I've been curious and sceptical about the effetiveness of using proxy servers to 'hide' your IP address when online and my research has raised a problem that I can't figure out. Try this yourself and any answer would be interesting. Go to www.proxy4free.com and pick any proxy that's outside your country or origin. Configure your browser to use the proxy, then go to www.showmyip.com If you did it all right, you'll see the website will show your 'new' IP address and also specify your location as being in the country that you know you're not in. Now go to the Shields UP!! website at http://grc.com/ and use the ports test that they offer. You should now see your real IP address detected by the website and displayed on the screen. How can Shields UP!! detect your real IP address even when you use a proxy, when other sites can't?

There is little use for an honest person to use such services. There may be an argument for it as a matter of "right" or "freedom". In real terms you would have to be much smarter to avoid any trace. I would venture to guess that proxy for free is just a port 80 proxy. It doesn't hide all tcp and udp ports. Dunno, just a guess. Try ping path or traceroute and see.

While I used the word smarter in error I mean that one would have to be very very skilled and highly trained.

Thanks for the reply Jefro. You're absolutely right about there being no need for honest users to opt for proxies, but that doesn't stop it from being an interesting subject for IT fanatics that like me that like to have an answer to everything :-) The Proxy 4 Free proxies ARE port 80 proxies, but I had no idea that was a bad thing. You've set me on the path to more research :-) Thanks.