A study conducted in 2018 revealed that approximately 26% of global internet users hide behind a virtual private network (VPN) or proxy while on the internet.
While the percentage has grown significantly since then, it can be surmised that not enough people are protecting themselves and their activities online.
Data breach is still high and businesses need to rely more on proxies to protect their data. And if managing several proxies becomes a challenge, they can simply use extensions like the Chrome proxy extension to manage and control them.
This guide describes how you can gain from using proxies and how to manage your many proxies with the Chrome proxy extension. We end this guide by describing a step-by-step process on how to install this type of extension.
What Is A Chrome Proxy?
Private proxies are described as tools used to improve web security, provide anonymity, and bypass several internet restrictions.
The most common types of proxies are grouped into residential and datacenter proxies. Residential proxies are built and owned by internet service providers (ISPs) and designed to bear internet protocol (IP) addresses that resemble those of regular homeowners.
Datacenter proxies, on the other hand, are owned by independent companies and their IPs are cloud-based and simulated.
Both groups of proxy have their advantages and disadvantages and can be used for different operations. For instance, residential proxies are best used for scraping while datacenter proxies excel at keeping you anonymous during social media management and ad verification.
To this end, businesses are often forced to use more than one proxy at a time making it necessary to have an efficient way to have a system that keeps all proxies in one place and allows for easy management.
A Chrome proxy is a program that can be installed on the Chrome browser and used to integrate all the available proxies.
The tool allows you to add and control an unlimited number of proxies with just one click. It makes the process highly convenient and is free for anyone to use.
To take a look at a good example of proxy extension, view site.
What Are The Main Benefits of Chrome Proxy Extension?
There are several ways that a business can gain from using the Chrome proxy extension and below are some of the most common benefits.
Security
Chrome happens to be the most commonly used browser in the world which makes it very likely for more businesses to use it to access the internet for various reasons.
Installing a Chrome proxy extension on the browser allows you to add and manage all the proxies on the device in one place which increases and improves the level of security that your company will enjoy with everything you browse the web.
Anonymity
Being exposed on the internet constitutes one of the biggest risks on today’s World Wide Web. However, it is a common occurrence as many users still jump online with no tool to conceal their identity.
Those who use proxies, however, enjoy a safer and more private atmosphere where their data cannot be breached or stolen.
Using the Chrome proxy extension to gather all the proxies in one place is usually how businesses stay anonymous at all times regardless of what website they are browsing.
Bypassing Restrictions
There are several restrictions that internet users need to contend with every time you are online.
Some users have to deal with IP bans and blocks which blacklist their IP and deny them further access to a server and its content.
Other users often have to deal with CAPTCHA tests which mistake the regular user for a bot and deny them access.
Whereas for some users, it is the issue of geo-restrictions that they have to put up with every day. This restriction reads the user’s IP and denies them access based on their physical location.
None of the above restrictions is good for business which is why proxy extension can be used to combine various proxies to eradicate all the above limitations.
Steps in Installing a Chrome Proxy Extension
The following are the steps and methods for downloading and installing the Chrome proxy extension on one or multiple devices.
You can automatically allow the switching of proxies by enabling the proxy extension in three different ways:
Method 1: Using the Systems Settings
- Open the Chrome app using the shortcut
- Next, click on the toolbar then locate the “Settings” tab and click it to open
- Under the settings, find the proxy setting by either typing “Proxy” in the search bar or using the “Advanced sub-menu”
- Once you have opened the proxy, use the “Manual Proxy Setup” to enter all the details and turn on the toggle for “Use a Proxy Server”
- Finally, hit the “Save” button to finish
Method 2: Using Command-Line Flags
- Find the Chrome shortcut and click on it then quit the app
- Next, right-click the app’s shortcut and locate “Properties”
- Once the Properties opens, find the Target window and append it to include the proxy software
- You can repeat the above step for each proxy you wish to add
- Finally, click on “OK” to complete the setup
Method 3: Using Software
There are several software and programs designed specifically to allow proxies to run seamlessly and automatically on the Chrome software.
Some of the most common software include FoxyProxy, Proxy Switcher, Proxy SwitchyOmega, and others.
The steps for setting the extension differ according to the switchers. However, it all starts by creating an account and downloading the extension on Chrome for free.
You can then open the extension and add the proxies you have.
Conclusion
Using proxies saves businesses from a lot of problems including security breaches and data theft. And using a Chrome proxy extension helps to manage all the proxies properly to reduce the manual work and save time and energy.