Quick Socks

The Internet is a gateway both to any information you might need, as well as a possible source of malicious content and harmful applications. However, there are various methods to protect your virtual identity, one of which is to use a proxy server. Quick Socks is a suitable candidate to look for servers that help in this regard.

After a quick and successful installation process, you can launch the application and see what it's all about. A compact and intuitive interface puts all available features at your fingertips, with the toolbar populated with major functions and servers enlisted below.

By default, the application conducts a search for available proxy servers, tests connection and displays them in a list along with details regarding originating country, IP, port, type, as well as a slider that indicates speed.

Unfortunately, there's no implemented option to make the application automatically refresh the list, so you need to manually do so in case selected servers don't suit your needs. Also in plain sight, you can see the real IP address your computer uses, as well as the one you're currently tunneling data packages through.

Functionality is questionable, because tested out on several web browsers results were rather confusing. For instance, the latest iteration of Mozilla Firefox stubbornly refuses to go by the new IP address chosen by the application, while Internet Explorer or Opera fall for the trick each time.

On the other hand, the application can be used as a source to secure email systems with the help of proxy servers. What's more, a few options let you provide a custom URL to test out connection speed, as well as the number of items to display after searching the web.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that Quick Socks manages to offer a helping hand in keeping your virtual identity a little safer. Gathered addresses are tested out so you only get valid ones, and although slightly confusing when used to browse the web, you might be lucky enough to trick other applications into using the new IP address.