In articles and everyday communication, we use very often the word “proxy”. But what is a proxy? Why do I need a proxy on my iPhone?
What are proxy servers?
Proxy servers, or “authorized servers,” are server applications that represent a function of a firewall and filter in network communication. Proxy servers improve security. When an Internet user sends a request for some Internet content (web page, images, etc.) via his ISP or local network (in the case of an intranet), the proxy server makes a web request, collects the response from the webserver, and forwards you to see the page in your browser.
For example, suppose your company does not want you to use the resources of your network and the Internet to search for some “inappropriate content” (read “erotic”). In that case, the proxy server will set a filter so that the server will reject your every download request (of such content). If, however, you have access to such content, then the server itself will provide it for you and deliver it.
But not to confuse you, a proxy server doesn’t work as a modem. It will first “look” in its own “cache,” whether the requested page may not be there. If there is no requested content in the “cache,” they will contact the appropriate server and request a website from the Internet using a unique IP address of the content. For users, the proxy server is an invisible component of the network. Proxy servers improve performance by providing frequently requested content from the Internet and filtering and rejecting requests that the owner does not consider appropriate in both directions – to the local network and from the local network to the Internet.
How to Turn Off Proxy on iPhone?
- Open Settings option on iPhone. Tap icon on Home Screen.
- Tap on the Wi-Fi option
- Tap on the blue circle. In some iPhone models, the letter “i” is inside the circle.
- Find HTTP Proxy and tap on “Off” to turn the proxy server off.
If you have an iOS device and are trying to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot at work or school, you may need to set up a proxy server so that your device can make outbound connections to websites outside of your local area. The process is simple, and you can do it in just a few steps:
Open Your Settings
Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy to set up proxies for iPhones and iPads. Next, click the name of the Wi‑Fi network you’re currently connected to. Next, scroll down at the bottom of the page until you see the “HTTP proxy” option. By default, this setting is turned off. To turn it on, select the toggle switch next to it. You’ll then be prompted to enter information about the proxy server you wish to configure. Your Apple device will use this proxy server when making outbound requests to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Determine Proxy
You’ll first need to determine what kind of proxy you want to use. In most cases, your iPhone or iPad will use Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol or WPAD. This standard protocol allows your device to detect available proxy servers on the network. If your Wi-Fi router supports it, you should already be able to access the WPAD configuration page. Otherwise, it would help if you used an automatic proxy configuration script.
Set up a proxy using PAC file
The easiest way to start using a proxy server is through an automatic proxy configuration script (a.pac file). You need to manually specify the URL of the proxy server’s configuration file to set this up. To do this, select “Manual” on the HTTP Proxy menu. Next, enter the IP address of the proxy server into the Server field and enter the port number required by the proxy server into the Port field. You’ll be provided with these details by your organization or proxy service provider. If your proxy requires a username and password, make sure to ask them from your organization. Afterward, enable the “Authentication” option and input the required information there.
Test Connection
To test if your settings are working correctly, open Safari on your iOS device and go to a website like Google.com. If you’ve configured the correct proxy server, you should now be able to view the site without any problems. Remember to check all the information twice before entering them. Incorrect information will lead to issues connecting to the Internet. For example, if you’re trying to go to a website on Safari, the page will say, “Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found” on the page. You have to go back and ensure that the information entered was correct when this happens. Things to Remember Proxy settings are different for every Wi-Fi network. While you may have one proxy server defined for one Wi-Fi network, you might need a different one for another. If ever you need to change the proxy settings for Wi-Fi networks, follow steps 1-4 above again, and you’ll be good to go.
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