Configuring the parameters of the local network proxy server. What is a proxy? How to set up a proxy server

A proxy server (from English proxy - an authorized representative) is a kind of intermediary server in the network. The user first connects to the proxy server, and the proxy then connects to another server that contains the desired resource (e-mail, search engine, etc.). The user does not connect directly to the requested resource, but does so through an “intermediary”, which has a number of advantages. Read more about setting up a proxy server in Windows 7 in our article.

What is a proxy server for?

  1. The proxy checks if the requested data is in temporary memory. And if they are, then it does not re-download information from the Internet, which saves traffic.
  2. Network access can be shared across multiple users.
  3. The proxy server preserves the anonymity of requests, since information is not transmitted further to the Internet and does not remain on the user's computer; The IP address from which the request was made also cannot say anything about the user's computer, only about the proxy server, and it may be located in another country.
  4. A proxy protects your computer from external influences by transferring only the requested data, filtering out unnecessary data.
  5. Due to the fact that all data comes to the computer only from the proxy server, you can bypass the blocking of some sites, especially the one that is set independently by your telecom operator.

MTS has blocked many torrents for its users, but the proxy server “deceives” the built-in blocking system, since for it the proxy server is just some Internet resource, one of those that can be opened. But the data for the proxy itself comes from completely different sites, sometimes blocked: it is quite difficult to track this programmatically. This is what programs such as Anonymizer and Tor stand for.

How to install: step by step instructions

Let's consider a way to install a proxy server on Windows 7.

Before you start configuring a proxy server, you need to find out its IP address and port. A list of proxy servers can be viewed on the following sites:

  • 2ip.ru/proxy;
  • hideme.ru/proxy-list;
  • spys.ru;
  • xseo.in/freeproxy.

Having decided on the choice of a proxy server and having found out the address and port, proceed with the configuration:

Video: how to set up a proxy server on Windows 7

What to do if your computer fails to connect to the proxy server?

The proxy server may not respond because it is simply unavailable... In this case, wait or try using the services of some other proxy server.

The wrong address or port may have been entered when configuring the proxy server.

Check it through the control panel: open the "Internet Options" section, in the window that opens, the "Connections" tab. And click "Settings" (in the subsection "Configuring local network settings" if your connection is via a local network cable or Wi-Fi, or "Configuring dial-up and virtual private networks" if you have a modem). In the window, find the item "Use a proxy server for this connection" and check the entered address and port.

Viruses can interfere with the connection to the proxy server. In this case, it is worth conducting a deep scan of the computer with an anti-virus program.

Configuring a proxy server in browsers

If for some reason you need to set separate proxy server parameters for different browsers, then setting through the control panel will not work for you. You will need to manually configure the proxy server for each browser. Let's see how this is done in the most popular ones.

Mozilla Firefox


Opera


Google Chrome, Yandex, Amigo and others


Other browsers

In all other browsers, the actions are similar. First, you need to delete your browsing history, cache and cookies, then open the network settings and configure the connection settings through proxy servers. There is nothing complicated about this: you just need to dig a little in the settings.

How to find the IP address

If a proxy server is used on your computer, then open "Control Panel" -\u003e "Network and Sharing Center". Click on the active connection and select "Properties" from the list. The TCP / IP field contains the address of the gateway through which the connection is made. This is the IP address of your proxy server.

If your computer is located on a home or corporate network, and the proxy server is configured on another computer on the network, then the tracert system command will help you. Through "Start" enable "Command Prompt" and enter "tracert [name of external node]" and press Enter. Replace [external host name] with the name of any computer on the network. A hierarchical list of nodes appears. This will help you find the address and port of the proxy server.

There is another option: use online services that can analyze your connection and determine your IP. And since you are connecting through a proxy server, the IP address of your proxy will be indicated. The following sites will help you:

  • http://www.leader.ru/secure/who.html;
  • http://www.whatismyip.com;
  • http://tulahelp.ru/ip.

How to disable the proxy server

If your proxy server is generally installed for a local or modem network, then follow these steps:

  1. Open "Control Panel".
  2. Find the section "Internet Options" (or "Internet Options") and open it.
  3. The settings window will open. Switch to the "Connections" tab. Further actions are different for modem (bluetooth, USB or so on) and local connection (including Wi-Fi). Do the same as when connecting a proxy server, just the opposite: uncheck the boxes.
    1. If the Internet is connected via USB or bluetooth modem, then do the following: in the subsection "Dial-up ..." find and click on the name of your modem that you use to access the Internet, then click on the "Settings" button. In the window that opens, remove the mark from the item "Use proxy ..."
    2. If your computer receives the Internet through a local connection - Wi-Fi, wired - then follow these steps: in the subsection "Setting up ... local network" enable the settings. A window will open, remove the mark from the item "Use proxy ..."
  4. Done.

If the proxy server is installed in the settings of a separate browser, then open this browser and go to the network settings (as it was done above) and uncheck the "Use a proxy server ..." item. Do this for every browser that has a proxy connection.

A proxy server is a useful thing for those who want to hide their IP address, once again protect themselves from viruses, and save traffic. However, there are also disadvantages: problems on the side of the proxy server itself. For example, if it is overloaded, then its bandwidth will significantly decrease: and it will take longer to download data to the computer than is possible with your Internet speed. In addition, the proxy server itself may contain viruses, so look for a reliable proxy server and do not trust dubious sources.

We would like to devote this article to advanced users who want to remain anonymous when visiting Internet resources. The only convenient way to become anonymous user on the network is to use a proxy server. How to do this - we will tell you in this article.

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server is a server hosted by the ISP that acts as a "bridge". That is, you enter the address and port of the proxy server in the connection properties settings. Having entered the site address, the request is not made directly, but through a proxy server that processes this user request and redirects it through itself to its destination. The site you are requesting does not identify you as a visitor, but a proxy server, with its IP address, and therefore its location.

It should be understood that there are several types of proxy servers: which hide the user and which do not hide the user. If the site has a more or less serious IP determination system, then the user's real IP address, not from an anonymous proxy server, will be calculated, but there are only a few sites with such an IP determination system, so it will be quite enough for anonymity and access to closed resources a simple proxy server. To completely hide yourself, use highly anonymous proxy servers that completely hide the user and hide the very use of the proxy.

In order to find a proxy server, we recommend entering the corresponding query into a search engine. There are a lot of sites on which open proxy servers from different countries are published. As mentioned above, the proxy server must have the following format: separate IP address and port, or XX.XX.XX.XX: YY where the mask with "X" is the IP address, and the mask with "Y" is the port ... When choosing a proxy, the site recommends paying attention to the timing of the proxy server, the smaller it is, the higher the speed of loading pages through the proxy will be.

It is worth noting that it is not very easy to find a working, let alone a high-quality proxy server, so it will be necessary to try their performance "live". Now let's look at how to set up a proxy server for the browser.


What is a proxy server used for?

Surely many of you have visited such resources, where your location, provider, operating system and other parameters of your computer were determined. If there is nothing wrong with determining the operating system, browser and other computer parameters, then we are sure that many of you were confused by the fact that your IP address, provider, and even more so your location was determined. That is, the first reason for using a proxy server is anonymity, so that neither the site administration nor other users know your location.

The second reason why a proxy server is used is to visit resources that are blocked for you. There are resources on the Internet that block users' full access to their website or to any of their functions, while blocking by the user's country occurs. That is, if, for example, you live in Russia, and you want to watch a video on a European site, but it is not available for users from our country, then using a proxy server of another country (for which access is open) you can watch this video. This is an example of restricting the functions of a site by the user's country, but some resources completely block pages of sites, in which a proxy server will also be a solution to the problem.

This is about Internet proxies. Previously, a proxy server was used not as a method of anonymity, but as an "Internet accelerator" and a way to save traffic. Several years ago, Internet prices were very high, so some ISPs offered free access to some Internet services, for example, ICQ, which was free of charge from the network. Along with this, the proxy server performed the function of saving traffic when it saved on its server frequently visited sites of users for their fast loading. Now this type of local proxy servers is practically not used, but it was impossible not to mention them in this article.

Setting up a proxy server

To configure the proxy server in the browser, you must make the appropriate settings in the connection properties. In order to get into the connection properties, there are 2 ways: do it through the browser or through the control panel.

To get into the connection settings through the browser, you need to go to its settings and go to the "Network" tab. Next, you will need to click on the "Connection Settings" or "Proxy Server Settings" button - depending on the browser. For example, let's look at how to set up a proxy in the Chrome browser.

In order to configure a proxy in Chrome, you need to click on the settings menu button, which is located under the browser close button, and select the "Settings" item.

Then you need to open additional settings by clicking at the very bottom on the inscription "Show advanced settings".

In the additional settings in the "Network" section under the inscription "Google Chrome uses the system's proxy server settings to connect to the network" click on the "Change proxy server settings ..." button.

You will see a window in which you need to click the button: "Network settings". In the second window that appears, you will need to check the box next to the inscription "Use a proxy server ..." and enter the address of the proxy server itself: IP and port. After that click "OK" in the second window, and the same thing in the first one. Now open a new page in your browser and go to the site 2ip.ru, where you can check the performance of the proxy server.

The second option to configure a proxy server is through the control panel. Go into it and select the "Browser Options" icon. In the window that appears, go to the "Connections" tab and enter the proxy server settings as described above.

We bring to your attention a step-by-step guide on configuring a proxy for a local network. If you follow the instructions, then you will definitely be able to configure a local network proxy, even if you have never done it before.

A local proxy is required so that one of the clients can access another, but not directly, but through a third-party computer. Usually, the call goes through a predetermined algorithm.

First, a person contacts the server, saying that he wants to open, for example, a website. In response to the request, the server independently accesses this site. After that, it returns the results. Thus, the "distribution of the Internet" from one computer to another is realized.

Configuring a local proxy step by step

First you need a proxy. You can find a free analogue or. If you need a large local area network, it is better to get a stable computer address. Free options are rather unreliable, and you can also not count on full technical support and normal work speed.

To configure a proxy, you need to do the following steps:

  1. Buy a proxy server address.
  2. Allow to distribute the Internet.
  3. Configure a proxy.

The first point is clear. Let us explain the other two in more detail:

This completes the simplest settings of the local proxy server. All computers on your local network will be able to connect to you and access the necessary resources.

If necessary, in the settings of the router, you can open the port that the proxy server uses.

If necessary, you can do a finer configuration. For example, you can configure access to the server by specifying a login, password and adjusting the authorization system. You can create your own database by encrypting it.

However, all of these functions are only available with additional software. You can find good programs using our blog.

Traveling across the Internet using your computer, laptop or even a mobile device, sooner or later each user is faced with the problem of accessing some resources. Of course, the question immediately arises, what is the reason for this and how to get rid of such troubles. Or, for example, a company office has many computers and one access to the global network. How, in this case, to connect all workplaces to the Internet so that at the same time it remains possible to control the traffic usage by each employee? And the security issues of the office network from external influences (hackers) in this case immediately come to the fore. Using a certain type of connection in such situations seems to be the most reasonable solution, so let's take a closer look at all aspects of setting up a proxy server on Windows 7.

Let's make a reservation right away that for faster and more anonymous work on the Internet, it is better not to save money using any kind of free proxy. They are very slow, because a lot of people are already sitting on them. Therefore, we decided to take several private proxies to configure a proxy server on Windows 7 within the framework of this article.

What is it and what functions does it perform

Everyone knows about mediation in one way or another. This concept is usually associated with trade. The proxy server is also a kind of intermediary. But this has nothing to do with trade. Through a proxy server, which is a set of networked computer programs, a client (software or hardware system component) requests data from various network services.

For example, an Internet browser through which a user browses global network resources (sites) first connects to a proxy server making external requests. The web server on which the required site is located sends an information packet in response. The proxy server generates this packet in accordance with its settings and sends it to the client (Internet browser). As a result, the user sees the site he needs on the screen. In this case, the visit to the resource is linked to a completely different address than the IP of the computer from which the request was made.

In an office network, a proxy server connects through a router, which in this case is an access point. A single computer is connected directly through its network card.

Connecting and configuring a proxy server on Windows 7

Let's say a user wants to anonymously visit a site or cannot get to it due to blocking of the ip-addresses of the network to which his computer is included. You must correctly create a connection, that is, configure a proxy server. Depending on the Internet browser used, this process can be multidirectional, but only before opening the proxy server settings through any browser. If earlier it was possible to use mismatched ip-addresses for different browsers, now this will not work, with the exception of Mozilla Firefox. Connecting and configuring a proxy server affects the settings of all Internet browsers used in Windows 7.

How to configure the system browser Internet Explorer

Specialized resources where you can view the necessary data for free can be easily found through a search on the Internet. It is enough to enter a request, for example, of the form "Proxy List". Some resources that post such data:

  • foxtools.ru/Proxy
  • proxy-fresh.ru/proxy/
  • spys.ru and others.

Setting up Opera on your computer

In the latest versions of the browser, the proxy server settings are tied to the system ones. From this it follows that the process of setting up a proxy server is the same as through a browser, as using the Windows 7 Control Panel. The same window of local network settings will open as in the case of Internet Explorer. To verify this, in Opera, select "Menu // Settings // Browser // Change proxy server settings" in Opera.

How to register in Google Chrome


We work with Yandex


Mozilla Firefox setup


How to customize Safari

Select the settings tab from the drop-down list of the main browser menu, then in the window that opens, go to the "Add-ons" menu item, where click the button for changing the proxy settings.

Video: Correct proxy server setup on Windows 7

How to disable proxy

To disable the proxy server in browsers, it is enough to uncheck the box allowing its use in the network settings. In Mozilla Firefox, individual settings can be applied.

Installing browser add-ons

To connect to Internet resources through a proxy server, browser plug-ins are often used to bypass site blocking by redirecting traffic. These are add-ons such as ZenMate, friGate, Web Proxy and many others. For every browser on the Internet, you can find more than one option.

Let's consider the friGate application for Mozilla Firefox as an example. After installation, the plugin icon appears in the panel opposite the address bar, clicking on which you can select the necessary settings, for example, turning on a proxy server for all sites or by selecting resources from the list.

How to connect via VPN

With a virtual private network (VPN), all personal computer traffic is passed through a proxy server. At the same time, a high level of anonymity is guaranteed, and the connection speed does not drop. To use a VPN connection in Windows 7, you can install CyberGhost 5, the free version of which is enough to provide anonymous user surfing the Internet.

When you enable protection, the program will advise you to upgrade and switch to the paid version. If you want to get additional functionality, you can use the offer. Otherwise, the request should be ignored.

When CyberGhost 5 is installed, the program settings are configured automatically. This creates a virtual TAP-Windows Adapter V9 and a new network connection going through it. In the properties of the component of the Internet Protocol (TCP / IPv4) of the used network card, DNS servers of VPN connections are automatically registered.

Why proxy doesn't work and how to fix it

Sites may not open if proxy is unavailable. This means that the server has stopped working. This often happens when using free servers that can be created temporarily. Also, failures are possible during peak server loads. In this case, you should use other addresses from free or paid proxy lists. What else? If the proxy server is incorrectly configured, the Internet will also not respond, so you should pay special attention to these questions. Follow the setup method suggested in the article, and the "Unable to connect to the proxy server" problem can be avoided in most cases.

The Internet in the local network of some organization is a double-edged weapon: as they say, you want to and pricks. On the one hand, it is almost impossible to work without "communication with the outside world", and there is a lot of useful information in the global network, on the other hand, connecting to the office Internet network dramatically reduces its information security, and negligent employees will not fail to immediately use it " freebie. "

Therefore, the decision to include a proxy server in the local network of the enterprise remains the only correct and most economical one - it will perform the functions of a kind of security on the way to the global information web.

Practice has shown that free proxies are very slow and not suitable for such purposes. Therefore, we decided to buy a couple of elite proxies, where the speed of the Internet channel is 100 Mbit / s.

And in this article we will look at the proxy server settings on a computer with windows 7 OS, and also touch on the question of how to connect the Internet through a proxy server on a local network.

Let's make a reservation right away that the installation of a proxy with your own hands is considered here, but using all kinds of software for these purposes is a topic for a separate, very informative article.

What is a proxy server for?

To begin with, let's briefly consider how a proxy server works, and why this device is needed in a simple local network

So, a proxy server is a set of software that regulates the settings for access to external resources (in general, to the global Internet).

Basically, a proxy server indicates that one of its network connections is external and the other is internal.

At the same time, for the internal connection, it assigns certain rules for accessing the external connection.

Also important for the office is the reverse function of the proxy server: to prevent overly curious hackers from the “outside world” (from the endless expanses of the Internet) to the information stored in the local network.

How to use a proxy server?

The use of a proxy server is available for static IP addresses (i.e., those specified manually in the settings of the network card) from the selected range.

So, if the external network has the address 192.168.X.X, then the internal network should not intersect with it in addressing (for example, 172.16.X.X).

The settings of end devices are set from the appropriate range: that is, 172.16.0.16 or 172.16.230.175 - the main thing is that the first two pairs of numbers match (when using the net mask 255.255.0.0).

How to configure the proxy server address?

It is better to immediately determine what the IP address of your proxy server will be (as a rule, 172.16.0.1 is used).

It should be noted here that both the address of the target device and the address of the server itself depend on the selected netmask.

So, the mask 255.255.255.0 will give you only 256 addresses of the 172.16.0.X type, the 255.255.0.0 mask already provides 65536 addresses of the 172.16.X.X type, and the 255.0.0.0 mask gives 16777216 addresses. And the proxy server address can be any of the selected range.

How to set up a proxy server?

Let's make a reservation right away that using all kinds of programs developed for the MS Windows family that partially or completely perform server functions is not the best solution for an office. Ideally, the server is a separate computer and exclusively on a Unix system.

However, here we will look at the "classic" option: setting up a proxy server based on standard Windows features.

So, to install a local proxy server on your computer (all parameters are considered for Windows 7):

1. Go to: "Start" -\u003e "Control Panel" -\u003e "Network and Sharing Center" -\u003e

2. In the list that appears, select the shortcut for connecting to the Internet, single-click on it with the right mouse button and select "Properties"

3. Here in the "Access" tab:

Check the box next to "Allow other network users to use this computer's Internet connection."
- Then a system warning may appear that the settings will change - confirm this action;

4. In the "Network" tab, select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IP)" and click the "Properties" button

  • - Select "Use the following IP address";
  • - Specify the IP address of the proxy server;
  • - Specify the selected netmask;
  • - Leave the "Default gateway" field blank;
  • - Click "OK" and "OK" again

On this, the minimum settings of the proxy server are completed, then, if desired, you can separately set authorization (login / password), content filtering, monitoring of use, etc. (this is additional software).

How to connect to a proxy server?

After configuring the server itself, you must also configure the connection to it on all computers in the local network.

So, to go to the proxy server on a computer with windows 7 OS:

1. Go to: "Start" -\u003e "Control Panel" -\u003e "Network and Sharing Center" -\u003e "Change adapter settings".

2. In the list that appears, select your connection, right-click on it and select "Properties":

In the Networking tab, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IP) and click the Properties button.
- Select "Use the following IP address".
- Specify the IP address of this computer from the selected range.
- Specify the selected netmask
- In the "Default gateway" field, enter the IP address of our proxy server

Click OK and OK again

3. Go to the browser options.

Here you need to install the following data:

Go to: "Connections" -\u003e "Network settings" -\u003e "Use a proxy server for local connections";

Enter the address of your proxy server (leave port 80)

Also, these parameters can be registered through the windows 7 control panel:

Can't connect to proxy server: what to do?

Often, when connecting through a proxy server, a connection error occurs (the server refuses to accept the connection).

As a rule, the reason lies either in the communication line itself or in the installed settings.

The "ping" command will help to check the connection with the server at the physical level. If the line is ok, restart the server (still on MS Windows) and check the settings of both the server itself and the client.

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