Wget is a free and easy-to-use command-line tool that enables users to download files from the internet via HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and FTPS protocols. It is designed for robustness, allowing the user to download files even with poor and unstable internet connections. The tool will also attempt to continue the download from where it left off if the connection fails. Additionally, it has a recursive download feature that works like a web crawler. It extracts files from HTML pages and downloads them in sequence until all the pages have been extracted, or until the user-specified recursion depth is reached. The downloaded pages are saved in a structure similar to that of the remote server. Moreover, the links can be adjusted to offline files for website mirroring. Wget also has minimal dependency on third-party libraries and is portable, having been ported to many Unix-like environments and systems such as Windows, CygWin, and macOS. It is also a native Windows package and runs without requiring much user interaction.
So why do you need proxies for Wget? Read on to find out.
Why Do You Need Proxies for Wget?
Using proxies can greatly improve your Wget experience. To understand why, let’s first look at how Wget works. For instance, if you use Wget to download a single file, multiple files, finish an incomplete download, or for web scraping activities, it will be seen as a bot activity, and your IP is likely to be blocked. To avoid this, you can use a proxy server. A proxy masks your IP address by coming between your device and the website you are accessing with Wget. The type of proxy you use will depend on your needs. Additionally, if you experience slow download speeds, a proxy closer to the download server can reduce the number of nodes and increase bandwidth and stability. A quick Google keyword search will reveal many types of proxies, but it can be difficult to choose the best one.
Best Proxies for Wget
When selecting proxies for Wget, it is essential to avoid free proxies as they are not reliable and can potentially compromise your data. Instead, it is recommended to go with a premium proxy provider such as OneProxy. Between residential and datacenter proxies, there are some pros and cons to consider. Residential proxies use authentic IPs from internet service providers, making them traceable and reliable. On the other hand, datacenter proxies use IPs generated virtually over cloud servers, making them easier to detect, but they offer faster speeds and cost less. OneProxy is a leading premium proxy provider with years of experience in the sector and custom solutions for all your needs.
How to set up a Wget Proxy
The code below will help you set up a proxy for Wget. Add the lines below in file ~/.wgetrc or /etc/wgetrc:
http_proxy = http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
https_proxy = http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
ftp_proxy = http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
Manually set up the proxy variables in shell:
$ export http_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
$ export https_proxy=$http_proxy
$ export ftp_proxy=$http_proxy
Verify the variable using the env command:
$ env | grep proxy
http_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
https_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
ftp_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
Finally, add the lines below in file ~/.bash_profile or /etc/profile:
#export http_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
#export https_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
#export ftp_proxy=http://[Proxy_Server]:[port]
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