Question 1

How does a proxy detector work?

Accepted Answer

It compares headers like X-Forwarded-For and Via, checks the IP against known proxy and datacenter ranges, and inspects the IP's ASN and reverse-DNS to flag connections that don't look like a residential user.

Question 2

What is the difference between a proxy and a VPN?

Accepted Answer

A proxy reroutes traffic for one application or protocol, typically without encryption. A VPN tunnels all your device's traffic through an encrypted connection. VPNs offer better privacy because everything is encrypted and the OS-level tunnel covers DNS, IPv6, and background processes.

Question 3

Why does my IP show up as a proxy even though I'm not using one?

Accepted Answer

Carrier-grade NAT, mobile network gateways, corporate VPNs, and CDN edge IPs can all be flagged as proxies because many users share the same outbound IP. This isn't necessarily a privacy concern, but some websites may rate-limit or challenge the connection.

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