Guidance on Browsing Anonymously with Proxies

Access a proxy site.

Click on the link to the proxy site. It's wise to research the proxy beforehand. If you're skeptical about its owner, think about setting up a web proxy on your own web host, bearing in mind the potential strain it may cause.

Enter a website's name into the proxy's search bar.

You'll usually find a search bar at the center of the proxy's page. This is where you input the website's name.

Hit the 'Search' or 'Go' button.

Typically located below the search field, this button executes the search through the proxy, bypassing your school's network.

Launch Chrome.

Find the iconic red, yellow, green, and blue sphere and open it.

Tap the ⋮ menu.

Located at the top-right corner of the Chrome window.

Click on Settings.

Located towards the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Scroll and select Advanced.

Located at the bottom of the Settings page.

Locate and select Open proxy settings.

It's positioned under the 'System' category towards the bottom of the page. This action will open either your computer's Internet Options window (Windows) or the Network window (Mac).

Click on LAN settings.

This option lies under the 'Local Area Network (LAN) settings' section near the bottom of the page.

• For Mac users, ensure to enable the 'Automatic Proxy Configuration' option.

Tick the 'Use a proxy server for your LAN' checkbox.

It's located below the 'Proxy server' heading.

• Mac users should input their proxy server's address in the displayed text box.

Provide your proxy server's details.

Fill in the required fields:

• Address - Input the proxy server's address.
• Port - Enter the proxy server's port number.
• On Mac, ensure to activate the 'Use Passive FTP Mode (PASV)' option.

Click OK.

This action will save your configured proxy settings.

Click on Apply.

By doing this, your settings will be applied. You should now be able to browse anonymously in Google Chrome. Note that you may need to restart your Chrome browser.

• The Internet Options settings also affect Internet Explorer, meaning your Chrome proxy will work for IE as well.
• The Network settings on Mac also affect Safari, so your Chrome proxy will also function for Safari.

Launch Firefox.

You'll recognize it by the blue globe with an orange fox encircling it.

Tap on ☰.

This icon resides in the top-right corner of the Firefox window.

Click on Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac).

You'll find this gear-shaped icon towards the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Click on General.

The General tab is located on the top left side of the Firefox window.

Scroll down to the bottom to locate the 'Network Settings' Section.

Click on Settings.

This option is positioned to the right of the 'Network Settings' heading.

Click the Manual proxy configuration circle.

This choice is the final radio switch beneath the 'Configure Proxies to Access the Internet' heading.

Input your proxy information.

You'll be required to fill out the following fields:

• HTTP Proxy - Enter your proxy server's address here.
• Port - Input the server's port number here.

Tick the 'Use this proxy server for all server protocols' checkbox.

It's situated directly beneath the 'HTTP Proxy' field.

Click on OK.

This option is located at the bottom of the window. Clicking it will save your settings.

Launch Internet Explorer.

You'll recognize it by the blue 'e' logo with a yellow band.

Tap on ⚙️.

This choice can be found in the upper-right corner of the Internet Explorer window.

Click on Internet options.

It's located near the bottom of the drop-down menu.

Click the Connections tab.

This tab is positioned at the top of the Internet Options window.

Click on LAN settings.

This button is found under the 'Local Area Network (LAN) settings' heading near the bottom of the page.

Tick the 'Use a proxy server for your LAN' box.

It's situated below the 'Proxy server' heading.

Input your proxy server's information.

Complete the following fields:

• Address - Enter the proxy server's address.
• Port - Enter the proxy server's port number.

Click on Apply.

By doing this, your settings will be applied. You should now be able to browse anonymously in Internet Explorer, though you may need to restart the browser.

• These settings will also apply to Google Chrome.

Click the Proxy tab.

It's located at the bottom of the column of options on the left side of the Network & Internet window.

• You may have to scroll down on the left-hand column to see this tab.

Turn on the proxy server.

Click the switch below the 'Use a proxy server' heading.

• If you see 'On' below this switch, your Edge proxy is already enabled.

Input your proxy server's information.

Complete the following fields:

• Address - Enter the proxy server's address.
• Port - Enter the proxy server's port number.

Click on Save.

It's located at the very bottom of the page. This action will apply your proxy settings to Microsoft Edge, though you may need to restart Edge for the changes to take place.

Click on System Preferences.

This option can be found near the top of the drop-down menu.

Click the Network icon.

It resembles a globe in the System Preferences menu.

Click on Advanced.

This option is located in the middle of the Network page.

Click on the Proxies tab.

You'll find it at the top of the window.

• You might need to click the lock icon first and enter your administrator name and password.

Check the box labeled Automatic Proxy Configuration.

It's located under the Select a protocol to configure heading on the left side of the Proxies window.

• If the box is already checked, click the text Automatic Proxy Configuration instead.

Input your proxy's address.

Do this in the Proxy Configuration File URL text box.

Ensure that the Use Passive FTP Mode (PASV) box is checked.

If it isn't, click the empty checkbox before proceeding.

Click on OK.

It's located at the bottom of the page. This action will set up your proxy server for Safari.

Click on Apply.

By doing this, your settings will be applied to Safari, although you may need to restart Safari if it's already open.

• These changes will also affect Chrome.

• Many universities and workplaces have dedicated proxy servers.

• Keep in mind that when using a proxy, the owner can log, store, and retain any data passing through it.

• Some websites, like Google, restrict Tor traffic for various reasons.

• Open proxies are attractive to hackers as they can intercept any unencrypted (HTTP instead of HTTPS) session data. Tor enforces HTTPS connections and you can enhance security with the 'HTTPS-Everywhere' extension in Firefox.

• The EU Cybercrime convention (2001) clearly identifies the use of open proxies as a criminal offense.

• Both open proxies and paid VPNs log your IP address and may expose it to third-party servers, compromising anonymity. Tor, on the other hand, provides the most robust public anonymity.