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Guides, how-tos and deep dives on VPN, proxies, dedicated IPs and staying private online.
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What is my IP leaking? WebRTC, DNS and IPv6 leaks explained
You set a proxy or VPN, the site shows a new IP — and yet your real address can still escape through three side channels: WebRTC, DNS and IPv6. Here is exactly how each leak happens and how to close it.
Read →Datacenter vs residential vs mobile proxies: the full comparison
Three proxy types, three very different trade-offs in price, speed and how a site perceives you. Here is an honest side-by-side of datacenter, residential and mobile proxies — and how to pick the cheapest one that actually works for your task.
Read →What are ISP (static residential) proxies?
ISP proxies sit between datacenter and residential: an IP registered to a consumer ISP but hosted in a data center, so it looks residential yet runs at datacenter speed. Here is how they really work and where s4m fits.
Read →SOCKS5 vs SOCKS4: the technical differences
SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 look similar on the surface but differ in three ways that decide whether your traffic works at all: authentication, UDP support and remote DNS. Here is the precise, protocol-level comparison.
Read →UDP over SOCKS5: how it works (games, VoIP, QUIC)
Most people know SOCKS5 relays TCP. Fewer know it can relay UDP too — the traffic behind games, VoIP and QUIC. Here is how the UDP ASSOCIATE command works and why client and server support both matter.
Read →Free proxies vs paid proxies: the real risks
s4m is in a rare position: we run a free public proxy list and sell paid proxies, so we have no incentive to pretend free proxies are worthless — or safe. Here is the honest trade-off between the two.
Read →How long do free proxies live?
Free public proxies are famously short-lived — some die within minutes, most within days. Here is why they disappear so fast, what actually determines a free proxy's lifespan, and how a continuously checked list copes with the churn.
Read →Best free proxy lists in 2026, compared
There are dozens of free proxy sources, and most reviews rank them by hype. Here is an honest look at what separates a usable free proxy list from a dangerous one — the criteria that actually matter — and where our own list stands.
Read →How to build your own proxy server on a VPS (3proxy / Dante)
Renting a VPS and installing your own SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy is cheaper than it looks and teaches you exactly how proxies work. Here is a working 3proxy and Dante setup — and an honest note on when running your own is worth it.
Read →Squid proxy setup and configuration
Squid is the classic Linux HTTP/HTTPS caching proxy, powering countless corporate gateways. Here is a clean install, an access-controlled squid.conf, authentication, and the CONNECT rule that lets HTTPS through.
Read →Tinyproxy vs 3proxy vs Squid: lightweight proxy comparison
Three popular self-hosted proxy daemons, three different sweet spots. Here is how Tinyproxy, 3proxy and Squid compare on protocols, footprint, features and the kind of job each is actually built for.
Read →How to set up WireGuard on a VPS in 10 minutes
WireGuard is the fastest, simplest modern VPN protocol, and standing up your own on a cheap VPS takes minutes. Here is the full server and client config, the one NAT rule that makes it route, and how to verify it.
Read →WireGuard vs OpenVPN: which VPN protocol to choose
Compare WireGuard and OpenVPN by transport, implementation and compatibility. Performance depends on the setup; neither protocol guarantees anonymity or access through a blocking network.
Read →WireGuard on MikroTik, OpenWrt and Keenetic routers
Putting the VPN on your router protects every device on the network at once — including ones that cannot run a VPN app. Here is how to add a WireGuard peer on the three most common prosumer router platforms.
Read →VPN kill switch on Windows: client settings and checks
Set up and test a Windows VPN kill switch. Understand WireGuard blocking, Defender rule precedence, DNS and IPv6 limits.
Read →Split tunneling: route only selected apps through the VPN
Full-tunnel VPN sends everything through the exit; split tunneling sends only what you choose, keeping the rest on your normal connection. Here is how it works, including the WireGuard AllowedIPs trick that does it with zero extra software.
Read →Double VPN / multi-hop: when you actually need it
Double VPN routes your traffic through two servers instead of one, so no single server sees both who you are and where you go. It sounds more secure — and sometimes it is overkill. Here is the honest breakdown of when it helps.
Read →Port forwarding through VPNs and proxies
Port forwarding lets the outside world reach a service running behind you — a game server, a seedbox, a self-hosted app. Most commercial VPNs quietly removed it. Here is why inbound is hard, and the honest ways to get a reachable port.
Read →What is CGNAT and how to get around it
If your public IP starts with 100.64, or friends can't connect to your server, your ISP is probably putting you behind CGNAT — sharing one public IP among many customers. Here is what that means and the real ways around it.
Read →Dedicated IP vs shared IP for a VPN: bans, CAPTCHAs, email
Most VPN users share an exit IP with hundreds of others; a dedicated IP is yours alone. Each is better for a different thing. Here is the honest trade-off across blocks, CAPTCHAs, email deliverability and anonymity.
Read →How websites detect proxies and VPNs
Sites and anti-fraud services flag proxy and VPN traffic using a stack of signals, from the IP's ASN to the shape of your TLS handshake. Here is exactly what they check — and why no single trick defeats all of it.
Read →IP reputation and fraud scores explained
Behind every 'suspicious activity' block is a reputation database scoring your IP. Here is how services like IPQS, MaxMind and Spamhaus build those scores, what drags them down, and how to keep an address trusted.
Read →What is an ASN? Autonomous systems for proxy users
An ASN is the number that identifies who owns a chunk of the internet — and it is the first thing a website checks to decide whether your IP is a home connection or a data center. Here is what ASNs are and why they matter to proxy users.
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