ISPs are let-pass to the endless online space. But what do providers know about users? Does ISP know what websites you visit? Can your ISP track you with a VPN or proxy? Can ISP see HTTPS? We’ll drag these secrets to light.
What data do ISPs see and track?
To tell pointblank, ISPs monitors virtually every step you take online. From the browsing history, files, and videos downloaded up to IP and location, it can track all your unencrypted traffic routing both ways.
More over, in many countries, ISPs don’t even do it voluntary — the law binds them with obligation to store user data for several years. Upon request of any state body, these data may be submitted to facilitate some investigation or law enforcement. ISPs can even use collected data for bandwidth throttling or advertising.
Can an ISP see that I am using a VPN or proxy?
To put it in a nutshell, yes. An ISP easily detects a proxy or VPN. Besides this fact, it can capture some other data:
| IP address of the proxy server or VPN | As ISP is in charge of sending user requests in the form of data packets, it always knows the proxy / VPN IP, but fails to find out the hidden final destination. |
| Protocol of the proxy server or VPN | ISP knows what technology proxies or VPNs employ, though it doesn’t impact any other information. |
| Connection timestamps | ISPs track the duration of connections without seeing what websites users surf. |
| Bandwidth | ISP records how much bandwidth you consume, though it doesn’t determine between what videos, downloads or games this traffic is distributed to. |
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What does a VPN or proxy hide from the ISP?
VPNs or proxies cannot totally isolate you from the ISP “espionage”. However, correctly configured tools can dramatically reduce volume of information your provider could access:
- Search history: ISP knows that you generate traffic, but with correctly set up anonymity tools the thing you searched for are hidden from it.
- Entered text: ISP can see that a user types something, but with proper encryption it can’t make head or tail of it.
- Visited websites: ISP can establish that a user is browsing without checking certain opened websites.
- Downloaded files: ISP does obtain some information about user activities based on the consumed bandwidth, but it can’t get clear details about user downloaded files.
Do ISPs care if you use a VPN or proxy?
Usually, ISPs really don’t care whether you use a VPN or proxy or access WWW directly via the Internet Service Provider.
But in rare cases, especially where the legislation of a country forces the ISP to do so, it can block VPN or proxy resources to prevent bypassing restrictions or accessing forbidden information. For example, the use of VPNs is forbidden in the UAE, as according to their laws, this is fraudulent use of an IP address. So there are high chances that the UAE ISPs are obliged to block such tools and, upon request of state bodies, provide information about users breaking the established rules.
Thus, it’s important to be aware of the rules and laws existing in the country, where a user is going to use VPNs or proxy servers.
How do you stop your ISP from tracking you online?
There are three common methods to stop ISP peeping at your online activities: proxy servers, VPNs, and TOR browsers.
- VPN implements secure connections. It encrypts online traffic that is routed through a protected VPN tunnel. Thus, the only thing the ISP can detect is that you use a certain VPN.
- A proxy server also hides your IP address in a way that ISP detects that you use a certain proxy. In the worst case, ISP can even track all websites you surf, so when choosing a proxy solution, pay attention to the type of proxy. Though fast, HTTP protocol lacks encryption and thus can’t guarantee high security level. So it’s wiser to opt for HTTPS proxies. Another aspect to keep in mind is buying premium proxies offered by a respectable provider. Free public proxies lack safety.
- TOR (The Onion Router) browser relies on the network disguising online traffic. It encrypts and directs data through several network layers (entry, middle and exit nodes) and successfully ensures anonymity and hides IPs.
Don’t forget that SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 proxies, incognito browsing and such measures, as well as disabling cookies and JavaScript, won’t safeguard you from ISP watching what you do online.
The bitter truth is that you can’t reach 100% privacy and totally distance your online activities from your ISP — after all, this is the organization that gets you connected. But if you choose and configure the right tools, you can hide a lot of information from curious eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please read our Documentation if you have questions that are not listed below.
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Why do HTTP proxies lack protection against ISP?
Because HTTP is an unencrypted protocol.
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What’s the point of hiding from ISPs?
Yes, we only provide private dedicated proxies from our unique pool of proxies. Unlike others, we won’t provide proxies from hacked computers (alias “public proxies”) or scrapped proxies from the Internet.
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Can Smart DNS hide traffic from ISP?
Not really. They only can route DNS requests to a server that differs from ISP’s default server, but they can’t hide your online activities.
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What proxies provide better protection from ISP snooping?
Proxies based on the protocol that supports encryption, that is, HTTPS. HTTP and SOCKS5 don’t support encryption, and therefore, many user data remain unprotected.
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Are your proxies dedicated?
Because it helps prevent: - user data sales, which is legal in some countries; - censorship practiced by some states; and - slowing down the Internet connectivity speed an ISP can implement.
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