An authentication method includes: receiving, by an authentication server, a second request from a terminal requesting to access a redirection address. The second request carries hardware information of the terminal, and the redirection address is obtained by the terminal from a proxy server in response to the terminal initiating a first request to a to-be-accessed address. The authentication server generates a first identification parameter according to the hardware information, and sends the first identification parameter to the terminal. The terminal initiates a third request used for authentication to the proxy server according to the first identification parameter. The authentication server receives a fourth request from the proxy server to verify validity of the first identification parameter, and informs the proxy server that the authentication request is approved when verification of the first identification parameter succeeds. The proxy server facilitates the terminal to visit the to-be-accessed address.