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Proxy Server

A proxy server is an intermediate program or computer used when navigating through different networks of the Internet. They facilitate access to content on the World Wide Web. A proxy intercepts requests and serves back responses; it may forward the requests, or not (for example in the case of a cache), and it may modify it (for example changing its headers, at the boundary between two networks).

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Proxy server

A proxy can be on the user's local computer, or anywhere between the user's computer and a destination server on the Internet. In general there are two main types of proxy servers:

  • A forward proxy that handles requests from and to anywhere on the Internet.
  • A reverse proxy taking requests from the Internet and forwarding them to servers in an internal network.

See also

Updated on April 20, 2024 by Datarist.