pickaproxy.com blog

Proxy Auto Configuration now skips 127.0.0.1

If you are using our PAC files, and Google Desktop Search, you will notice you no longer get an error message, because we no longer try to proxy anything where "127.0.0.1" or "localhost" are the domain name. Our PAC file now looks like this (for the us.proxy.pac file), which is just a bit of Javascript:

function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
if ((host == '127.0.0.1') || (host == 'localhost')) 
  return "DIRECT";
else 
  return "PROXY us.pickaproxy.com:8125";
}

"DIRECT" in this context means do not use the proxy, but rather make a direct connection.

On another note, we also are now showing a list of all Tor proxy servers ("exit nodes") that we never use, for reasons of security and/or reliability.  You will have to be looking at the "Tor speak" version of our site (at http://www.pickaproxy.com/?speak=tor) to see this list, but it is shown below the "Top 10 Fastest (Running)" list.  And you will notice that we have added "AoF" to this list because of reliability problems we have noticed in the last few days.  Any changes to our "ExcludeList" will now be shown automatically in this way, so we will not be announcing each and every change on this blog or in our RSS feed.

Proxy Auto Configuration "PAC" files now available

You can now use our pre-set "PAC" files to specify your proxy settings, which simplifies things a bit. Instead of setting your proxy to tryout.pickaproxy.com and port 8123, you can now specify the "Use automatic configuration script" option (if using Internet Explorer) or the "Automatic proxy configuration URL" option (if using Firefox) or the "Use automatic proxy configuration" option (if using Opera) and use https://www.pickaproxy.com/tryout.proxy.pac as the Address and name and location of the script file. 

• us.proxy.pac is equivalent to us.pickaproxy.com and port 8125
• uk.proxy.pac is equivalent to uk.pickaproxy.com and port 8126
• fr.proxy.pac is equivalent to fr.pickaproxy.com and port 8129
• ru.proxy.pac is equivalent to ru.pickaproxy.com and port 8130
• cn.proxy.pac is equivalent to cn.pickaproxy.com and port 8131
• ca.proxy.pac is equivalent to ca.pickaproxy.com and port 8132
• de.proxy.pac is equivalent to de.pickaproxy.com and port 8133
• nonCN.proxy.pac is equivalent to nonCN.pickaproxy.com and port 18231
• nonDE.proxy.pac is equivalent to nonDE.pickaproxy.com and port 18233
• nonUS.proxy.pac is equivalent to nonUS.pickaproxy.com and port 18225

We will add more functionality and flexibility to our PAC file support at a later time. The plan is for subscribers to be able to define multiple proxy options within a single PAC file for their own use, and to allow PAC files to be updated from our https://www.pickaproxy.com web site so that you do not have to muck about with proxy settings on your computer, other than to do the initial, one-time change to use your PAC file.

Desync ok

So I sent an email to the contact Ben Wilber for the Tor network proxy named "desync", getting the IP Address wrong in the process: "I wonder if you would mind giving me some information about your intentions with the Desync Tor exit node you ostensibly operate at 63.230.230.230? I run the pickaproxy.com site and noticed that you are the 2nd fastest node in the Tor network http://www.pickaproxy.com/?speak=tor and the only one owned by Reliable Web Services and using ISP Neucom. I am generally suspicious of fast nodes, so please do not take offence if your intentions are worthy :)"

And I got a reply: "Our node is intended to support the Tor project's efforts to preserve anonymity on the Internet.  No transmitted information or logs concerning circuit construction are monitored or recorded within our scope of control, both for clients' privacy and our own legal protection. The node is physically located in Tampa, FL and is operated by desync.com out of Desync's network, AS30217."

I replied: "Thanks, Ben. I would be glad to remove this node from our pickaproxy.com ExcludeNodes list based on this information. Would you mind if we posted your email reply on our pickaproxy.com blog?"

And he said: "Sure, go ahead."

So desync is in, and as of today it is the fastest of all computers in the Tor network with a throughput measured to be consistently around 6 GB per second for at least the last week. Considering that the average proxy server ("exit node") in the Tor network has a throughput of about 243 KB per second, and the mean throughput is only about 50 KB per second, Ben is to be thanked for adding so much horsepower for all to use!

Webdvdr and desync now excluded

We have now excluded 2 more proxies from our service: Webdvdr and desync.

Webdvdr is currently the fastest computer in the entire Tor network by a considerable margin, and the operator of this computer continues to regularly change their "exit policy", indicating some sort of experimentation and possibly analysis of traffic flowing through it. Located geographically in Paris, France at dedibox.fr, the operator has also not identified themself with a Tor Contact name, the IP address 88.191.79.196 does not have a DNS host name, is listed on spamhaus.org's XBL composite block list, and is listed on uceprotect.net Level 1 spam list. We think all this warrants protecting our users from this proxy, and so are adding it to our "ExcludeNodes" list effective immediately until further notice.  The operator of this proxy is certainly welcome to contact us at any time.

Desync is currently the second fastest in the Tor network, geographically located in Placentia, California, USA, with Contact name Ben Wilber, and the only computer in the Tor network using ISP Neucom and owned by Reliable Web Services.  It's IP address 66.230.230.230 likewise does not have a DNS host name, and although it is not an obvious candidate for our ExcludeNodes list, we are being cautious in doing this, and in addition we will be attempting email contact with the operator to learn more about him and his intentions with this proxy.

Further to our May 22 blog posting, Paranoia part 1, the names of the 5 proxy servers owned and operated by PSI in Washington, DC, USA are bettyboop, croeso, jalopy, myrnaloy, and nixnix.