Hello,

This is the first post in the series Proxy101. This series will hopefully be of use to every proxy master out there, but will primarily focus on the “less experienced” among us.

So you want to be a Proxy Master Huh!?

Here is a list of software and other recommended requirements that I think every proxy owner should have:

• Time: any website needs some time to be put into it in order for it to obtain its potential. The more time you put into it the higher the potential that is able to be achieved. It is worth noting, however, that compared to other types of website, proxies do not actually require that much time after the initial period.
• A Host: in order for your website to even reach the internet you will need a host. I will be discussing the ins and outs of finding the perfect host in a later episode of this series, but quickly: the most important part of website hosting is in my opinion bandwidth. Normally, proxy scripts do not require much hard disk space to run on, but do require a lot of bandwidth. You must also take into consideration the types of hosting out there: Shared, Reseller (both not recommended), VPS or dedicated (both recommended) are the normal options offered by hosting companies. In the latter two cases, thing such as RAM will play a huge role.
• A Domain: a domain is the website URL which you enter into your web browser to load a site. Again, like hosting, this needs a post all on its own, which will be posted in due course.
• A FTP Client: an ftp client is the software which allows you to transfer files over to your web host. I reccomend FileZilla, or SmartFTP which is what I use.
• A File Editor: now, you could use the regular notepad which comes with every Windows, or TextEdit for Mac, but I would suggest using another, especially if you are new to HTML. I use e-texteditor,and I have heard very good reviews of TextMate and Dreamweaver or PHP Designer. All editors mentioned have previews, so you can preview your html page.
• Initial funding: personally I don’t think proxies are that expensive to start up. Especially if you consider the potential profit which can be made from them. This funding will be used to buy the domain, the hosting, and your traffic. They aren’t a “get rich from nothing” scheme.
• Patience: do i need to explain?

Now, of course these aren’t the only things which are needed, but I reckon if you start off with the above, you’ll start off on the right track: to success!

Please feel free to comment on this post: share your tips, feedback and questions!