Hosting a Web Proxy

Hey guys,

How would someone go about hosting a web proxy? What webhosts allow you to do this? Is it illegal? How many users can it support? Do you need more than 1 web server to host more than 10 users simultaneously surfing?

It depends WHAT you want to do with a web proxy, some uses of it WILL be illegal (bypassing protections etc) and as such some hosting companies won’t allow it.

However, some dedicated hosts will allow you to run your own proxy.

It is not illegal to host a web proxy. You can sign up with anyone from the many VPS companies and setup your own proxy.
However, keep in mind that if your IPs are used to attack other networks, abuse complaints will reach your hoster and they will shut you down if you dont deal with it. There are some hosters that look away but they will also be eventually shut down if they sponser enough malicious activity.

Regarding your question about the number of users, it really depends on the bandwidth package you have, the machine you use and the type of connections the proxy is handling.
If I were you, I would setup one of the low end VPS machines and install an out of the box open source proxy (like Squid or Gizmo). Make sure you deny access from any unknown users - best thing if you know your user’s IP allow only them using IP tables. Otherwise, some username/password authentication can do.

Hope this helps.

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Keep in mind that some companies will not allow you to run any proxies on their VPSes, so read the terms of service very carefully.

Thanks guys. So what if I wanted to use my own type of proxy that is not Squid or Gizmo? I created one that essentially lets you browse the web using cURL. Would most web hosts probably not allow this? It’s not really meant to be a web proxy, but it inevitably is.

It is not legal. Your web host will sure ban your account. Do not perform this activity.

No, its not illegal to host a proxy at all, in fact it can be very useful - however, always check with your host that they will allow it. Also keep the security of it in mind, you are more likely to have issues if you don’t secure it.

What types of issues are you talking about if you could please elaborate? Thanks.