the list of available options, select Use a proxy server for my LAN, and hit OK.
Mac OS X Lion users can also use a proxy server to access the internet. The best solution for accessing the internet through a proxy server is to use a VPN. If you don’t have a Mac, consider getting a cheap Chromebook instead.
Linux users can use either a VPN or a proxy server to access the internet. There are several free VPN providers that offer great service. We recommend checking out NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Buffered.
Setting up a proxy server
So now you know how you can enable proxy support in your devices. What you probably didn’t know was how to set up a proxy server yourself. Now, before we dive into the process, let us tell you that there aren’t many good reasons to create a proxy server. And the only reason you really need to do it is to protect your privacy. That’s it! So, if you don’t have any personal or professional reasons to create a proxy server at home, then we suggest uninstalling it immediately.
Now that you know why you shouldn’t create a proxy server, it’s time to discuss how to set one up. First off, you will need to download and install a reliable proxy server. Most of them will be compatible with Windows computers. For example, you could try downloading Proxifier.
Once the installation process is completes, open the Control Panel and head over to the Programs section. Here, search for “Internet Options” and click on it. Inside the newly opened window, look for the Connections tab and click on it. Next, double-click on the entry labeled Local Area Connection. Inside the resulting window, click on the Properties option.
On the General tab, click the Change… button and enter your proxy server’s IP address and port number in both fields. Make sure you include the colon character (:) after the IP address and before the port number. Finally, click OK twice to save the changes.
And that’s it! Your proxy server is ready to use. Keep in mind that it may take a few minutes to activate depending on your connection speed. Once everything goes well, restart your browser and see if any changes took place.
Why you need to disable proxy servers
As mentioned earlier, a proxy server is used to encrypt, decrypt, and secure all your communications. With that being said, it makes sense that people might want to turn it off. Thankfully, disabling proxy support is pretty easy. All you need to do is head back to the Internet Options window and look for the same entry again. Inside the Properties window, click on the Advanced tab and uncheck the Enable Proxy Server option.