Make money online by setting up a proxy server

Setting up a proxy server is one of the latest online money making ideas. To explore this idea further we first need to understand what a proxy server is and how does it help the user. A proxy server also called a proxy is a gateway that is created through an application. It is essentially a computer which acts like a gateway or channel between the computers connected to it and a larger network like the internet. To put it in layman terms it acts like a link between other computers and the internet. The incoming data or requests enter through one port and they are forwarded to the network of connected computers through another port. This makes proxy servers very safe against hacking.

But this is just one of their applications. Another application of a proxy server is to connect a computer or a series of them to sites which are for some reason inaccessible to them. For instance schools, libraries and offices restrict certain websites so you wouldn’t be able to visit these sites through a computer on these networks. A proxy may help you to get through. Because your computer is not directly sending the request to visit a barred site but rather it is sending it through the proxy the school or college network can do very little to stop you. Another way to use the proxy server would be to block certain websites. If you live in a neighborhood with a lot of children particularly teenagers, you know your neighbors must have a tough time keeping their children away from certain sites despite the parental locks. So this is a service that can be offered in such a neighborhood to filter out unacceptable content.

You will need an initial investment to set up a proxy server. The first investment is to have your own website. You can either go for free web hosting or a more reliable option would be to find a cheap web hosting provider. Good and cheap services are Godaddy.com and Hostgator.com to name just two. The next thing is to set up the server now depending how tech savvy you are you may either enlist the help of a techie or do it yourself. The best part is that there is a wealth of information on the topic. However if you terms like routers, Firefox, CGI proxy are all new and confusing too you may want to call up a friend or a professional who know s a few things. Alternatively you also have kits available online that take you through instructional videos to help you set up your proxy. You can set up a proxy server on a Mac or on a pc. You will need to ensure that your web hosting service provider supports php or cgi. You will need to download a copy of phpproxy or cgiproxy depending on what you are using.

PHP proxy


Start by downloading phpproxy and unpack it in the local directory of your hard drive. Next you will need to upload the script to your webspace and open the new url to make sure that its working. Many files with the name ‘proxy’ in them are barred so you may want to change the file name to something new.

Next you will need to open the script and enter the IP of your clients computer so that only he and you can access the internet through this proxy. Alternatively you can also use a .htaccess file so that users will need to enter a username and password. All the information related to phpproxy is freely available online.

CGI proxy

If you are using free web hosting you may not be able to go for a cgiproxy since many of them do not offer cgi.

The procedure involves the same steps as above downloading and unpacking the .cgi file. There are many setting which can be used to your advantage here for instance you may only let texts to go through and no images. Again a wealth of information is available online that will help you set up the cgiproxy without too much trouble.

Once you have everything in place you can use your site to make money. There are two ways to do so. One is to charge users who log in through your proxy a small fee, and many are more than willing to pay. Or you can offer the services for free and make your riches from Google adsense. This is what most other proxy service providers do. Of course don’t expect your proxy server to stay up and running for long since it will be banned as soon as it is discovered in which case you will just have to change your IP and get back into business. This can easily be achieved with the help of free software.