What is a proxy server?
Surely, every owner connected to the networkInternet computer at least once, but I heard the phrase "proxy server" or "prosya". Some users could decide for themselves that there are already a lot of obscure terms on the Web to understand what a proxy server is. In fact, there is a kind of test, indicating the need for a thorough study of the proxy: if there are no problems with working on the Global Network, then the question "what is a proxy server and why is it needed?" Is interesting, primarily from the theoretical side. However, the capabilities provided by such a server may interest even a simple user who only browses through the articles on the pages of the sites.
To understand what a proxy server is,It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the principle of network applications. Viewing of resources in the Global network is carried out by means of the special program - a browser. Opera, Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and others - this is not a complete list of popular browsers. Consider a simplified mechanism for their work. The function assigned to such programs is extremely simple and consists in sending a user or service request to web pages located on distant servers. A response is sent to the request and displayed. Of course, everything is much more complicated, but to understand the very mechanism of this scheme is enough.
Obviously, if it succeeds in a certain wayto process the request, the result can be flexibly managed. Without an understanding of what a proxy server is, it is impossible to make such an adjustment. Proksya, installed on the computer, is a special software complex that serves as an intermediary between the browser (or any other client sending requests to the Network) and the requested resource. The browser sends the request to the non-target site, and the proxy server that makes the necessary adjustments and transfers it to the Network.
Here are some examples where the use of a proxy is difficult to overestimate:
- Internet traffic is paid on a per-kilobyte basis. Since each request and response information flow (text, image) passes through the "proxy", its caching system saves a piece of data. At subsequent requests for the same resource, some information is not retrieved from the Web again, but is substituted from the cache. Thanks to this, the amount of traffic is significantly saved, and the speed of subsequent page loads increases. For users of GPRS-connections such a system is indispensable;
- to reduce the amount of data (not caching). Some of the information is compressed. This is how Opera Turbo works in a well-known browser;
- to block access to resources. If there are blocked resources in the proxy server settings, then clients that access the Network through such a server can receive a response only from those not blacklisted. In large companies, this is the way to prohibit employees from accessing services (social network, ICQ);
- for anonymous surfing and removing access restrictions on some sites. In this case, the target resource sees information not of the client, but a proxy that is properly configured;
- to block advertising. By creating a "black list" of banners and unwanted links, you can remove advertising in much the same way as the famous Ad Mucher.
The proxy server starts with selectingdesired (HandyCache, CoolProxy, TOR, etc.). As was said above, their capabilities differ and are determined by the class of problems being solved. A user who knows what a proxy server is, starts the configuration by specifying the IP addresses and the port for client programs. If the proxy is installed on the user's computer, then usually the address is localhost, and for those located on the Web, it is specified in the description to it. Next, the settings are made to the server itself (depend on the destination).
