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Proxy
Server Basics
A
proxy server is a program that acts as an intermediary between computers on your
LAN and computers on the Internet. Proxy
servers often have a cache built in to make web surfing
faster. Some proxy servers also allow the filtering of web content
or domains. Additionally, almost all proxy servers support logging.
Just like other internet connection sharing
technologies, only one internet connection or internet IP address is
needed to serve internet data to all of the workstations on your home
network.
Workstations on your home
network must request data (like web pages) from the proxy server to access
the internet. The proxy server then fetches the internet data, checks it’s
filters, and returns it to the workstation that requested it. Because a
proxy server does all of the data requesting, each workstation must be
configured to make all internet requests from the proxy server - not the
internet. Sometimes software does not allow this sort of configuration and
can not be used with proxy servers.
Since proxy servers are not a ‘transparent’
connection sharing technology, configuring a proxy server for more than
basic web, ftp, news and mail functionality can be challenging for a
beginner.
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About Proxy Servers
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