Proxies, firewalls, where to find proxies and check them, other proxy related soft and ANON Remailers

 A Proxy is simply a server to connect a users to a network. Usually it connects to another network (for example, the Internet) from a local network or a part of it, for example a hospital. They exist in very diverse capacities and powers, from proxys to connect a complete government to the Internet, to one in which the user can have a setup in his house to connect his brother, his grandmother and the cat to the Internet using a single modem. At first it doesn't seem like anything special; nevertheless, due to the architecture (the way the things are made) of the Internet, these servers can be very useful, contributing security, speed and privacy to those people who wish to enjoy the Internet without resigning their "privacy".

 If you read the Whats an IP number FAQ, you'd know how each computer on the Internet is marked with its own special address. You have probably deduced, (but I will tell you anyway) that the IP points directly to us. That is, if we are the bad guy on the computer, it is possible to locate us, because a specific IP at a specific time is connected to a single person or machine.
And not only when we are the bad guy can we have problems. Whenever we are connected with another computer (for example a Microsoft page), the other computer registers our IP and what we have done inside, the pages we have watched, the files we have taken, etc. etc. Some sites even deny us access ("you do not have permission...") to certain pages because we are not from the server's country (the single IP number does not say anything, but in conjuntion with the DNS or "Domain name system" it indicates the country and the company).

 Here is where the proxy comes in. We have said that these computers connect several people or machines to the network; that is, that several machines have the same IP facing the outer world, although for the proxy each computer continues to have its own unique IP. What happens if we connect to a server using one of these proxys? The target server will believe that the downloader was the proxy and not us, with the proxy acting like a shield. For example, say our IP is 195.104.193.192 and we want to get some photos of Pamela Anderson from a site, but we do not want anyone to know that we have seen those pictures. It's very simple. We say to the proxy (if the proxy admits calls from the outside), "Please make a call to the computer X and request the photos from him." If the IP of the proxy is 109.109.100.100, in the computer which contains the photos, the lurker IP will be 109.109.100.100 and not 195.104.193.192.  Appears very hard? It is not. All (or almost all) browsers, like Netscape, Opera or Internet Explorer, allow us to indicate a proxy for our connections, correctly configuring our browser. We will surf as always but the navigator gets the pages or files through the proxy.

 But the proxy does not serve only for that. Imagine that you want to download a file from Japan, but your conection is very slow and you die waiting for it, but when you try to get one page from America or Europe the speed is superior. Ok, you will try to find a proxy with a good conection between the target and you, and request the files through the proxy. Sometimes this system greatly accelerates the speed of downloading, although at other times it does the opposite. Thats all there is to it. Unfortunatly, proxies are only available for HTTP, FTP, but there is also a trick way to use SOCK proxies for NTTP...:-)
All, right so the next step is to find a good fast working proxy and to set up your browser to work with it. To learn how to set your browsers with proxies, read the How to set a proxy FAQ.

PROXIES, PROXY CHECKERS, PROXY RELATED SOFT and ANON REMAILERS

Why would you want to use a proxy?..check junkbuster.com-show-headers then

a few NOTES & TIPS on using proxies:

Sites with Lists of Working Proxies:

Proxys4all.cgi.net akihiro.gd.nu/PRX/class.html allfreeweb.hypermart.net/proxy.html altern.org/cortomalt/tools.htm angelfire.com/md/ROA/proxy.html, cavency.virtualave.net/proxy/, come.to/proxys/, freeweb.ne.jp/~yzz/cgi-bin/startproxy.cgi freeweb.ne.jp/~yzz/cgi-bin/cgiproxy.cgi ians.978.org:8801 lightning.prohosting-proxies cyberarmy.com/lists/proxy/, ijs.co.nz ijs.co.nz/sorm.htm, ijs.co.nz/proxies2.htm Ijs.Co.Nz (and subsequent pages), geocities.com/SiliconValley/Netwoanonim.html freebooks.hypermart.net/proxy/proxies.htm lightspeed.de/irc4all/index.htm, Proxys4All, theargon.com/anonymity/proxies.shtml novelsoft.com/dark/proxy/1_3.htm fsu.virtualave.net/cgi-bin/fp.pl?showlog proxylist.hypermart.net/list.htm Virtualave.net/proxy/81.htm Virtualave.net/proxy/proxies.htm wiktor.dk-proxy list.htm , or wiktor.dk-proxy.htm, Wayne's proxies, cl.spb.ru/sparta/list.htm, for a list of proxies servers by country, go to infovlad.net, a Russian list of proxies, www.deny.de,


Additional Software for Proxies:




check how anon the proxy you are using really is:

NOTE* trully anon proxies will NOT show HTTP_FORWARDED or HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR variables, HTTP_FROM will show if they can grab your email address from the browser, HTTP_REFERER will show the page you came from,
to see your IP address quick, type WINIPCFG on the START+RUN
MANY places to visit and find out what they say about YOU AND your proxy, some will say your proxy is secure, some won't, so it's YOUR judgment:





http://www.junkbuster.com/cgi-bin/show-http-headers

and Several Remailers you can use to ANONIMOUSLY send e-mail:

gilc.org e-re-mailer the Freedom Remailer? the Anonimizer remailer the encripted version of the above use this to post text messages to usenet anonimously



open proxies-use at your own risk!

lightning.prohosting-proxies german anonimizer Privada.net (like anonimiser) The DefCon proxy PeaceFire proxy cyberarmy.com/portal.shtml chenxq.webprovider.com/startproxy.cgi tag4tag.com/scripts/tools/anonymizer/german anonimizer



to be checked:
df.lth.se/~nh/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi angelfire.com/wy/0waynes/ learn much more about proxies http://www.angelfire.com/wy/0waynes/newbiesGuide.html

I wellcome ANY corections, tips, additions,ets...