It’s pretty easy to use a proxy for anonymous surfing. It can get complicated if you want it to, but if you’re looking for some technical stuff, you won’t find it here. For someone who doesn’t have the time to sit down and learn everything there is about proxies before you use them, here the important stuff you need to know. That’s what Wikipedia is for. Let’s get started!
Open Proxies
- - Difficult to find reliable, updated IP addresses
- - Slow
- - Unsafe
Any post on any site about open proxies will have a disclaimer at the bottom saying that trusting your IP address and traffic contents to a server owner that you don’t know isn’t a good idea. You won’t find a privacy policy anywhere on a proxy list, and no one can guarantee that there isn’t going to be someone spying on you. Doesn’t that make the whole anonymity part useless? I thought so too. Forget about these.
Web Based Proxies (free)
- - Slow
- - Unsafe
Same deal as open proxies, but they’re easier to find. These are suitable for high school kids looking to unblock Facebook at school. The only reliable and free web based proxy I can think of is called Hide My Ass. This site is actually pretty cool, and has lots of other free stuff, so you can check them out.
Web Based Proxies (Paid Service)
A better solution for those looking for reliable anonymity online. You’ll get faster servers, more bandwidth, connections that won’t drop, and a privacy policy ensuring your anonymity. Web based proxies are good because you don’t have to install them, which means you can use it on your phone, home computer, work computer, and even in public places.
About SecuriTales
- + Free Trial
- + $6 – $8 per month
- + 25% discount
- + Servers in US/UK/Europe
- + 30 day money back guarantee
It’s a pretty awesome service that I’ve used myself. It even works in China, where most proxies have been blocked. If it can outsmart The GFW (Great Firewall of China), then it certainly can unblock Facebook at work or keep you anonymous on public network.
Software Based Proxies
Kind of like a combination of open proxies and paid web based proxies. You can choose from a list of servers from around the world. You’ve got to pay a one time payment for the software, and access to some servers, but there’s got to be a recurring payment somewhere. How do you think they maintain server credibility, speed, and block abusive users. Who pays the support staff? Exactly.
About Hide My IP
- + $19.95 for Software and access to *some servers
- + Recurring payment for Premium IP addresses (How much? Not stated on site)
- + Can choose IP address (US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Singapore, India, France, Hong Kong)
- + Live Support Available
I haven’t tried this service, and I’m pretty much just including it here for sake of completeness, but you might be into it. First off, there’s not money back guarantee. Second, there are lots of hidden recurring payments if you want access to their *premium* IP addresses, which are basically the good ones. Though advertising as a one time payment, what you get for the initial 30 bucks isn’t great.
If you have your heart set on a proxy, and want to choose your IP, then this is an option, but personally I’d go for a VPN service.
Same thing with better conditions really
- + Choose your IP location (country city)
- + Recurring payment (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or yearly)
But there’s better security, more anonymity, most services guarantee satisfaction or your money back. I won’t go into the whole thing here, since this post is about proxies. But you can read more about VPN Services HERE.
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