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In short: the difference is that VPNs do everything that proxies do (and then some) but better. It’s usually cheaper than most as the costs are divided between everyone using it. This means that all of them are covered under the same IP. Shared proxy server: a proxy server available to several select users at once.However, this also means they are a lot slower than the other options. This option provides many users with its IP address at once. Public proxy server: a free proxy server that is accessible to anyone.Any information requested through this proxy is routed via the same physical device. Residential proxy server: a proxy server that gives you an IP address tied to a physical device.This usually makes the proxy server provide faster results. Data center proxy server: a proxy server that exists in a data center somewhere.This masks your identity as well as the proxy itself. Distorting proxy server: a proxy server that hides from the websites it accesses by pretending it has a different IP address.High-anonymity proxy server: a proxy server that erases any information gathered on the device before connecting to any websites.It accesses the internet for the user to hide any personal information. Anonymous proxy server: a proxy server that focuses on making you anonymous online (as you’d guess from the name).Forward proxy server: a proxy server that’s used to examine any requests over the network before allowing them to go through.Transparent proxy server: a proxy server that allows certain restrictions to be placed on a network, mostly used by employers or schools to limit access to certain websites.SOCKS5 proxy server: a more powerful proxy server variety that works on a deeper layer of the operating system, allowing it to cover more apps and better penetrate the blocks.HTTP proxy server: a simple proxy server (perhaps the most simple you can find) that’s used to route your web traffic.
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There are a few different kinds of proxies: This makes it seem like you’re connecting from the proxy server’s location.
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What is a proxy server?Ī proxy server works by routing data through an additional server before sending it to your online destination. This makes it look like you’re connecting from the VPN server’s location and makes the data sent from your device unreadable to prying eyes. The server decrypts it and sends it to the online destination. A VPN ( Virtual Private Network ) works by having an app (usually – it can also be a browser plugin) that encrypts your traffic and routes it to a VPN server.
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