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June 3, 2009 11:36 PM

VPS and Internet Proxy: I have a VPS and want to be able to access the internet remotely from it. For example, the VPS is hosted in Scandinavia while I am in USA, how do I create a proxy server so I can access internet through the VPS country?

Reasons for doing this are simple. While traveling there is country only content I can't access from abroad. Much like Hulu isn't available outside US.

I figure there must be a simple script or some type of settings I can use, but my google-fu isn't coming up with any good results.

VPS is Linux based, SSL enabled, etc....Perl, PGP, Python -- you name it, it is supported.

posted by Funmonkey1 to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Install squid via yum or apt-get. Read the docs and set up squid as your proxy on the VPS, then point your client browser at the Scandanavian proxy.

Streaming video probably won't work so hot, but regular web browsing should be fine.

Alternatively you can set up a VPN to the VPS, but that's likely more trouble than you want.
posted by benzenedream at 12:01 AM on June 4, 2009

What flavor of Linux? Chances are pretty good that there is some HTTP or SOCKS proxy server already packaged for use. I'm not sure squid is a good bet, since its main claim to fame is caching, and that doesn't sound like what you need. Just make sure you figure out how to enable authentication so the proxy doesn't get abused.
posted by Good Brain at 12:38 AM on June 4, 2009

ssh acts as a socks proxy when you use the -D option. firefox can use a socks proxy to browse the internet.

ssh -D 8000 [e-mail]

lifehacker has explanation and screenshots of configuring firefox
posted by zentrification at 1:30 AM on June 4, 2009 [2 favorites]

Nice, zentrification, I'd forgetten that sshd provides easy socks support
posted by Good Brain at 9:19 AM on June 4, 2009

ssh -D 8080 -f -C -q -N [e-mail]

setup firefox (or any other web browser) to access a socks proxy on port 8080 on localhost.
posted by DJWeezy at 1:41 PM on June 4, 2009