A proxy makes requests on your behalf. Instead of connecting to a site directly, your browser sends the request to the proxy, which forwards it and brings back the answer. The site sees the proxy’s IP address, not yours.
Kinds of proxy
- HTTP proxy: for web traffic; common in company networks to apply access rules, cache content or inspect traffic.
- SOCKS proxy: protocol-independent, it can carry non-web traffic too, but adds no encryption by itself.
- Transparent proxy: sits in the network path without any configuration on your side; seen in schools and offices.
Reverse proxies and CDNs
A reverse proxy stands in front of a server: visitors connect to it, and it forwards requests to the server behind. Content delivery networks such as Cloudflare work this way, which is why an IP lookup of many websites shows the CDN’s network rather than the site’s own server.
Residential proxies
Some services route traffic through ordinary home connections. Such addresses are indistinguishable from real home users, which makes them very hard to detect; some of them belong to devices that joined these networks through apps, not always with their owners’ informed consent.
Proxy vs VPN
| Proxy | VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Usually one app or browser | All of the device’s traffic |
| Encryption | None by itself (except HTTPS sites) | Encrypted between device and VPN server |
| Setup | A browser or app setting | A VPN app or the operating system |
| Typical use | Company networks, caching, automation | Privacy, untrusted Wi-Fi, remote access |
The VPN and proxy detection tool shows Tor, data-centre and provider signals for an address, with their sources — and says plainly that no reliable list of residential proxies exists.