Web-based proxies: The most common and easiest to use proxy. These are servers that you connect to through a browser do visit a visit a website anonymously. Open proxies: These are proxy servers that are either accidentally left open or are hacked. They are often not secure and can contain malicious software. It is recommended that you avoid open proxies. Anonymity networks: These are private networks that are run by users donating bandwidth. They are often incredibly slow and due to the fact that anyone can host bandwidth, they are fairly insecure. VPN (Virtual Private Network): These are private networks where you directly connect to a proxy server maintained by a proxy company or organization.
There are several websites that list proxies that you can use. Proxy. org is a great place to start that is constantly updating its list. There’s a good chance that proxy listing sites like Proxify will be blocked by a school or work network. Visit the site at home and make a list of 10-15 proxy sites to try at the blocked computer. Proxies that are overused get noticed and blocked, so vary which ones you use on a day-to-day basis. Using a proxy will make browsing significantly slower. This is because the traffic is rerouted through the proxy, reinterpreted and then sent to your location. Be aware that videos and websites may take longer to load.
VPNs offer much higher levels of encryption than web-based proxies. VPNs work with all internet traffic on your computer, as opposed to web-based proxies which only work through the browser. This includes messaging and file transfers. With a VPN, all of your internet traffic gets funneled between your computer and whichever VPN provider you use. It makes your internet traffic invisible to your service provider.
In the Connections tab, click Add VPN. This will open the VPN window. Enter in the IP that you are connecting to. If your VPN requires a username and password, you will be prompted to enter it.
