Which Will Give You the Best Gaming Experience: Proxies or VPN?

Lately, US headlines have been filled with themes of privacy risks posed by self-government. Now internet service providers in the US can sell their customers browsing history without permission, and of course, the government has passed this regulation. This privacy risk comes from the government, hackers, malware, and so on.

These days, internet security is one thing everyone should have. That's the reason why we talk about stuff like proxies or VPNs. Today, we will discuss the differences between VPNs and proxies.

VPN and Proxies

Many VPN (Virtual Private Network) services are spread on the Internet. But what exactly is a VPN?

Just like with a proxy, a VPN also functions to divert or cover up the real presence of the Internet Service user, so it seems as if you are in a different location when you access the Internet.

However, one of the striking differences between a proxy and a VPN is that a VPN is configured at the OS (Operating System) level so that the VPN will record every connection you make from your device, be it from browsers, game applications, e-mail, and so on. Apart from being an encrypted connection, this also makes it different from a proxy which only affects a few (limited) applications.

If you connect to the Internet via a VPN, then all connections originating from your device, be it from Android, iOS, or Windows, will go through a special path that is encrypted in such a way that even ISPs or governments will find it very difficult to spy on or track your activity on the Internet.

This is also what makes VPN the best choice for those who prioritize internet access with a more guaranteed level of security, privacy, and anonymity. But unfortunately, the drawback of this VPN service is that VPN is classified as a paid service. There aren't many cheap VPNs that are easy to find, let alone fast VPNs.

Basically, Proxies and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) have the same function: protecting internet users' privacy. One of the similarities between Proxies and VPNs is that they both can hide or manipulate the IP (Internet Protocol) address of internet users to avoid tracking or hacking.

The Proxy can be said as a bridge or intermediary between swift internet access. These "bridges" or intermediaries are generally used by internet users as representatives to enter restricted internet areas and even restricted zones in cyberspace.

Proxies can be considered a kind of "secret agent" to be able to take you to open blocked sites, be it blocking from ISPs (Internet Service Providers), or even blocking by the government. Many websites or sites on the internet offer Proxy Services so you can access blocked sites through their website.

But behind the functions and advantages of the Proxy, of course, this technology still has drawbacks. One is that proxies generally do not lock or encrypt your connection. As a result of not having this encryption feature, the privacy of your access will be very vulnerable to tracking, even hacking, that you are unaware of. With the shortcomings and limitations that proxies have, it can result in opening up wide opportunities for an evil person to sniff your network.

Some strange things can happen. For example, your browser suddenly displays flash animations, advertisements, or scripts that bring harmful elements to your device, even to the point of knowing your true identity.

Why this threat can occur, it's all due to the weakness of the unencrypted Proxy in every connection that is made. So, taking into account all these risks, it is highly not recommended to use a proxy connection for activities on the Internet.

How Proxies Work and Their Uses

As briefly explained above, the role of a proxy server is to disguise your IP.

For example, you want to visit the xyz.com website through a proxy server. When you enter the website address into a proxy page (such as proxysite.com), the proxy server will forward this request to the website server.

So, when the Proxy sends a request, it will replace your IP address with another IP address so that the website does not know exactly where your location or internet activity is.

So, broadly speaking, proxies play a role in 'disguising' browsing activities such as visiting certain websites. So that the website will think you are someone else with a different IP.

How a VPN Works and Its Uses

Next is how a VPN works. VPN is a protection method that encrypts all connections originating from your computer network as long as the VPN is still active.

The VPN will first hide your IP address and redirect the connection path so that it passes through the VPN service. So here, you will be detected as coming from the VPN location, not from the location where you actually are. Plus, it will try to maintain how fast your internet connection is. So, to gain the best gaming experience, use gaming VPN to make sure your ISP isn't throttling you. As long as you use a VPN, all internet activity, websites you visit, and all data you send or receive will not be known by third parties such as internet providers, the government, or others.

Thus, you no longer need to activate a proxy for each specific website you will visit.

Learning The Differences

1. Connection Speed

VPN provides very fast network connection speed

Continuous routes from server to computer or vice versa make the connection slower.

2. Privacy and Security

VPN encrypts all data and hides IP, so privacy is fully protected. There are hundreds of address options or server locations to choose from.

Not all proxies use SSL, it allows hackers to still find you, and proxies don't have a location-switching feature.

3. Anonymity

A VPN will hide your IP address by changing the connection path through the VPN provider so that your activity is detected from the VPN location (country).

The Proxy will replace the real IP address with the proxy IP address. So it looks as if the activity is coming from the proxy IP address, not your IP

So, Which Is Better for Gaming?

Seeing how fast and secure the connection is, we think that VPN is a better option than proxies. Since VPN can also mask your IP, your gaming sessions will be much safer since no one would find it, difficult to track your location.

Thanks to the fast and reliable internet connection, you'll experience fewer pings and lags when gaming for hours.