What's a proxy?

A proxy acts as an intermediary between your computer and a server. For example, rather than connecting directly to a website, your computer asks the proxy server to connect to it instead and the proxy server returns the website content to your computer.

The diagram below illustrates how a proxy works between your computer and a website server. The coloured lines represent bi-directional data.

Why would you need a proxy?

Common reasons that you would use a proxy include:

Bypass website filtering at software at work, school or when it has been put in place by your government.

Sometimes network administrators block websites that you wish to access – sometimes for no good reason. Using a proxy can help you avoid these filters, because you’re not actually connecting to the blocked domain name or IP address itself – you’re asking the proxy server to, and the proxy server relays the website content back to your computer.

Protect your right to privacy.

There’s nothing wrong with privacy – we believe it’s not morally ambiguous, but your right. A proxy can help you remain anonymous by masking identifying details about you. The Internet was not designed with privacy in mind, in fact it is much more public than most people realize. Details that are transmitted about you every time you’re online can include:

• Your IP address, which is unique to your computer or network.
• Your location, right down to the suburb you live in.
• Information about your computer and browsing habits, including your operating system, web browser, referring websites, referring search engines and search terms.

Misrepresent your true location.

It’s becoming increasingly common to filter visitors based on their geographical location – for example, you are permitted to view a free video if you live in the United States, but not if you live in Australia. Using a proxy can fool the server into believing you live in another country, and you will be able to view content designed to be delivered only to that country.

Proxylicious operates proxy servers only in the United States, and you will appear to reside there with most online resources if you use our service.

Modify website content to suit your tastes.

Our web-based proxy has the ability to modify website content on-the-fly – turn cookies on and off with the click of a button, remove scripts and objects such as ActiveX and Flash, enable bandwidth-friendly options such as image removal and even turn web pages into easily-printable documents.

What is a web-based proxy?

A web-based proxy requires no configuration of your web browser and is used simply by entering the website address that you intend to visit into a form and clicking ‘Go!’.

Advantages of a web-based proxy include:

• No configuration of your web browser is required.
• The ability to alter the website’s content, such as cookie, script and object removal, as well as a bandwidth-friendly text only option.
• Privacy options such as URL and page encoding, cache limiting and page title removal.

However, due to the nature of page rewriting used in web-based proxy technology, objects such as Flash and ActiveX cannot be rewritten. If you wish to view websites that use this content, we also include a SOCKS proxy for our subscribers.

What is a SOCKS proxy?

A SOCKS proxy routes all web traffic through our servers, ensuring maximum compatibility with all websites, even those with objects such as Flash or ActiveX. The SOCKS proxy can be accessed by simply changing your web browser settings. You can even route other Internet traffic through a SOCKS proxy, such as online games or instant messaging applications.

Advantages of a SOCKS proxy include:

• High compatibility for all website content
• Use games, instant messaging applications, and more through the SOCKS proxy