How to configure your browser to use the central proxy server

Connection to the World Wide Web through a proxy server offers several benefits:

• reduced usage of the external network as the proxy stores frequently accessed Web pages on a local disk and delivers those to browsers in place of the originals
• a faster response in many cases, when requested pages are amongst those previously stored by the proxy
• a level of anonymity when browsing as your PC's network address is replaced by that of the proxy when making requests for Web pages.

DIT operates the central proxy service (actually using several machines to ensure adequate performance).

All PCs in the teaching classrooms are configured to use the proxy service. PCs that have been through the DIT's PC Setup Service will have been configured to use the proxy service too. Machines that pre-date the Setup Service or that have been set up by their owners may or may not be configured to use the proxy service. For such machines these Web pages give details of how to configure them to use the proxy service.

Select from the following list according to your preferred browser:

• Instructions for Internet Explorer (Windows only)
• Instructions for Macintosh users
• There are also some instructions offered here for other browsers (Firefox, Opera) and applications that access the Web but aren't Web browsers as such.

If you have problems getting things to work, some help is available. Further assistance is available from the Service Desk (telephone: 3636, e-mail servicedesk@abdn.ac.uk).