Proxy servers?

[RPSharman]

So I have discovered our Wii cannot be "set" for England, and I wanted to use it for Amazon Prime, so we don't have to uses our devices via Apple TV.  We tried to set it up, and it linked to our US account.  We then discovered a series we want to watch is FREE on Amazon US Prime but £30 on Amazon UK Prime.  I also have a pass code to watch Showtime via the internet for award consideration.  The guy at Showtime who issued me the link/code said, "You'll need to use a proxy server to watch the content." So... If I utilise a proxy server I can not only watch my Showtime stuff, but presumably watch US Netflix and Amazon in addition to my UK Netflix and Amazon.  How do I get a "proxy server"? There are tons that show up.  Are they safe?  Legal?

[Ze Frias]

If you want to learn about proxy servers and VPNs I think this link provides the best explanation:

https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/4085/proxies-vs-vpn-whats-the-difference/

 

Essentially what a proxy server does is direct all your internet traffic activity via the IP address of the server that is acting as intermediary; so if using a proxy server that's in the US, all these websites like Netflix or Showtime will see that you are accessing from an US IP address instead of your actual UK IP address.

 

It is very secure, and most folks who wish to remain anonymous in the web actually use a combination of actively changing proxy servers and VPNs to do so. Whether it is legal is a topic of much argued discussion, but essentially, it is. They can't arrest you for using a Proxy Server.

 

Via computer, there's a few options, personally I'm fond of the Hola.org service (http://hola.org/). I use it all the time to view Netflix content that is only available in the UK, you can do the same for the US (or any of the other countries they have listed available).

 

Via other devices (such as Wii or Apple TV), you will likely have to get a piece of hardware (usually a router that is configured to a proxy server) to place in between your device and the router from your ISP. I don't have any particular recommendations for this. You will probably have to ask locally to see what are people using.

[bergi]

You can find lists of free US based proxy servers online and connect through them.  I have also heard of people using Foxy proxy https://getfoxyproxy.org/proxyservice/2.0/ 

 

It has a small monthly fee but you are going to get a much better connection.  Can't comment about the safety but I am sure going with a paid service over a free proxy found through google would probably safer.  

 

Probably in a grey area legally as licensing rights for showing content from US Showtime, Amazon and Netflix may not have been hashed out in the UK yet, but I have never encountered any trouble doing  the opposite here in the US

 

I use the proxy plugin Hola for google chrome to watch BBC and Canal+ content and it works like a charm. Hope this helps though I am sure there are plenty others here with a better grasp on it.