NetShade is an Internet security tool which conceals your IP address on the web.
NetShade will route your web connection through either a public anonymous proxy server, or NetShade's own dedicated anonymous proxy. (The latter option is available only to registered users.) This has the effect of masking your IP address as you browse the web. Anonymous proxies are becoming very popular in this age of heightened security and privacy concerns, and NetShade provides a very effective and straightforward interface for this.
What's New
Version 4.4:
Added Czech proxy server
NetShade proxies are now downloaded from the server, instead of being hard-coded
Fixed a performance issue which could cause delays at app launch
Made the proxy login instructions window modal
Requirements
PPC / Intel
Mac OS X 10.5 or later
Compatible with Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Camino and OmniWeb.
This latest version, however, has made mincemeat of my OS, on two machines.
Regardless of whether I'm using Netshade or not, it demands authentication to go online but will neither accept it nor cancel. Clicking cancel brings back the authentication box in an endless loop.
I completely uninstalled Netshade as best I could using TinkerTool System and AppZapper, and it still has a lock on my attempts to go online.
I finally had to do a complete reinstall of the OS.
Everything worked fine until I used the latest version of Netshade to connect with a proxy server. From that point on, the computer was useless for online connections.
I'm sorry to hear that you went through such an ordeal. I think you e-mailed about this, but I wish you'd gotten to us before the OS reinstall. It wasn't necessary to do that.
All you needed to do was launch NetShade and quit it normally. That always sets your system back to normal.
NetShade makes absolutely no low-level changes to your system, and is not capable of making "mincemeat" out of anything. It changes your system's proxy config, and resets it back to normal whenever you quit the app. If the app is force-quit or if your computer loses power, your system can be left with the proxy settings enabled. All you have to do in this case is launch the app and quit it.
This is a great app, does what it says, sometimes does not work with some sites but for all most everything else works great and everyone thinks I am in the States when I out. Can't live without it.
I recommend this app to everyone that wants there privacy.
Works better than some, but paid-for proxy server is slow or off line frequently for me. The free proxy servers are awful, of course. I dod not need to disable Java or plug-ins to get it to work with Safari (unlike some), but it only work with web browsers and not with torrent clients or limewire, etc where it would be useful.
Nice little program that does what it says on the tin. Effectively you choose your proxy from the list shown and Netshade then automatically stuffs the relevant value into the proxy settings for all the network interfaces on your Mac.
A couple of thoughts:
1. By setting a proxy value on the (system) network interface(s) it means ALL traffic from your Mac to the web will go thru the chosen proxy. So not just your browser traffic but any apps as well, and that includes apps that you might be 'sensitive' about, e.g. Dropbox, 1Password, Knox, etc. What would be nice would be an option to just automatically update your browser proxy settings so that only browser traffic goes thru the proxy but other traffic (e.g. apps) is left alone and goes direct.
2. The FAQ on the Netshade website doesn't give any details about how to uninstall the program if you decide you don't want it. Providing these details would be useful. From what I can guess you need to quit Netshade and then remove the following to uninstall it:
~/Applications/NetShade 4
~/Users//Library/Application Support/NetShade
~/Users//Library/Caches/com.raynersoftware.NetShade
~/Users//Library/Preferences/com.raynersoftware.NetShade.plist
Works for me. I live outside the United States and my requirements are simple - I want access to NetFlix, Pandora, B&N, etc. (sites that are geographically or IP restricted) via a reliable (reasonable fast) proxy server and I want setup and switching to/from that proxy to be simple.
NetShade 4 meets my needs and so far has worked without fail. Developer has answered emails promptly and has been open to UI suggestions.
No reason not to give this a try to see if it works for you.
NetShade will drive Little Snitch crazy, because it makes many outbound connections to test whether or not the proxy servers are working. I haven't used Little Snitch myself, but is it possible to tell it not to raise alerts about NetShade?
sqlite is a free open-source embedded relational database management system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQLite#Adoption
sqlite3 installs itself with the standard apple osx installation -- osx's core data api. apple uses it for a lot of things. i know it is used for safari (tcp port 80) and apple mail rss feeds -- your computer/mac hd/users/you/library/pubsub/ and i think it is also used for the iOSs.
i'm not sure about your question exactly, but thought maybe this little info might help alleviate some of your concerns.
I encourage people to try both. In my experience, tor is a hacker/techie tool, and it is difficult to get it up and running. This is the case with many free alternatives to commercial tools. I also believe NetShade's dedicated proxy has better speed and uptime than the tor servers.
Tor is free and I was able to get it up and running in a matter of seconds with no particular computer experience to speak of. Besides, anything used by the US military can pretty much be trusted.
Just purchased it yesterday with paypal, receive the key instantly then I tried all day the netshade proxy server >> Busy and busy again ! no internet connection at all !
I just sent a couple of mail to the developer, I m waiting his reply now.
Will keep all of you posted of the situation, if the developer is really a thief or not.
If Not I'll ask Paypal refund and run to the better bureau business...
Dear developer, hello. I just bought my copy of NetShade3.3. It works great. The only problem I have is that I can't use "NetShade Proxy" even after entering my id and password as indicated by you. When I press on "VERIFY" button it shows the NetShade proxy ID on my browser but that's the "only" page I can open using NetShade Proxy. Am I doing something wrong or is your server down? Thank you very much for your support. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI - Italy
Hello,
The "verify" page is the only one that doesn't require a password when you access it via the NetShade proxy. The login information for the proxy will be displayed to you in a pop up window when you select "NetShade Proxy" in the NetShade app. Hope that solves the problem... contact me via http://www.raynersoftware.com/contact/ if you're still having trouble.
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NetShade is an Internet security tool which conceals your IP address on the web.
NetShade will route your web connection through either a public anonymous proxy server, or NetShade's own dedicated anonymous proxy. (The latter option is available only to registered users.) This has the effect of masking your IP address as you browse the web. Anonymous proxies are becoming very popular in this age of heightened security and privacy concerns, and NetShade provides a very effective and straightforward interface for this.
+54
Dasein-Jackson reviewed on 26 Oct 2011
This latest version, however, has made mincemeat of my OS, on two machines.
Regardless of whether I'm using Netshade or not, it demands authentication to go online but will neither accept it nor cancel. Clicking cancel brings back the authentication box in an endless loop.
I completely uninstalled Netshade as best I could using TinkerTool System and AppZapper, and it still has a lock on my attempts to go online.
I finally had to do a complete reinstall of the OS.
Everything worked fine until I used the latest version of Netshade to connect with a proxy server. From that point on, the computer was useless for online connections.
What a waste of a day trying to fix this.
+1
All you needed to do was launch NetShade and quit it normally. That always sets your system back to normal.
NetShade makes absolutely no low-level changes to your system, and is not capable of making "mincemeat" out of anything. It changes your system's proxy config, and resets it back to normal whenever you quit the app. If the app is force-quit or if your computer loses power, your system can be left with the proxy settings enabled. All you have to do in this case is launch the app and quit it.
+1
+25
Serste reviewed on 02 Sep 2011
+52
+1
+1
David D Tomasi reviewed on 15 Jan 2011
I recommend this app to everyone that wants there privacy.
-1
-1
tftf reviewed on 02 Jan 2011
+141
+5
+99
A couple of thoughts:
1. By setting a proxy value on the (system) network interface(s) it means ALL traffic from your Mac to the web will go thru the chosen proxy. So not just your browser traffic but any apps as well, and that includes apps that you might be 'sensitive' about, e.g. Dropbox, 1Password, Knox, etc. What would be nice would be an option to just automatically update your browser proxy settings so that only browser traffic goes thru the proxy but other traffic (e.g. apps) is left alone and goes direct.
2. The FAQ on the Netshade website doesn't give any details about how to uninstall the program if you decide you don't want it. Providing these details would be useful. From what I can guess you need to quit Netshade and then remove the following to uninstall it:
~/Applications/NetShade 4
~/Users//Library/Application Support/NetShade
~/Users//Library/Caches/com.raynersoftware.NetShade
~/Users//Library/Preferences/com.raynersoftware.NetShade.plist
Just my two cents worth.
+2
+17
Steve40 reviewed on 11 Sep 2010
NetShade 4 meets my needs and so far has worked without fail. Developer has answered emails promptly and has been open to UI suggestions.
No reason not to give this a try to see if it works for you.
Steve
-3
Capnbooboo reviewed on 15 Aug 2010
ok i posted a comment before to why i think NS is ok, however i also use little snitch and recently noticed this a few times, anyone know about it?
PubSubAgent
wants to connect to proxy.netshade.net on TCP port 1978 (unisql).
also
/System/Library/Frameworks/PubSub.framework/Versions/A/Resources/PubSubAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/PubSubAgent
Allow TCP connections to port 80 (http)
+2
+205
sqlite3 installs itself with the standard apple osx installation -- osx's core data api. apple uses it for a lot of things. i know it is used for safari (tcp port 80) and apple mail rss feeds -- your computer/mac hd/users/you/library/pubsub/ and i think it is also used for the iOSs.
i'm not sure about your question exactly, but thought maybe this little info might help alleviate some of your concerns.
+148
-10
-117
+4
+10
+6
+2
+56
+3
+11
+3
+141
-2
-2
I just sent a couple of mail to the developer, I m waiting his reply now.
Will keep all of you posted of the situation, if the developer is really a thief or not.
If Not I'll ask Paypal refund and run to the better bureau business...
+1
+1
http://www.macxware.com/site/products/WebGhost/screenshot.html
Web Ghost.
+2
+70
+128
The "verify" page is the only one that doesn't require a password when you access it via the NetShade proxy. The login information for the proxy will be displayed to you in a pop up window when you select "NetShade Proxy" in the NetShade app. Hope that solves the problem... contact me via http://www.raynersoftware.com/contact/ if you're still having trouble.
bapaiah chari rated on 17 Jan 2012
+8
Captain_Willard rated on 13 Jul 2011
+55
David-Schiefer rated on 15 May 2011
Jmulick01 rated on 03 May 2011
-1
Maurizio Stroppiana Pinoso rated on 07 Jan 2011