18 replies to this topic

[Hermione_P]

hey,
I'm new here. I want to know about Proxy servers and stuff. Iserached on Google, and found some lists of proxy servers, but I haven't got any clue, what I'm supposed to do with that. So can anyone here tell me what exactly is a proxy server and how to use it, please?
Thanks.

Edited to add: I also wanted to know if somebody knows my IP address, can that be dangerous?

Edited by Hermione_P, 04 August 2004 - 08:58 AM.

[Paranoid]

It's not that dangerous. But it can be too.

[Hermione_P]

Thanks.

[phantom286]

I can across a proxy service a while back at www.proxyconn.com proxy conn
Their servive is 6 dollars a month but it's also a web accelerator that can filter out some banner ads and the new version says it looks for ad ware. I tried it at hackerwatch.org and they couldn't read my ip address.

[Gwyrox732]

Proxy Servers are remote servers that, when you configure your computer to use them, route all of your internet activities through. This can be advantageous for many reasons: Can speed up internet access if a chached copy of a page is on the server, the proxy may be running some kind of adblocking software, etc, etc.

[Hermione_P]

Thanks a lot for the help.

By the way, I had another question. I read on some site that even if I use anonymous proxy server, the java in browser, gives away my real IP address. so if I disable Java, does that affect Internet Explorer in bad way? I mean, if I disable java in it, I'll still be able to surf without problems or not?

They also said that I'd need a firewall, while using proxy server and I'm pretty confused as to which one to use, Zonealarm or Kerio or sygate.

And one more question, sorry of this is stupid, but what is 'bump'?

I really appreciate your help. Thanks in advance.

[Tuxedo Jack]

If you run through a proxy, all your Internet traffic runs through it, so they know what you do.

They'll have your IP, but if you chain the proxy to another proxy, you'll lose them in the loop.

Be very careful when you use proxies.

A bump is a harmless post in a thread to bring it to the top of a list.

Edited by Tuxedo Jack, 10 August 2004 - 02:39 AM.

[quack]

I have used a free proxy for a couple of years . . . does a great job blocking banners and popups . . . especially when used in conjunction with Firefox!

quidescope.com

[Paranoid]

I really appreciate your help. Thanks in advance.

By the way, I had another question. I read on some site that even if I use anonymous proxy server, the java in browser, gives away my real IP address. so if I disable Java, does that affect Internet Explorer in bad way? I mean, if I disable java in it, I'll still be able to surf without problems or not?

Ideally you should remove both JAVA and Javascript if you want to be absolutely sure that your real ip address won't leak.

As for how such a move would affect you, it would depend on whether the site you are visiting uses Java and javascript and the degree in which they are required.

They also said that I'd need a firewall, while using proxy server and I'm pretty confused as to which one to use, Zonealarm or Kerio or sygate.

Given your current level, Zone alarm.

And one more question, sorry of this is stupid, but what is 'bump'?

On most forums like this one, posts are arranged in the order in which the last reply was made. Threads which have recent posts will appear on top. Those with no recent replies will be at the bottom.

When a thread is not replied to for a long time, it gets burried deep down. A reply (Any reply) to it will cause it to appear at the top again.

A post which is made with the explict purpose of making it appear at the top again
is known as "bumping" it up. Traditonally, the post will be a empty one, except for the single word bump.

[Hermione_P]

Hey,
Thanks a lot for asnwering my queries. That helped a lot!

Oh, I've been using ZoneAlarm for a long while now. It's nice, but still I'm thinking about trying out Kerio too.

Anyway, thanks again for helping.

[Hermione_P]

Hi,
I'm back with another query. I tried using proxy server, Elite Proxy, to be specific. It worked alright the first time round, though it slowed down the connection a little. And now when I use any Elite proxy, my connection goes down completely. I can't connect to any site at all. Is there any way to solve this problem or any better proxy server, may be?
Thanks in advance.

[Hydroponic Garden]

Ghost Surf Pro 2005.... takes care of anyone even your ISP seeing your IP or where you go online, that meaning it is masked by anonymous hubs, more info visit: www.tenebril.com/products/ghostsurf


-Hydroponic Garden

[Spacer]

Ghost Surf Pro 2005.... takes care of anyone even your ISP seeing your IP or where you go online, that meaning it is masked by anonymous hubs, more info visit:  www.tenebril.com/products/ghostsurf


-Hydroponic Garden

LoL
-your ISP WILL see your IP and not just him
-web sites where you want to look anonymouse can use several techniques to identify your real ip so be aware of it and dont believe this markenting wannabe happy looking products.
- these remote http proxy/gates are slowing down your browsing most of the time and disabling some http application/websites from working due to different http data chunk postponing/reencapsulation.
Regards David

[patsy]

LoL
-your ISP WILL see your IP and not just him
-web sites where you want to look anonymouse can use several techniques to identify your real ip so be aware of it and dont believe this markenting wannabe happy looking products.

I currently use Ananymizer Total Net Shield, which uses tunneling principles. I'm a newbie so I am not sure how safe is that. Can it stop prying ISPs?

[Spacer]

I currently use Ananymizer Total Net Shield, which uses tunneling principles.  I'm a newbie so I am not sure how safe is that.  Can it stop prying ISPs?

ISP can see tunneling.. and from who to who its connecting.. however it might be 99% imposible to read whats passing inside of that tunnel.
But it doesnt matter a much
once u do tunnel to some anonymizers... its immediatelly visible that you want to hide something and this fact is resorvable by tunnel destination ip address (by your ISP)
Now to find out who you are... web server has to do another tricks for example posting timed dns resource object via your browser... that means any kind of object which can request dns resolving ... if you do tunelling of all IP it wouldnt work.. but that is usually overcome by making this object usable more then once i.e. increasing chance of hitting time slot when your tunelling is off.
simply passing .swf object with unique x7939dh9.site.com resource where
x7939dh9 identifies server observed requester IP(could be masked) if
dns server of site.com will see this request from different IP subdomain it will know that former requester changed ISP... or he switched of TUNNEL... revealing his potential true origin.
Now there are more precise techniques.. but my point is
never trust too much to any technology in this... too many layer too many posibilities..

[bowwow]

To know about proxies,go to http://www.bleepingc...tutorial37.html

Also,can anyone tell how can we know the I.P address of our friends or anyone who sends us mails and other stuff.

[Paranoid]

To know about proxies,go to http://www.bleepingc...tutorial37.html

Also,can anyone tell how can we know the I.P address of our friends or anyone who sends us mails and other stuff.

Learn how to read email headers. There are a lot of webpages on that, though a lot of times you can narrow it down only to a given isp's mailserver.

[Paranoid]

I currently use Ananymizer Total Net Shield, which uses tunneling principles.  I'm a newbie so I am not sure how safe is that.  Can it stop prying ISPs?

ISP can see tunneling.. and from who to who its connecting.. however it might be 99% imposible to read whats passing inside of that tunnel.
But it doesnt matter a much
once u do tunnel to some anonymizers... its immediatelly visible that you want to hide something and this fact is resorvable by tunnel destination ip address (by your ISP)
Now to find out who you are... web server has to do another tricks for example posting timed dns resource object via your browser... that means any kind of object which can request dns resolving ... if you do tunelling of all IP it wouldnt work.. but that is usually overcome by making this object usable more then once i.e. increasing chance of hitting time slot when your tunelling is off.
simply passing .swf object with unique x7939dh9.site.com resource where
x7939dh9 identifies server observed requester IP(could be masked) if
dns server of site.com will see this request from different IP subdomain it will know that former requester changed ISP... or he switched of TUNNEL... revealing his potential true origin.
Now there are more precise techniques.. but my point is
never trust too much to any technology in this... too many layer too many posibilities..

LOL, I see we have a really paranoid pal here I see.. But you are right. There are ways and means to get around proxies though most of them require some luck.

But the very first step is to turn off scripting and Java (or filter them somehow), since that's the easiest way and 100% accurate way to snag your true ip.


***********
Techie tracing hacker : Darn he's good, he is bouncing his signal off 8 different routers all around the word. He's in London, no he's in paris, no he's in ..... Damnit it, I'm losing him...
**********

[peterw222]

hi there.

My, what a big topic!

Yes, if someone knows your IP address it can be very dangerous! That is, in fact, one reason why people use proxy servers... so that the public knows only the ip address of the server and not your own address!

but safeguards for this are many and varied, and depend on many things, not the least of which is the configuration of your system and your hook up to the internet!

for instance, when my machine is unattended, it is configured to get a new ip address every 6 minutes and keep that only while it is downloading email. i'm a bit paranoid, but let me tell you, not paranoid enough!

Are you near someplace that has large bookstores? I live near a big barnes and noble which has a great technical section that i just use as a reference library. I'd recommend some general books about firewalls and computer security in general, and then you could find some which deal specifically with proxy firewalls. These books are themselves a kind of adware, in which purportedly academic books are in reality books about a specific product, just one vendor's version of a proxy firewall, but if you skim through a few of them you will get a general understanding of the concepts involved.

Yes, I looked on google for you and there don't seem to be any general texts or courses on line. too bad.

hope this helps!