Nowadays, proxy servers perform a variety of duties to suit the demands of their customers. Proxy servers, in general, may alter your IP address, filter out undesired information, and apply further internet access restrictions.
Many Internet users simply connect to proxy servers to access websites that their nations have restricted. Some of you may be unaware that you are using proxy servers at all. If you’re interested in learning more about the numerous proxy servers available, you’ve come to the right spot. This article will educate you about proxy servers.
What information is gathered about you while you visit the internet?
Generally, when you browse a website, you will perform the following:
- To view a website, open a browser and type in the URL. This is surreptitiously kept in your browser’s browsing history.
- Simultaneously, you submit a request to the website you want to view. Your request is routed from your home network to the website through the Internet service provider’s backbone network. The website can determine that the request originated from your IP address.
- If the website accepts your request, it will return the requested data to you. At this point, the majority of the content on the web page is being temporarily saved on your computer as a temporary file.
- When you sign up or log in, the server will save or update your credentials. Cookies are used to authenticate users and prevent them from repeatedly logging in. Naturally, the browser will also save the phone number, e-mail address, and home address supplied during registration to expedite subsequent logins.
As you can see, three sorts of data are often retained on the user’s computer during the process: browser history, temporary files and cookies, and data typed into forms. To circumvent this, you may utilize your browser’s private browsing mode.
However, the website you are visiting may have one or two or more categories of data: IP addresses and registration information. Proxy servers may help you in concealing your true IP address.
What is a proxy server?
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between you and the website you are visiting. It handles your online requests and website data, therefore increasing the security and privacy of your web surfing. Additionally, it allows you to access geo-blocked websites.
What is the purpose of a proxy server?
Each time you access a website through a link or manually input its URL in a browser, a request is produced and transmitted to the proxy server. The proxy server then alters and encrypts the data included in the request (for example, hiding your IP address) before forwarding it to the website’s server.
When a website returns data to your proxy server, the data is sent to you. Thus, it may operate as a firewall or web filter, ensuring that you do not encounter any undesirable content, such as intrusive advertisements.
Proxy server types
Proxy servers may be broadly classified into three types:
- Proxy server that is transparent
When a user submits a request to connect to a website, the request should be routed via the proxy server, which determines if the client is permitted to access the website. If this is the case, the website server receives the connection request but does not see the user’s IP address, just the connection request delivered by the proxy server.
The transparent proxy server gives administrators total control over the local network connection. It operates as a shield or firewall, enabling managers to restrict access to certain websites and content for internal network users. Schools and companies often use this kind of proxy server to censor content.
- Proxy server in reverse
Unlike a transparent proxy server, a reverse proxy server operates alongside web servers, collecting client requests and forwarding them to the web servers. Its purpose is to conceal web servers’ IP addresses from external users.
Reverse proxy servers have the benefit of making it more difficult for hackers to target internal systems. Additionally, a load balancing feature distributes data around internal servers to avoid server overload caused by a high volume of connection requests. It is used by the majority of online service providers.
- Proxy server that is anonymous
Not only can the anonymous proxy server send Internet users’ requests, but it can also receive website responses. It conceals your IP address from websites that you visit. As a result, you may access restricted websites by connecting to an anonymous proxy server that is not restricted.
Proxy server disadvantages
While proxy servers offer a variety of uses, they cannot secure your internet data the way a VPN can. Your data is still at risk of being compromised by hackers, cybercriminals, and others. When you connect to the Internet using a VPN service, your traffic is routed via an encrypted tunnel. VPNs were created to ensure your online anonymity and security.