Τι είναι το proxy server και πως μπορώ να τον χρησιμοποιήσω

A proxy server is a computer between you and the server that you are going to connect. Usually, that connection consists of a personal computer like yours and a server from which you are requesting an html page. There are several different proxy servers as you will read below.

Why should you use a proxy server?

• Every time you connect to the Internet, you have an IP address (basically every time you restart your router). Well, this IP is recorded in log files at every site you visit.
• Now, if you want to be anonymous to the Internet you need a proxy server! A computer that cover your IP, so the websites instead of getting your IP in their log files they will record the proxy server's IP.
• Another reason to use proxy servers is the scenario that your IP is banned in a forum, game etc and you can't login or play. Using a proxy server you can "change" you IP and do whatever you want. 
• Also you may be trying out SEO and maybe you don't want the search engines to find you. All these reason and more are enough to use a proxy server! :)

Different types of Proxy Servers

Transparent Proxy Server: In this kind of proxy server the real user IP is visible form HTTP headers. So it does not offer Anonymity. However it is great if you get banned somewhere and to use it as cache to load some webpages.

Anonymous Proxy Server: Every webpage in the Internet can recond your moves, can record what you like and what you don't! ...using you IP address. Websites can block you or use your information later.
Goverments and organizations set up servers and fishing websites targeting people like you. In addition to, combining your IP with your email address can spam your email and your friend list with emails, advertisements and more.
Using you IP and you operating system type a webpage can find security holes in your computer, then using free software, exploits and programs that webpage can hack you.

So, an anonymous server can protect you hiding your IP address (does not send it via HTTP request), making it impossible for someone to access your computer. Unfortunately, proxy servers are sending your IP with another way into the target.

Only, real anonymous proxy servers do not send via HTTP you IP address and are hide your personal information from being recorded. Some of them can find that you use a proxy server! To conclude with, anonymous proxy servers, can be used for various services like hotMail, Gmail, Yahoo, Web-Chatrooms etc.

Best system to setup a proxy server

Linux is a lightweight operating system unlike Windows. That's why administrators prefer Linux to setup their proxy server. I works fine but it has one drawback! Latency... 

Since you enable your proxy server in your network, automatically your internet speed will be low. Connections to servers will maybe need one or two second instead of millisecond. Also, in case you will try and use QOS (quality of service) you must be careful because your router may stop every single incoming packet for further check. This will slow down your network!

In case of squid when a page request occur, it searches its database first, if it does not exist it must search in its disk. Then it must compare the two pages and keep the lasted update one. If it dont have one it must remove tha latest used page and creatte this new one in the specified place. The whole story may happen again and again and may last some seconds. Admins prefer RAID0 disks so they can have the best result. They also try to terminate any other proccess! Finally, its good to have two expensive network cards in your system.

Setup your browser

Setup your browser so that it do not use the default servers but the one that you want. There are many public free proxy servers that you can use. You should know what are you looking for...well, just an IP and a post number. Go to this link.

To change the IP that firefox uses you must go to,

Tools >>Options>>General>>Network Settings and click 'Manual Proxy Setup'. Then the only thing that you have to do is to type the IP address and the prot number in the HTTP field and you are ready! Check if your IP has been changed via www.whatismyip.com.

Web Based Proxy Services

• http://www.totalnetprivacy.com
• http://proxify.com
• http://hidemyass.com
• http://www.shadowsurf.com
• http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html
• http://www.joblock.info
• http://www.proxy4free.com/
• http://unrestrictedsurf.com/
• http://www.publicproxyservers.com/
• http://www.centurian.org/
• http://www.azproxies.com/

Χρήσιμοι σύνδεσμοι

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server
• http://www.squid-cache.org/