So what's the deal with these "anonymous web-surfing" programs? they work?

newbie~wan · 04-29-2002, 10:54 PM

I was perusing www.epic.org and was looking at some of the anonymous web surfing programs. Do these really work? Has anybody used any of them and have any good or bad experiences

newbie~wan · 05-06-2002, 10:44 PM

anyone?

shampoo · 05-06-2002, 10:47 PM

You mean like those proxy instant-surf sites? They work, but they are kinda slow...

M_Six · 05-07-2002, 04:41 PM

newbie~wan,

There are no programs that can completely hide your IP. The proxy-type ones work for most sites, but if you set up such a program, you can test the anonimity by going to any site that sells stuff. When you get to a page where you have to give them credit card info, there will be a notice somewhere (usually in very small print) listing your true IP and containing a warning about fraud. I've tested a ton of those programs and proxies and have never found one that can always hide your IP.

shampoo · 05-07-2002, 05:06 PM

I have found a few. I tested them on a forum that I got banned from.

EDIT: They banned me on accident... Of course..

DVNT1 · 05-07-2002, 07:41 PM

A true proxy will hide your IP address from the site you are browsing to. Your IP address will not be hidden from the proxy server though.

By definition, your computer makes a request to the proxy server, then the proxy server requests the information from the host site. Therefore the host site is only communicating with the proxy server, not your computer. So the host site will not see your IP address.

I use a proxy server daily which includes use for online orders and trying many online security check services. None have ever seen my PC's IP address.

Perhaps something like java could be used to run specific code on your computer's browser which may be able to ask your computer for it's IP address.

M_Six · 05-07-2002, 08:11 PM

Care to divulge which proxy service you're using DVNT1? Don't keep a good thing secret.

DVNT1 · 05-07-2002, 09:32 PM

No secret, Novell's BorderManager and Wingate Proxy are two I commonly use.

M_Six · 05-07-2002, 09:53 PM

I may have confused the issue some. If you have internal IP addresses for your PCs and are using a proxy server program like WinProxy or a NAT enabled router, the website won't see the IP address of the PC, but it will still see the IP address your ISP assigns you.

DVNT1, I looked at both products you mentioned and I see where they both use NAT to hide the PC's assigned IP address, but I don't see where they will hide the ISP-assigned IP address. In other words, your machine's 192.168.x.x address is hidden, but your router's IP wouldn't be. Or would it? How do either of these products hide your ISP-assigned IP without going through a separate remote proxy server?

DVNT1 · 05-07-2002, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by M_Six
I may have confused the issue some. If you have internal IP addresses for your PCs and are using a proxy server program like WinProxy or a NAT enabled router, the website won't see the IP address of the PC, but it will still see the IP address your ISP assigns you.

Correct. If you use a proxy out on the Internet then your public IP is hidden in the same way as if it was on a private LAN.

Quote:

DVNT1, I looked at both products you mentioned and I see where they both use NAT to hide the PC's assigned IP address...

NAT and PROXY are different technologies, they work very differently (proxy actually does the requesting and NAT basically just does IP address substitution).

Quote:

...but I don't see where they will hide the ISP-assigned IP address. In other words, your machine's 192.168.x.x address is hidden, but your router's IP wouldn't be. Or would it? How do either of these products hide your ISP-assigned IP without going through a separate remote proxy server?

neither hide your public IP if the proxy (or even NAT) server is using your public IP to communicate; you must use a "remote" server to do do that which is what many anonymous web services provide.