Anonymous proxies will also help protect and hide your physical location when web-browsing, purchasing goods, playing games, and even telecommuting. If blocked from taking part in certain games or using certain websites on account of IP address location, a proxy server can help get past those restrictions.
When thinking about using proxies users should keep in mind the main differences of proxies and decide from the choices depending on the planned use, level of anonymity wanted, and available budget.
Public and private proxies differ in many ways – Here is what needs to be understood when learning to use proxies:
Main Differences Between Public and Private Proxies
Summary of a Public Proxy
A public proxy is a proxy that can be connected to openly by many people and machines instead of just one single client. Public proxies generally have no username and password authentication. However, there are public proxies that do have username/password security but the username and password are setup being readily found by the public, so naturally it is still a public proxy.
Seldomly public proxies are provided by businesses and other people out of the giving nature of their souls. More often public proxies are up and running because of a network problem or because of malware that people don't even know their PCs have been compromised by! Because of this, security cannot be ensured with public proxies; even though public proxies can do a good job of hiding IP addresses, the proxy servers themselves may be tracking online usage and information for their own use.
Public Proxy PROs:
- Public Proxies are often free!
- Public Proxy lists can easily be found on the internet.
- Public Proxies can be found at locations all over the world.
- Public Proxies are good when you only need them once, or temporarily.
Public Proxy CONs:
- Public Proxies are usually slow.
- Public Proxies are unstable and can go down at any time.
- Public Proxies are often banned by major websites like Google.
- Public Proxies can be less secure depending how they are operated.
- Public Proxies can be risky if the proxy is logging it’s users information for bad intent.
Summary of a Private Proxy
A Private Proxy is a proxy that will be connected to by one client or computer. Private Proxy servers most often have either username/password security or they are authenticated using the IP of the user/client trying to access the proxy.
Private proxies hide IPs and deliver fully secure use of the net. It is crucial to remember that web users leave behind a digital fingerprint in the form of IP addresses while using the internet. What this means is that any person having a bit of internet-know-how is able to see whatever a person has been doing on the web, including hackers and spammers. Using private proxies almost guarantees a user’s IP will be hidden. Plus, many private proxy providers do not log usage or information and just maintain short logs of user IPs in the event of a crime.
Private Proxy PROs:
- Private Proxies are generally fast!
- Private Proxies are often stable.
- Private Proxies are the most safe and secure proxies.
- Private Proxies have lesser chance of being banned by websites.
Private Proxy CONs:
- Private Proxies usually cost money.
- Private Proxies are generally harder to find in certain countries.
Choosing Between Public and Private Proxies
Protecting privacy and private statistics should always be of the highest priority. Due to the use of a Proxy’s IP instead of your actual IP address, users are capable of connecting to other websites and servers without letting go of any private information. Public proxies are generally free, but is anything actually free in the world? Should personal information be ensured with openly accessible and majorly visible public proxies? Definitely not.
If peace of mind is the goal, a private proxy server should be utilized to safely and privately be using the the net.
