Using Your WiTopia Proxy
From Witopiawiki
WiTopia provides anonymous web proxy service for all personalVPN™ customers at no additional charge. Although the proxy service is no substitute for the features and security of your VPN, we believe you will find the proxy a powerful addition to your security and privacy arsenal. Currently, this service is in BETA so please feel free to share your experiences or issues with us by emailing us at sales@witopia.net.
What does it do?
When the proxy is active, all your web-browsing should go through the WiTopia proxy server and not directly to the end destination server you are browsing. When your destination server responds with the data you are seeking, it also is returned through the WiTopia proxy server before being sent back to you. Although the data between you and the proxy server is unencrypted, you are protected and anonymized behind the proxy server with regards to your destination server.
Essentially, using the proxy service not only anonymizes your location and IP address from websites you surf, but may also provide a workaround for censorship or blocking at your location. It should also often be speedier than using the VPN.
What does it not do?
It does not work for any traffic that is not "web traffic" so it won't work for VoIP or other applications that are not sent through your web browser. It is also very important to note that, unlike the VPN, your data is not encrypted between you and the proxy server so your ISP may be able to "see" that you are using a proxy server and the data will not be protected via an encrypted tunnel through your ISP. You also wouldn't want to use it to protect your data from being monitored or "sniffed" at a wireless hotspot or other public network because, again, the first leg of the trip is not encrypted.
When should I use it?
Normally, if the VPN is meeting your needs, you should use it and not the proxy. But, because the VPN encrypts all your data, which exacts a "tax" on performance, you may enjoy greater speeds for web-based traffic from the proxy. Also, because the proxy seeks out different ports, it may function better when specific measures are being used by ISPs (or entire countries, like China) to throttle, filter, and interfere with VPN traffic.
Are the WiTopia proxy servers safer and more reliable than using anonymous proxies I may find on the Internet?
YES!!!
If you have already been using anonymous proxies, and enjoy using them, then this is ideal for you. WiTopia proxy servers are only used by our customers who authenticate themselves as WiTopia customers. That alone provides a stronger measure of safety and performance. Beyond that, WiTopia proxy servers are housed in secure data centers and are actively maintained and secured by us. Uninterruptible power backups, ISP diversity, security checks, and regular maintenance helps ensure a safe, reliable, and secure experience, as well as higher performance versus free proxies. Free anonymous proxy servers that you find on the Internet can be set up by anyone, and often they are used for malicious practices such as monitoring and stealing your data. Do NOT use them.
Can I use it and my WiTopia VPN service at same time?
You can but, unless it helps the VPN perform in some way, you should just use the VPN by itself. It doesn't really add any benefit. But, this is a beta service so please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with us.
How do I set it up?
We've gone ahead and built the proxy to auto-configure using a URL (web address) to save you from manually entering the information. It proved a bit cumbersome here to provide exact instructions for every browser and subsequent versions of those browsers, but it is very easy. These instructions were mostly done using a Macintosh running Snow Leopard but there shouldn't be much variance from basic instructions below.
If you use more than one browser, you might even consider setting up one for proxy-powered browsing and the other for non-proxy browsing.
How to setup WiTopia™ Proxy in Safari & Google Chrome
SELECT Preferences
SELECT Advanced
SELECT Proxies: Change Settings
CHECK the box next to Automatic Proxy Configuration
DO NOT CLICK ON, BUT ENTER (Copy and Paste is best) one of the URLS (weblinks) below in field:
Dulles, Virginia
Los Angeles, California
Hong Kong, China
London, UK
Rotating (will rotate through all proxies and ports...can take a long time and may not be optimal for speed)
SELECT OK.
SELECT Apply.
If you are not prompted for your Username and Password, try browsing to a website and the window should appear.
ENTER your WiTopia ORD# as the USERNAME
ENTER the Email (all lowercase) on record with your personalVPN™ account as your PASSWORD.
That's it! To stop using proxy, you'll need to go back into your Safari Preferences menu, Choose Advanced, Click Change Settings button, and UNCHECK the Automatic Proxy Configuration box and CLICK OK and Apply.
How to set up WiTopia™ Proxy in Mozilla Firefox
SELECT Preferences
At top of window, SELECT Advanced tab
At top of window, SELECT Networking tab
Under Connection, CLICK "Settings..." button
At bottom CLICK "Automatic proxy configuration URL
DO NOT CLICK ON, BUT ENTER (Copy and Paste is best) one of the URLS (weblinks) below in field:
Dulles, Virginia
Los Angeles, California
Hong Kong, China
London, UK
Rotating (will rotate through all proxies and ports...can take a long time and may not be optimal for speed)
SELECT OK and click out of window.
If you are not prompted for your Username and Password, try browsing to a website and the window should appear.
ENTER your WiTopia ORD# as the USERNAME
ENTER the Email (all lowercase) on record with your personalVPN™ account as your PASSWORD.
That's it! To stop using proxy, you'll need to go back in and choose "No Proxy" under Settings…
How to set up WiTopia™ Proxy in Google Chrome (windows)
Google Chrome uses the same connection and proxy settings as Windows. Changing these settings affects Google Chrome as well as Internet Explorer and other Windows programs.
To set up or change network connections, follow these steps:
Click the Tools menu.
Select Options.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
In the "Network" section, click Change proxy settings . This will open the Internet Properties dialog where you can adjust your network settings.
How to setup WiTopia™ Proxy in Internet Explorer (6,7,8)
1. select Internet Options from the Tools menu in Internet Explorer.
2. select the Connections tab then select the last option, LAN Settings
3. a new window will open and the first set of options are labeled Automatic configuration. In there select the check-box for Use automatic configuration script and enter one of the following locations
- Dulles, Virginia
- Los Angeles, California
- Hong Kong, China
- London, UK
- Rotating (will rotate through all proxies and ports...can take a long time and may not be optimal for speed)
4. once changes have been made select the OK button, then OK again from the tabbed menu screen.
How do I turn it on and off?
As described in directions, you'll need to go back to where you entered the URL (weblink) and choose a non-proxy setting for your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I'm using a Mac running Safari and receiving this error "NSInternalInconsistencyException Invalid parameter not satisfying: aString != nil"
- Answer
- We have seen this error surface when customers are also running a program called 1Password
- The short answer is to disable 1Password
- A longer answer is provided on Post #17 on this link: http://support.agilewebsolutions.com/showthread.php?t=12759
