Proxy programs

o2proxy.com

8 min

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Review of programs for working with proxies | proxifiers

The need to work through a proxy can be caused by various reasons. It doesn’t matter whether this is due to the topology of the enterprise’s working network, which accesses the global network through a proxy for the purpose of additional protection from network attacks and control of outgoing traffic, or whether a gamer wants to use a proxy, for whom the maximum transmission speed of his reaction is important to a game server located in another country.

To surf the Internet using a proxy, just select the connection method through a proxy in your browser’s network connection settings and fill in up to four fields. Usually this is the IP address of the proxy server, port number and login-password pair if the proxy requires authorization.

That is, everything is simple with browsers. But what if it is necessary for a program that does not have network settings in general or proxy settings in particular to access the Internet through a proxy?

One way is to use proxy programs.

The proxy program creates a local proxy server on the user’s computer, which intercepts requests to access the Internet from all programs or those specified in the proxy settings and sends the request through an external proxy server.

This is the main function of the proxy; in addition to it, these applications perform many other auxiliary functions - working through several proxy servers in a chain, logging and analyzing traffic, filtering it, and other functions necessary for professionals.

Proxifier

The best program in this class and the first in this review is Proxifier. The name of all the programs in this review is self-explanatory, but Proxifier is correct from a marketing point of view. A non-professional looking for a program for working with proxies is more likely to react to this name than to one that has a highly technical meaning.

The creators of the program website took care of adding the site to the Web of Trust rating, which once again speaks of quality.

The program developers have a close connection with St. Petersburg, but this is not advertised. The program website is in English, as is the program interface, and technical support is provided in English.

The Proxifier program is paid, costs almost $40, the license is unlimited within the current version line. The standard “try, then buy” scheme is used. The 31-day trial period is not limited by any functionality restrictions.

In addition to the standard version, a portable version of the program is offered. They cost the same, the portable one allows you not to be tied to a specific computer, but to run the program on different machines, however, this implementation carries some limitations - only applications with a graphical interface can be launched through a proxy, and it is also impossible to proxy processes launched as system services.

However, an Internet cafe user who carries everything on a flash drive is usually satisfied with this functionality.

The program supports all versions of Microsoft operating systems, starting from the completely outdated Windows XP. MacOs users are not forgotten. The program is signed with a digital certificate, which inspires trust and indicates a serious approach - the developers do not skimp.

The installation of the program is standard and does not offer anything extra, which is natural for paid versions. The interface is laconic and functional. The settings window is simple and intuitive:

As soon as the proxy settings are applied, that is, the “OK” button is pressed, all programs begin to work through it. Maximum simplicity for the user: install the program via “next, next, next”, open the tab with proxy servers, fill out up to four fields and that’s it - application traffic goes through the proxy.

The statistics are convenient and minimally informative.

I installed Proxifier as a user with limited rights, giving the program administrator rights upon request, but the program can be easily turned off from the tray, which can be a disadvantage when installing on client machines. However, the program settings allow you to hide the tray icon.

ProxyCap

The next program in the review also has a win-win name from a marketing point of view - ProxyCap.

The site is a little simpler visually, but it is also informative and concise, like the site of the first program in the review. There is no digital signature, no trademarks are declared on the site, which, however, does not at all contradict the seriousness of the developers.

ProxyCap costs $30, which is noticeably cheaper than Proxifier, supports the entire Windows line, is available for MacOs, does not have a portable version for working from removable media, but there is a version for phones on the Windows Mobile platform.

A trial version without functionality limitations is available for 30 days. The ProxyCap website does not have detailed documentation for the program, but there is a list of common questions about the program and their answers.

Installing the program is standard, but immediately after it the program requires a reboot to start working. The program is automatically added to startup and, once loaded, displays the following window:

The interface is simple; to add a proxy, you need to click on the only highlighted icon in the upper right corner (there is no context menu).

After adding a proxy and clicking the “OK” button, highlighting the line, you can check the availability of the server, make sure that the data entered is correct, and the “IP-port” and “login-password” pairs are correct. The check is called by clicking on the icon with a lightning bolt, and then clicking on the “Check Now” button that appears. The actions are intuitively simple.

If Proxifier allows you not to create rules for proxification to work, then for ProxyCap a rule needs to be created, however, for ordinary users who do not need fine-tuning, creating a rule is intuitively simple and is just a formality.

In the tree on the left you need to select “Rules”, on the right select the first icon that symbolizes the addition.

By default, permission is set here for all programs, and if fine-tuning with port ranges, ip, or indication of allowed sites is not required, then just click “OK”.

Just two more steps to get everything working out of the box compared to Proxifier. The first action is to reboot after installing ProxyCap.

The statistics produced by the program are similar to Proxifier:

I especially liked the fact that the program can only be configured under an administrative account and a user with a limited account will not be able to change settings or turn off the program from the tray.

But not only with the help of paid programs, you can access the network through a proxy for those programs that do not have the appropriate settings.

I consider only current solutions for today, so I don’t write about FreeCap and WideCap - these 2 programs from Igor Artemyev are free (previously WideCap was paid, as it was a further development of FreeCap), but they only work under Windows XP and, at best, under Windows Vista. Some other programs were not included in the review; some of them do not work under modern operating systems, others have long been abandoned by their developers. The format of this article does not allow to describe all programs.

SockCap64

A free proxy program that works under all versions of Windows, from Windows XP to Windows 10, is SockCap64. The program works with both 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows; there is also a portable version for working from removable media.

The author stated that he no longer supports the project, but the latest version is relatively recent, it was released in November 2017.

Don’t be pleasantly misled by the Russian-language interface during installation; the program is in English. The installation is standard - the “next, next, next” familiar to all users. Don’t be afraid to miss a tick, which, quietly hiding, will put something obsessively unnecessary. The installer does not install any third-party programs.

After installation, two launch shortcuts will appear on the desktop - one for a user with limited rights in the system, the other with full rights. Why they are needed is not very clear to me, but they exist.

A message will also appear stating that the list of application rules is clear and a proposal to add the browser to this list.

A proxy disclaimer will appear that you must accept.

Then the main program window, in which two browsers installed on the test system appeared.

Adding a proxy server for inexperienced users may be more difficult than in the programs described above. For others, everything is intuitive.

After clicking the big “Proxy” button, Proxy Maneger will open with the empty contents of the window. The right mouse button opens a context menu; after selecting the first line in it, the user will not see a window with input fields, but a line will appear whose fields must be edited, like tables in Excel.

In the first column there is a hint - “Click to edit IP”; in the same way, by clicking, the remaining necessary columns are filled in. In most cases, you will only need the first four, and the fifth column, where you need to specify the type of proxy server.

As with other review programs, the proxy can be tested by selecting the desired item in the context menu to make sure that the service is working and the fields are filled out without errors.

After checking, it is important not to forget to click on the “Save” button, which is not noticeable and is located on the right, closer to the bottom of the screen. Otherwise, the fields will have to be filled out again.

It is important not to forget that the program that must be launched through this proxy must be launched only from its window and nothing more. Otherwise, when launched from the desktop, the desired program will not access the network through a proxy.

Official website of the program - https://www.sockscap64.com/homepage/

conclusions

This short review examined three programs for working with proxies as proxifiers.

The leader of the review is Proxifier. For professionals, it provides many functions - they are described on the website, and for ordinary users, the program is good because it requires a minimum of actions from the user to configure it. The user can purchase a portable version and use the proxy on any computer. The program is developing and supports a huge list of technical implementations of proxy servers.

Proxycap has similar functions and is cheaper, except that it takes a little longer to install. Does not have a portable version. The program is also being developed, which means reliable operation for serious demanding users. Good for installation on client machines - a user without administrator rights does not have access to the program settings.

Sockcap64 is free and has a rich feature set, with a portable version available. Development of the program has been discontinued by the author. The program is more difficult to configure for inexperienced users and requires care when launching applications. A good choice for those who don't have extra money.

Users can use the first two review programs free of charge for a month with full functionality for review.