Surprising ways proxy servers have an edge over web proxies

What is a web proxy?

A web proxy is a method to make the websites you access not see your IP address. Web proxies are easy to access. When using this kind of proxy, the websites you visit may not see your real location, because the proxy makes it feel like you are accessing the page elsewhere.

Web proxies act as shields between you and the website you access. When you enter a web page through web proxies, the website sees that a specific IP address makes requests to the server. However, that address is not yours, because all web traffic between your device and the webserver is first passed through the proxy server.

Advantages and disadvantages of web proxies

So the web proxy is part of a proxy server, but it is different because it is an online proxy. For the most part, these proxies are given by providers that offer you free proxies, which should not be easily trusted. If you do not pay for services, you may pay in another way, such as your private data.

Web proxies are easier to use than proxy servers that you have to manually configure with the IP address and port number. However, those proxy servers are compatible with all sorts of devices and applications, while an online proxy is only useful on the web when you enter web pages from your web browser. You can tell if a proxy website is a web proxy if they have a place where you can put a URL to browse the web through the proxy.

An online proxy can do so much for you. In short, it hides your real IP address. However, an online proxy, even a truly encrypted and anonymous one, will not mask your identity if you use an online account that is linked to your real identity.

Why a proxy server is better?

A proxy server is a third party getting between your device and the internet. It is a proxy that keeps the end-users apart from the servers they send requests to. Proxy servers offer different levels of functionality, confidentiality, security, and privacy, depending on the use case, needs, or policies of the company.

A proxy has its IP address and uses it instead of your own. When you submit a web request, your request will first go to the proxy server. Then, it sends the inquiry on your behalf and collects the response from the webserver. After that, it transmits the data so that you can access the page in your browser or software of choice.

When an HTTP proxy transmits your requests, it can make modifications to that request. It will still receive the information you want to get. A proxy server can cover your IP address so that the webserver does not know your exact location. It can encrypt your data so that your data cannot be read in transit. And finally, a proxy server can block access to websites based on the IP address.