Definition
In computer networking, a proxy server is a software that acts as an intermediary between a client requesting a resource and the server providing that resource.
- proxy-servers and reverse proxy-server are used to improve privacy, security, and possibly performance
Proxy Server (Forward Proxy)
It is used by clients (users, browsers, devices), and acts as an intermediary between the client and the server they want to connect to.
The client sends a request to the proxy, which forwards it to the destination server and returns the response to the client.
Common uses:
- Anonymization: Hides the client’s IP.
- Caching: Reduces the load on a network by storing frequently requested resources.
- Filtering: Blocks unauthorized websites (e.g. in corporate firewalls).
- Access to geo-blocked content (e.g. VPN).
Example: A user wants to access example.com, but goes through a proxy that filters or modifies the request before sending it to the destination server.
See also reverse proxy