They are server computers allover the world that act as a MIDDLE MAN between your computer and the website you are accessing. They are mostly owned by companies and universities so when the server computer is shut down, the proxy stops working temporarily.
IP address:
It is the unique ID of your computer when you access the internet.
Proxy servers are classified into:
1. Elite (High Anonymous):
They don’t reveal your real IP to the website
Also, don’t reveal their real IP.
2. Anonymous only:
They don’t reveal your real IP to the website
but, they reveal their real IP.
3. Distorting Proxy:
They give fake IP to the website (as if it is your IP)
and they do the same for their IP.
4. CoDeeN (Content Distribution Network):
They are a network of servers all over the world made by Princeton University to help Universities to access their subscriptions in major publishers as ScienceDirect, Springer and Wiley to get Full texts and Books.
They are Anonymous, but they are NOT really? Why?
Because although they don’t reveal your true IP, but they have a Log for your activity on their servers to prevent anyone from using their anonymous servers in an illegal activity.
5. Transparent Proxy:
They reveal both your and their IPs to the website, they are mostly being used by people just to accelerate their web browsing.
2-Speed: Proxies are large computers that usually have a large CACHE which stores the previously visited websites, so if you want to visit a website that someone visited before, you will see the website loading very fast as the Proxy loads it from its CACHE.
3-Security: Anonymous proxies hide your real IP address, thus, preventing any hacker from tracking you or manipulating your computer, also, helps some people to do cracking & hacking with a little chance to be tracked.
4-Skip the BLOCKING made by your ISP from visiting certain sites (e.g.: sites banned for political reasons or porn sites)
