What is a proxy server?
A proxy server adds a layer between the user and the internet. This means all requests your computer makes to various services are handled by the proxy server instead. Using a proxy has many benefits. It saves data usage and reduces bandwidth use by caching web requests in the server until they are requested by the user. It also increases IP address privacy and improves security by blocking malicious traffic, logging user activity, blocking sites, and stopping users from accessing certain websites.
WARNING: Changing proxy setting can cause serious issues with your computer or your privacy settings. This article is for educational purposes only.
3 ways to set up a Windows proxy server
- Automatically - Windows automatically detects the proxy server settings. This setting is typically used by organizations to adapt to the proxy settings of computers on their networks.
- Set up script - You will need to know the location of the proxy setup script. Some organizations prefer to use a specific location, so you will need to know the location of the script for this setting.
- Manually - You will need to know the proxy server name/server name. It is also useful but not strictly required to know the port.
How to set up a server automatically
- Click on Start ⊞ and select Settings ⚙.
- Click on Settings and Internet and select Proxy.
- From the Proxy tab menu, set the Automatically detect settings toggle switch to On.
- Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will automatically detect the settings using the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD).
How to set up a server using a script
- Click on Start ⊞ and select Settings ⚙.
- Click on Settings and Internet and select Proxy.
- From the Proxy tab menu, locate the Automatic proxy setup section and click on Set up.
- Set the Use script setup toggle switch to On.
- Confirm the address of the script (or .pac file).
- Click on Save to load the proxy configuration from the specified file.
How to set up a server manually
- Click on Start ⊞ and select Settings ⚙.
- Click on Settings and Internet and select Proxy.
- From the Proxy tab menu, locate the Manual proxy setup section and click on Set up.
- Set the Use a proxy server toggle switch to On.
- Confirm the address that connects to the proxy server under Proxy IP address.
- Confirm the port number under Port and check the box for Don’t use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses.
- If you want to have addresses that bypass the proxy, write these addresses in the available section and separate them with semicolons. Use an asterisk for multiple addresses from the same domain.
- Click on Save.
