How to Setup a UK Proxy
Some websites cannot be viewed from outside the UK, for example certain streaming TV channels. The solution is to set up your computer to work via a UK proxy. A proxy is a machine that relays Internet traffic. When you set up your computer to work via a UK proxy, all of the websites you view send their data to the proxy, which then passes it on to your computer. So as far as the site is concerned, you are located in the UK.
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Instructions
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1
Enter "proxy list" into a search engine. Choose one of the results and navigate until you find a list of proxies sorted by country. Some of these websites only give links to web sites offering a proxy service, while others give the full proxy address, which should look something like 123.45.67.89:80 or 123.45.67.89 port 80.
Please see Resources below for an example. -
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Scroll down the list of proxies sorted by country and choose one that is in the UK.
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3
Go to the Tools menu and click on Internet Options if you are using Internet Explorer. Click on the Connections tab and then click LAN Settings. Clear the Automatically detect settings box and tick the Use a proxy server box. In the address box, type the IP address you found in Step 1 (up to the colon) and then the port number (or the part of the address after the colon) in the Port box.
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Go to the Tools menu if you use Firefox, and select Options. Click on the Advanced icon and then on the Connections tab. Click on Settings and then check the Manual Proxy Configuration button. Then type in the IP address and Port in the HTTP Proxy box.
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Go in the Tools menu if you you use Opera, then click on Preferences, Advanced then Network. Click on Proxy Servers, which will open a dialog to set the proxy settings. Users of other browsers should look for a similar menu.
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Close the settings menu and type a web address in your browser to check that the Internet connection is still working. If it isn't, then try a different UK proxy until you find one that works. Congratulations, you can now view UK streaming video and similar web sites.
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Use a web-based proxy if you want an easier alternative. This is any easy way of getting a UK IP address without having to change any settings. The proxy lists in Step 1 will contain several. Just click on the link to take you to the proxy web page. This contains a box for you to enter the address you want to surf. However, they do not usually work for TV streaming.
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Tips & Warnings
After the video starts streaming, it is a good idea to switch back to No Proxy. This will make the video flow better, especially if the proxy is a bit slow. It should not stop the video, as the web site only checks your location when it starts the video.
Some companies provide a subscription-based proxy that is more reliable than the free proxies. You can find their addresses in advertisements in the lists of proxies in Step 1.
It may be illegal to watch some channels in certain locations. Check first that you are entitled to view the channel.
Free proxies change from time to time. If your proxy stops working, just start again.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit internet image by Com Evolution from Fotolia.com
