Proxy Basic

What is Proxy Server?

A proxy server is a machine that sits between the proxy users and the servers that they need access to. When a proxy user requests a certain remote resource using a URL, the proxy server receives this request and fetches the resource to fulfill the client’s request. This process enables the proxy server to store the requested content in a cache. Any new request that asks for information already in the cache no longer needs to be serviced by fetching it from the remote server. Instead, the new request is serviced from the cached data. In typical proxy scenarios, the purpose of a proxy server is to fetch the requested resource from the remote server, return it to the requesting user, and cache it in local drives.

What is an anonymous proxy server?

Anonymous proxy does not transfer the information about the IP-address of its user, and thus effectively hide the information about you and your surfing interests. In addition, some proxies (the so-called elite proxies) can also hide the fact that a user surfing through a proxy server. So there are two types of anonymous proxies (see below).

Anonymous Proxy server does not send HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR variable to host, this improves privacy since your IP address cannot be logged.
Elite proxy (high anonymity) does not send HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR, HTTP_VIA and HTTP_PROXY_CONNECTION variables. Host doesn't even know you are using proxy server and of course it doesn't know your IP address.

What is CoDeeN proxy?

PlanetLab (CoDeeN) proxy - The PlanetLab Consortium is a collection of academic, industrial, and government institutions cooperating to support and enhance the PlanetLab overlay network. CoDeeN is an academic testbed Content Distribution Network (CDN) built on top of PlanetLab by the Network Systems Group at Princeton University. This testbed CDN consists of a network of high-performance proxy servers. Currently, proxy servers have been deployed on many PlanetLab nodes. These proxy servers behave both as request redirectors and server surrogates. They cooperate with each other and collectively provide a fast and robust web content delivery service to CoDeeN users. Note that all accesses via CoDeeN are logged, mostly to aid in identifying abuse and other forms of damage control. However, these proxies are good for browsing some Internet resources.

How to set up Internet Explorer 6.x for using proxy?

1. Click "Service" \ "Internet Options";
2. Click "Connections";
3. If you use Dial-Up connection, choose your connection and click "Settings" button,
if you use LAN connection, click "LAN Settings" button in the "Local Area Network (LAN) Settings" group box;
Enable "use a proxy server";
4. In fields "Address" and "port", type proxy name and proxy port number;
5. If nessesary, enable "bypass proxy server for local addresses";
6. Click "OK";

Public Proxies and the Low

According to to U.S. law, 18 U.S.C. § 1030 (Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers) applies only when anyone who knowingly accesses a computer without authorization or has knowingly exceeds his authorized access on that computer. Because an opened proxy, by default, allows connections and use of the service by anyone in the WWW, its administrator has essentially authorized everyone to use the proxy.

Why some server administrators make mistakes with their proxy servers?

It happened because somebody just dropped a proxy server on their network without fully considering the consequences of their action. They didn't bother to properly design a server access control list, and because it is available on the public internet, a spammer found it and began to use it for their spamming ventures. Quite often a server administrator is very upset at his mistake, and is looking to "pursue each ISP in attempts to track down the guilty parties". Unfortunately, he is ignoring the person who had the most power to prevent this situation. Himself. Live, learn, realize that you made a mistake configuring your server, and get back to working. Unless your business is that of hunting spammers, it really will not be worth your while to waste money and time chasing ISPs and shadows of spam fiends.