Proxy Servers: “Seriously baby, I’m on the beach in Jamaica!”

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For those of you who think that the internet does an excellent job of protecting your location, think again. You are easily trackable via your IP address which is the digital equivalent of a fingerprint. So bear that in mind the next time you contemplate using a file sharing network. But all is not lost – you can easily surf the net, hiding your real location, using a proxy service.

A proxy service doesn’t have to be for the shady segment of internet users. There are plenty of legitimate uses for a proxy. Perhaps you just don’t like being tracked via your real IP address and wish to remain in the shadows. Or perhaps you like to surf the web at work and your IT department has decided to block your favourite websites. By using a proxy server, you can bypass those restrictions and surf at will.

There are countless proxy servers out there and I can’t possibly test them all. Plus I’m sure these services come and go as often as a wannabe singer on American Idol. So here’s five that I did try and which seemed to work OK. If you have a favourite proxy service, let us know in the comments. Oh and if you know where the proxy service is based, also mention that. It wouldn’t do to tell someone that you are in your beach house in the Seychelles when your IP address says you’re actually in a trailer park in New Mexico.

1. Corpask.com – apparently shows you coming from Texas.

2. MProxy – this one looks interesting. It allows you to remove cookies and scripts as well as encrypting the URL and the cookies.

3. Hide This – Works fine although it asked me for a password when I tried to access one of my websites. Strange.

4. Da Net Surfer – another one that allows you to strip away information such as cookies and scripts.

5. Fox Surf – seems to be no relation to Firefox!


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Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill is the managing editor of MakeUseOf.com . You can find him on Twitter and Google Plus.

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Hide 10 Comments

  • bobo November 18, 2007
    0 likes

    http://www.anonymouse.org
    http://www.proxify.com

    | Like
  • CompuWorld November 18, 2007
    0 likes

    hide my IP?

    I just don’t need that. My ISP provides dynamic IP which keeps changing! And if you track it than it shows up from a city which is around 600 kms away from mine..I guess that is because there data centers are located there.

    we use proxy to access orkut at our school but after lots of bugging on the teachers head now orkut is openly available with a notice still saying if you use orkut you will be penalized..just for the sake of rules I guess :)

    | Like
    • Aibek November 18, 2007
      0 likes

      You may still need them.

      What if you want to connect to US-only Pandora radio, or access those free TV shows on Fox.com. I guess proxy servers are the only way to do it. :-)

      | Like
      • M0we November 19, 2007
        0 likes

        Aibek,

        Were you successful in connecting Pandora site with any proxy server?

        I keep getting error: “… unexpected technical difficulties” :-(

        | Like
      • mortimersnerd May 5, 2009
        0 likes

        In response to the M0we, you need a proxy that will allow Java. I know that hasinternets.com works for that, I’m streaming from Pandora right now.

        | Like
  • menna December 3, 2007
    0 likes

    thanks

    | Like
  • Sandy Sinha March 14, 2008
    0 likes

    Use Black Byte Free Speech to unblock websites. It has good bandwidth, and has a 7 day free trial period.

    Sandy

    | Like
  • mortimersnerd May 5, 2009
    0 likes

    hasinternets.com is a good one.

    | Like
  • help May 20, 2009
    0 likes

    here one

    https://rarp.in

    | Like