A proxy server?
As I understand it:
It's a means of routing internet traffic through another machine, usually in a very different network from yours, for purposes of internet anonymity, or, more commonly, to avoid site filters at school/work.
When using a proxy server, any website you connect to will detect the traffic it's getting as originating from the proxy machine you utilize, rather than your own machine. Packets are sent to the proxy server, and they are then forwarded to the IP/site of your request. From the destination standpoint (in most cases,) it looks as if the proxy server is the original source of the packets, not your machine. The destination server (a website, for example) doesn't actually establish a connection with your machine. Only the proxy server does.
On the receiving end (your machine/network,) it looks as if the incoming traffic originates from the proxy server, rather than the server to which your traffic is actually directed. If your network at work blocks the IP addresses of certain sites, you can use a proxy server to avoid that filter..because a proxy server IP won't be blocked.
Edit: Fixed some screwed-up wording..
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