How to Use Proxies in IE

Proxy servers for web browsers act as an intermediary between web browsers and websites on the Internet. Using a local proxy server to browse the Internet may be required due to the access policies on your local network. For others, a proxy server that resides on the Internet is used to bypass websites being blocked locally. No matter the reason, it is easy to configure Internet Explorer (IE) to use a proxy server to browse the Internet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Explorer version 6 or later

1. Get the IP address and port number of your proxy server. If the proxy server is in your organization, ask your local network administrator for that information.

2. Run Internet Explorer. In most cases, this can be done by clicking on the blue icon that looks like the letter "e" on the Windows desktop, which is the icon for Internet Explorer.

3. Inside Internet Explorer, click "Tools" and then "Internet Options."

4. In the "Internet Options" window, click on the "Connections" tab, then click LAN settings. This brings up the window to configure Internet Explorer to use a proxy server.

5. In the "Local Area Network (LAN) Settings" window, check the box for "Use a proxy server" and enter in the IP address and port you received earlier. Then click "OK."

6. Browse the web. All browsing traffic is going through the proxy server rather than directly to websites over the Internet.

References

• Official Microsoft information on configuring proxies in Internet Explorer