What is the Purpose of a Proxy Server in IT Networking?

A proxy server acts as a gateway between you and the Internet. It is an intermediary server that separates end users from the websites they browse. Proxy servers offer varying levels of functionality, security, and privacy depending on the use case, needs, or company policy. A proxy server acts as a firewall and filter, examining the data that enters and leaves your computer or network to apply rules to avoid having to expose your digital address to the world.

Hackers or other malicious actors only see the proxy's IP address, without their personal IP address, Internet users do not have direct access to their personal data, schedules, applications, or files. The proxy server refers to a server that acts as an intermediary between the request made by clients and a particular server for some services or requests for some resources. There are different types of proxy servers available that are used according to the purpose of a request made by clients to the servers. The basic purpose of proxy servers is to protect the direct connection of Internet clients and Internet resources.

The proxy server also prevents the identification of the client's IP address when the client makes a request to any other server. A proxy server is a bridge between you and the rest of the Internet. Normally, when you use your browser to browse the Internet, you connect directly to the website you're visiting. Proxies communicate with websites on your behalf.

A web proxy or other proxy server is placed in front of the client or a network of clients and manages this traffic on their behalf. This proxy server is another computer that is connected to both the Internet and yours, and has its own IP address. These proxy servers help to monitor and manage network traffic, as computers on a corporate network are usually secure devices that don't need to remain anonymous to perform normally routine tasks. A proxy server is a special type of network node that alters the packets that pass through it, hiding their IP addresses and making it appear that the packets originated in the proxy system.

Because a proxy server has its own IP address, it acts as an intermediary between a computer and the Internet. If your company's proxy has blocked your favorite website, but it hasn't blocked access to your personal proxy server or favorite web proxy, you can access your proxy and use it to reach the websites you want. When the page is returned, the proxy server matches it to the original request and forwards it to the user. When a request is sent, the proxy server examines it to decide whether to continue the connection.

It's a server, called an “middleman” because it stands between end users and the web pages they visit online. When a proxy server receives a request from an Internet resource (such as a web page), it searches its local cache for previous pages.

Deb Magby
Deb Magby

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