need proxy set-up help

hi,
as some of you may know i am at university and as such my internet connection comes through a proxy web cache. some programs, such as skype, automatically detect the proxy and set them selves up to work no problem. but unfortunately a lot of programs ask for manual proxy configuration in the form of asking for 'server' and 'port'. now I’m not sure what the answer is or where to look for it. for web browsers i have an address that i enter but that doesn’t seem to work. so anyone know what the answer may be or how i could find out?

Your uni will most probably have specific proxy settings and lots of other restrictions. I would ask your IT dept and see if they will let you.

Well unfortunately they are not much help at all. They will tell you nothing at all unless it's purely for academic purposes. Would take you about 2 hours to get it out of them if messenger even works!! And asking for port settings etc they will automatically assume it for something bad.

Here are most default port assignments...

http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers

But setting up a proxy is a different matter. When you set one up in your browser it will only affect the browser itself and how it accesses the net not any other program on the computer (except possibly for browser integrated programs such as download managers like "Getright" etc.

What are you trying to set up a proxy for? You should realize that as P3 says the uni network is owned and maintained by them and they have the right to limit access to any ports or other parts of the system they wish to.