Leech Lists. What are they and how are they used?
A leech list is simply a list of URL's to scrape for open proxy lists. The easiest way to assemble your own leech list is to search Google, Yahoo! and MSN, and just copy the search engine results. I like to personally check each page to see if it actually has a list of proxies or if it is just an advertisement for proxy services. Here are some recommended queries for finding leechable pages:
- proxy lists
- open proxies
- proxy servers
- proxy forum
- open proxies
- socks proxies
- socks proxy list
That is just a start. There are literally thousands of queries you could run, including using advanced operators. Half the fun is finding the sites yourself!
Once you have amassed a sizeable list, it's time to see if you can leech some proxies, then check them to see if you have any good ones. First you'll need a program that can do the scraping for you. My personal favorite scraper / checker is ProxyChecker. Here is how you use ProxyChecker to scrape your list for proxies and check them:
- Open ProxyChecker. To ensure that you are starting fresh, click on the "Proxy List" tab and then "Clear" the proxies listed, if any
- Now go to the "Proxy Lists Download" tab
- There are two boxes, a large on on the bottom and a smaller one on top. In the top box, there should already be a bunch of URL's, highlight them by dragging and then delete them. Next, paste your list into that box.
- Now click on the button that says "Begin Download". This will start the scraping / leeching process.
- Once the leeching process is finished, click on "Proxy List Check". Set your max number of threads to whatever number you want, but remember the more you have running, the more drag on your system resources. Too many threads and you won't be able to surf while you check. Plus, it's my belief (not fact, just opinion) that too many threads can cause less accurate results. I generally run about 25 at a time.
- Once it finishes checking your list, you can go back to the "Proxy List" tab and export them.
Now just load your fresh batch of proxies into your favorite proxy manager and surf safely!