Proxy vs. VPN
When it comes to unblocking sites and hiding your IP address when you go online, you might get suggestions like “VPN proxy” or “free web proxy.” You might wonder what the difference is and what makes a VPN better than a proxy. We have the answers to your questions; read on.
What is a Proxy Server?
A proxy server is a connection point between the internet and your device. Among some of the benefits and functions of the proxy server is that it increases your network efficiency, especially when connected to your local router.
In addition, it helps enforce content restrictions and authenticates any users on your network. You can find proxy servers on public Wi-Fi hotspots, like those in hotels or airports, and they often require no manual configurations before you can use them.
Other places you can find proxies are on remote servers, where their function is to bypass any local restrictions or censorships that may be affecting your local network, often imposed by your ISPs. These proxies require configuration before effectively hiding your original IP address and encrypting your internet traffic.
What is a VPN?
A VPN, also known as Virtual Private Network, allows users to change their location, stay completely private, beef up their internet security, and help bypass any censorship placed on websites.
It provides a secure tunnel as an intermediary between the internet and your device. This ensures that your internet traffic, although it passes through the regular ISP route, will be unreadable – and its intended destination will also be unknown.
A top-notch VPN, like ExtremeVPN, also restricts the websites you visit from seeing your original IP address, substituting it with the IP from its private server — regularly switched around.
What Differentiates a Proxy and a VPN?
From a technical standpoint, a VPN server is also a proxy server. “VPN” and “VPN proxy” can stand in for the same function as they are often interchangeable in meaning and function. A proxy server that utilizes HTTPS is similar to a VPN, but while a proxy server encrypts web traffic, the VPN goes the extra mile to route and encrypt all the traffic through its many servers.