Setting up a Proxy Server on Windows

If youve ever traveled outside the US, you know what a pain that is to access certain web-sites. In particular, lots of web-sites have country-restricts which prevent you from accessing them outside the USA. The solution is to run a proxy-server in the US while youre going to be traveling. Theres probably a ton of information out there on how to do this if youre a Linux/Mac user (both of them can run standard UNIX proxy servers), but I havent seen anything on how to do this on Windows, so heres my stab at it, having recently ran a proxy for a friend of mine in Canada.

My main criteria was that the proxy software be free, as in free beer. I couldnt be bothered to download and compile anything for this exercise.

1. Download CCProxy. There are alternatives, but none of them are easily configured, and most of them just simply broken or have onerous licensing requirements. CCProxy is all you will need for personal use. If you need more users, then youll have to pay up or compile some open source software.
   
2. Open up a browser to your routers administration page. This will usually be 192.168.1.1. You can now navigate to Applications & Gaming screen, and set it up so it looks like the following:

   From Drop Box

   
   
3. Now look up the static IP of your router. This is usually on the "Status" page of the routers administration application.
   
4. Configure the client. I tell people to run Firefox, since it has a separate proxy configuration dialog box. Visit tools->options, select the "Network" tab, and click "Settings." Now turn on "Manual Proxy Configuration", and use the static IP address you got previously. Hit OK until youre finished.
   

   From Drop Box

   
   
5. You are now all done!
   

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