Like their name, geo-restrictions can restrict an Internet user’s online activities whether you need to access data or scrape sites for market research purposes or want to continue watching your favorite TV show while abroad, facing geo-restrictions can be very frustrating.

Let’s discuss the benefits of a free proxy and how to get around geo-restrictions.

Why Are Some Websites Under Geo-Restrictions?

Denying or restricting access to content depending on a user’s location is known as geo-restricting or geo-blocking. All forms of content can be geo-blocked, including websites, publications, and web services, but videos are the ones that stand out the most. Video-sharing websites and streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu use geo-restrictions. They restrict access to some of their content for users in particular geographical areas.

Websites can see your location when you connect to them, which makes geo-restrictions possible. Therefore, a website only needs to determine whether a connection request from your device has been approved or blocked when it receives it. In the event that it is blocked, a page designated for your region will be redirected to you (much like Netflix does when it refers you to the library available in your country). Alternatively, the website can reject your request for a connection and send you a message informing you that the service isn’t accessible in your country.

Proxies: What Are They, And How Do They Work?

The term “proxy” is most frequently used to describe a service a user connects to via web browser settings. All of your website traffic is diverted through these proxy servers when you connect to one particular website rather than going straight to the website that you are visiting. Put another way; a proxy serves as a gateway for users to access the internet.

Proxy servers aren’t “tunnels” for the network activity on your computer, unlike VPNs. As an alternative, a proxy stands in the way of your computer and the resources you’re using. Other types of traffic are unaffected even though many operating systems allow you to set a system-wide HTTP proxy.

Proxies are straightforward intermediaries between you and the resource you want to access. When you submit a request via a proxy, the proxy server submits the request on your behalf and delivers the response. This fundamental idea typically holds true regardless of the specific kind of proxy you’re employing. Proxies usually don’t encrypt your communication; they make resource requests on your behalf.

How Can A Proxy Give Access To Restricted Websites?

When you use a proxy, it forwards requests to a DNS (Domain Name System). DNS determines which domain’s servers will respond to the user’s request when entering a domain name. Based on a number of variables, including authentication requirements or geolocation constraints, DNS servers can either permit access to a domain or deny requests from an IP.

Users are often connected through DNS servers to the nearest geo-located web server. By routing DNS requests to specific servers that permit access to content, such as online news sites and streaming services, proxies get around these limitations.

The ability to access restricted content with a proxy is also beneficial to many businesses. This is because proxies provide you with an IP address different from yours. With a lot of proxy providers, you can even select which location your new IP address is from. Businesses can use rotating proxies for Internet-based marketing campaigns where the location of the data is essential. Price aggregation, web scraping, market research, and SEO are examples of this type of activity.

Other Proxy Benefits

Apart from giving users access to otherwise restricted websites and content, proxies also offer users several other benefits.

Since proxy servers are a barrier between users’ computers and the internet, they offer enhanced security. Without them, the hackers can easily obtain the IP addresses of the users. This will ultimately enable them to gain access to their networks. Certain types of proxy servers can be configured to use encryption in order to provide secure connections. Businesses can use transparent proxies in order to block specific websites which are recognized as harboring malware.

Moreover, a proxy server can assist businesses in improving the performance of their network. Proxy servers can cache popular websites, checking to see if they have the most updated version of the site before transmitting the saved version to visitors. When hundreds of users access the same website, the proxy server sends one request.

Another great benefit is that proxy servers can be used by businesses and parents to monitor and regulate their children’s or employees’ internet usage. Instead of redirecting and urging them not to visit such websites while using company resources, businesses might set up a proxy server to prohibit access.

Internet Freedom For Free

A proxy is worth the investment for the advantages it offers. However, you don’t have to spend a dollar on great proxies. With UrbanVPN, you can download their free browser extension and choose a new IP from a large selection of global locales to instantly enjoy unlimited internet access.

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