Getting around to set up a proxy server must be on the agenda for those who would aspire to determine their own online fates. The word “proxy” means “substitute” or anything that serves as an agent, an enabler. When it comes to the internet, this means using a program that acts like another or otherwise substitutes for it. In computing a proxy server is simply an informational middleman, if you will; it handles exchanges between the requester and the ultimate server. A client connects to the proxy server and requests some service, like web page or access to a file. The proxy’s job is to check out all requests and issue denials as warranted (by its set of pre-defined rules). The most common example of filtering is by IP address or protocol.
To properly set up a proxy server, it helps to do your homework and thoroughly research all that’s involved. One of the most popular proxy servers for Windows-based systems is WinProxy. One reason why it’s so popular is that nothing actually needs to be installed on the client (or requester) side. Another reason is NAT, or Network Address Translation, since WinProxy is what’s known as a transparent proxy. That means that the client side doesn’t even know it’s dealing with a proxy server in the first place. Apart from caching and the usual security features like filtering, WinProxy supports important protocols like HTTP, FTP, Telnet, Secure Sockets and DNS.
Configuration is not hard at all with WinProxy. There’s really no better way to set up a proxy server. Just make sure to take common initial steps such as installing TCP/IP on your network. After that you can go on to install WinProxy itself on your system. Which, by the way, is available on-demand as a file download. Now once you fire up WinProxy for the first time, you should use the included setup wizard for ease and peace of mind. Be sure to have your product key handy, as that’s going to be the very first input required of you. The next two screens gathers information about the type of Internet connection that will be used- dial-up or broadband. You need to select the connection’s type and name. The next step will depend entirely on you, as it involves user access information like ID and password. Just leave everything else to the program to handle. It assigns a unique address automatically,to each device on the LAN as internal addresses. What your ISP assigned for your modem or router winds up being the external address. It is this external address that will be shown to those outside your network, providing the anonymity you need. And that’s it! WinProxy will handle everything else. Simple, just like that.