Native Proxy

The main task of these two popular technologies is to provide security for the Internet user. Despite a certain similarity of tasks, they are performed absolutely differently. Proxy, although it allows you to remain anonymous and bypass blocked sites, it is still quite vulnerable, especially when it comes to untested services. VPN in this regard looks preferable, because thanks to end-to-end encryption it reliably protects information from the entry point to the exit point.

To configure a proxy manually, you'll need to access the settings of the application or software you're using that requires a proxy server. The steps to configure a proxy manually will vary depending on the application or software. Here are some general steps for common applications:

For Web Browsers:

1. Open your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
2. Click on the menu button (usually three horizontal lines or three dots) and select "Settings" or "Options."
3. Look for a section related to "Network settings," "Proxy settings," or "Connections."
4. In the proxy settings, you'll find fields for the proxy server address and port. Enter the proxy server address and port provided by your proxy service.
5. If your proxy server requires authentication, enter the username and password in the respective fields.
6. Save your changes and close the settings window.

For Windows:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type "inetcpl" and press Enter to open the Internet Properties window.
3. Go to the "Connections" tab, and click on "LAN settings."
4. In the LAN settings, check the box next to "Use a proxy server for your LAN" if you have a proxy server configured. Enter the proxy server address and port in the appropriate fields.
5. If your proxy server requires authentication, check the box next to "Bypass proxy server for local addresses" and enter the local IP address of the website you want to access (e.g., "127.0.0.1" for localhost).
6. Save your changes and close the Internet Properties window.

For macOS:

1. Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences."
2. Click "Network."
3. Select the network connection you want to configure the proxy settings for (e.g., Wi-Fi, Ethernet).
4. Click the "Advanced" button.
5. Go to the "Proxies" tab.
6. Check the box next to "HTTP proxy" or "HTTPS proxy" if you have a proxy server configured. Enter the proxy server address and port in the appropriate fields. 7. If your proxy server requires authentication, click the "Security" tab and check the box next to "Proxy server is secure." Enter the username and password in the respective fields.
8. Save your changes and close the Network preferences window.

Proxy servers are needed for Telegram, so that they can substitute their IP address instead of the real one. This procedure makes it possible to avoid blocking and bypass the ban on the messenger in our country. There are three types of protocols that can be set up for Telegram: Socks5, HTTP and MTPROTO. As for the last protocol, its own applications are developed for it.

You can check the validity of proxies by using special software and a proxy checker. These tools not only check if the proxy is working, but also inform you about possible blocking by various platforms and social networks. Online services (checkers) also provide information related to ping, speed, proxy anonymity level, and geo. The combination of all these data allows for the most objective assessment of a proxy server's performance.

In e-mail, proxy servers are used for secure data exchange as well as for collecting e-mails from several e-mail addresses at once. For example, this is how Gmail works, which also allows you to receive e-mails from mail.ru and other e-mail services.