What Is a PS3 Proxy Server?

The Sony Playstation 3 has many amazing capabilities, but what it does lack is any substantial security. Using a proxy server to connect to your network gives you the peace of mind that you can safely surf the web and play online games without someone snooping around, watching your every move. This is only one of many benefits you will be enjoying with a proxy server.

A Sony Playstation 3 is capable of so much more than merely playing video games. Its powerful processor allows high definition playback to be a breeze, while the Blu-ray drive makes for the complete home theater experience. The ability to dual-boot into Linux is also an added benefit. This allows you to have a full computer right there in your Playstation 3's hard drive.

With all of these amazing benefits, the Sony Playstation 3's high power computing capabilities, of course, have some minor snares that open you up for attack. Like every other computer that is connected to a network, there is always the chance of being attacked by a hacker. Having a firewall set up on your computer can help combat these attacks, but the Playstation 3 does not have that capability. So the next best solution is to set up a proxy server.

A proxy server acts as a gateway between the outside world and your computer, which in this case will be a Sony Playstation 3. The Playstation 3 will connect through the network to your computer, which will allow it access to the Internet and the computer's files itself. This way the outside world can never know what your Internet protocol address is, severely limiting your chances of being hacked. This acts as an anonymizing proxy server, clearing all the personal information from the reach of those who should not have it.

When the Sony Playstation 3 was introduced in 2006, programmers released software that would help users take full advantage of this; but with the introduction with new firmware versions, its uses halted. Sony, knowing this was a very useful tool, fixed the bug that was preventing the use of a proxy server, and all became well again.

The benefit of having a proxy server set up on your Playstation 3 does not stop with its protection from hackers. Being able to access your desktop or notebook computer's files, as well as to install Playstation Store games directly from your computer, make browsing and downloading even easier. Instead of using your Playstation 3 as the browsing tool, you can use the comfort of your own computer to manage and download your games, then install them directly over your network.