How to Create a Proxy for Free
For many reasons, people are often interested in creating a Web proxy. A proxy allows an Internet user to connect to a website through a different computer or a server. This can have many effects, including making your Web browsing anonymous and circumventing security on the network you are using to connect to the Internet. In countries like China, where some websites are restricted, people often use a proxy to view blocked Web pages. It is important to note, however, that using a proxy may be illegal or against your employee agreement, so proceed with caution.
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Instructions
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Start by visiting Sourceforge.net and downloading PHProxy. PHProxy is easy, free open-source proxy software. It is well known and trusted. Other programs exist as well, but some may not be as safe to use. You can also buy a proxy program from many different vendors.
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Download the PHProxy package from Sourceforge for free. The program is no longer under active development, but the final version released, version .5b2, can be easily installed on a standard Web server. Once the software is on your computer, use a program such as Winzip, Winrar or native Windows functionality to unzip the files and move them into a folder. Save the folder on your desktop and name it "phproxy" for ease of use later on.
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Log into your hosting server through FTP. Copy the phproxy folder from your desktop into your public_html folder so it is accessible from the Internet. If you do not see a public_html folder in your server setup, contact your Web host for information on which folder is public. If you want, you can copy the folder into your website as a sub-directory of a current website. In that case, you would access the proxy server as yourdomain.com/phproxy.
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Log into your server's Apache settings or settings Web tool, such as cPanel, and set up your new folder as a Web page. This tells the server that any visit to the website should be sent to that folder. It is easiest to choose a sub-domain such as phproxy.yourdomain.com or a similar name of your choice.
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Log into your domain registrar panel and change your settings to point a new sub-domain to your pxproxy folder. Make sure your new sub-domain, such as phproxy.yourdomain.com matches the settings on your Web server exactly or the site will not work. Once you are done, wait for your server to refresh, which may take anywhere from a few minutes to a day, before you access your proxy server. You should be able to access the proxy from any computer by visiting your new sub-domain or sub-directory.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are looking for a short term solution or do not have the knowledge or resources to create your own proxy, you may be interested in an open proxy, which is a proxy server open to public use. If you are using an open proxy, beware that the information passing through the proxy may be unencrypted and easily viewed by others.
Websites have the same effect on your computer whether you are using a proxy or not. You can still get a computer virus and be caught looking at pornography or other illegal or unethical material that may not be suitable for work.
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