Proxy Browsing Information

by Contributing Writer

Overview

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Browsing the Internet through a proxy is a popular concept for many people interested in security and privacy today. Here is some proxy browsing information to help you better understand this relatively advanced concept.
What is a Proxy?

A proxy server is a kind of "middleman" that a computer user's browsing session is routed through. Thus, all Internet locations visited through the proxy server see only the server's Internet address and not a computer user's own.

Proxy Browsing Types

There are different ways of using a proxy to browse the Internet. One of the ways is to add a proxy server to an operating system or browser's network settings. Another way is simply to surf through a proxy website.
Company and University

One reason people use a proxy for browsing is that a proxy server may be allowed to be reached by a campus or company firewall. A proxy server enables a computer user to access web pages that may otherwise be blocked by a firewall.
Privacy

Another reason computer users may use a proxy is to have greater privacy while browsing the Internet. If a computer user is concerned about the websites she visits being monitored, then a proxy can be useful.
International

One more benefit of proxy browsing is that a computer user may access web pages that are only accessible from a certain area of the world. Using a proxy in that area can allow access to such web pages.