How to configure a proxy in Windows 10
Knowing how to configure a proxy in Windows 10 is a useful skill for anyone who needs to route their internet traffic through a specific server. A proxy is often considered to be synonymous with a VPN, but this isn’t true; a proxy is distinctly different from a VPN. A VPN may provide a proxy service on top of the private network that it creates, but the two are not the same.
Proxy services
Proxy services are commonly used alongside VPN services but as stand-alone services, they’re used to give users access to certain geographically restricted data e.g., access to a server or website that can only be accessed by users in a particular country.
Generally speaking, proxy services are free and public, or paid and private.
A free proxy server is simple to configure in Windows 10 whereas a private proxy comes with a username and password which the stock Windows 10 proxy settings do not cater to. If you need to configure school proxies, the process is similar but may require specific credentials provided by your institution.
How to Configure a Proxy in Windows 10
Regardless of what type of proxy you have, the steps to configure a proxy in Windows 10 are straightforward. Whether you have a public or private proxy, you can set it up using the built-in Settings app. That said, using a private proxy — one that has a username and password — is handled slightly differently than using a public proxy.
Proxy settings
In order to configure a proxy in Windows 10, you must have;
- For a public proxy: an IP or server address and a port number.
- For a private proxy: an IP or server address, a port number, a username, and a password.
How to Configure a Public Proxy in Windows 10
To configure a public proxy in Windows 10, follow these steps.
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to Network and Internet.
- Select the Proxy tab.
- Scroll down to the Manual Proxy setup section.
- Turn the Use proxy server switch on.
- Enter the server address and port number.
- Click Save.
- The proxy is now active.
How to Configure a Private Proxy in Windows 10
A private proxy server requires authentication with a username and password. You can still add a private proxy using the built-in Windows 10 settings — the process is the same as a public proxy. Here is how to do it:
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to Network and Internet.
- Select the Proxy tab.
- Scroll down to the Manual Proxy setup section.
- Turn the Use a proxy server switch on.
- Enter the proxy host address and port number.
- Click Save.
