How to Find a Free Proxy Server
Proxies are servers through which you can route Internet traffic before it reaches your computer. When you connect to a website through a proxy, it will appear to the website owner as if the proxy server is the one initiating the connection. The proxy will then download the information from the website and send it to you through its own connection. Proxy servers can be useful to access information that is otherwise restricted from you either due to IP address or geographic location, and can also anonymize your web surfing habits.
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Instructions
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Choose a proxy physically located in the geographic area that is permitted on the website you want to access. For instance, some websites block all users from countries outside of the United States. If you are located outside the U.S., choose a proxy located within the U.S.
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Determine your needs with regard to anonymity and pick a proxy that services these needs. Though many free proxy servers are transparent (meaning they do not conceal from where the requests are coming when you connect through the proxy to another website), there are some free options that offer anonymous browsing. Proxies labeled "anonymous" will not send any identifying information, but will notify the website that you are connected through a proxy. "High anonymous" proxies will not reveal that you connected through a proxy server.
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Give preference to proxies with a low latency. Because your web traffic will be rerouted through a second server, it is important to choose a fast proxy. Lists of proxies will report each proxy server's latency, which is the length of time it takes for information to travel between your computer and the proxy servers. Distant proxies will have higher latencies, but you should choose a proxy with a latency less than one millisecond.
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Choose a proxy with caching capabilities. A cache is information from a website that is saved directly onto your computer. If the proxy has cache, that means it stores information from the websites the proxy's users visit. For large proxies, this means that you can access websites directly from the proxy server without needing the proxy to connect to the website. This speeds up your connection and lets you download webpages faster.
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Favor a proxy with good stability. Proxy lists will typically provide the proxy's uptime (how much time the proxy server has been available since its last crash or restart). A good proxy will have an uptime measured in days or weeks, while an unstable proxy may have an uptime of only a few hours.
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Gauge your experience level and choose a proxy accordingly. Some proxies come with a multitude of configuration options that are useful to an experienced user, while others simply require that you activate the proxy in your web browser before they immediately begin working. If you do not need a lot of additional features, choose one that is easy to configure.
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Tips & Warnings
Proxy servers are not illegal, but may violate the terms of service on some websites if you are using the proxy to circumvent the settings of the website. Make sure that all the websites you connect to through the proxy permit its readers to use a proxy.
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