What Is A Proxy Server And How Does It Work?

 Most people use a proxy server to increase their privacy while surfing the internet. But not everyone knows what a proxy server is and how it works.

What are Proxy Servers?

A proxy server is a special type of server dedicated to acting as an intermediary. Proxies work by being between you and the websites you visit. But instead of visiting the website yourself, you tell the proxy server to connect to it for you. The proxy server connects to it, fetches data from it, then relays that data back to you.

It's like hiring a courier to deliver a letter to someone. If you don't want the recipient to know that the letter is from you, you can give it to a third party who sent it on your behalf. That way, you can get the message sent and not worry about revealing who you are.

How Do Proxy Servers Work?

Every computer on the internet needs to have a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. Think of this IP address as your computer's street address. Just as the post office knows to deliver your letter to your street address, the internet also knows how to send the right data to the right computer with an IP address.

A proxy server is basically a computer on the internet with its own IP address that your computer knows. When you send a web request, your request goes to the proxy server first. The proxy server then makes the web request on your behalf, collects the response from the web server, and passes the web page data so you can view the page in your browser.

When a proxy server forwards your web request, it can make changes to the data you're sending and still give you the information you expect to see. Proxy servers can change your IP address, so the web server doesn't know exactly where you are. Because Proxies can encrypt your data, so your data cannot be read in transit. And finally, the proxy server can block access to certain web pages, based on the IP address.

Proxy Server Functions

1. Personal Use

By using intermediaries to browse the internet, you can hide your identity from the websites you visit. If you are concerned about privacy, you can use a proxy server to prevent websites from knowing your location. Websites can tell where you are connecting from via the IP address.

If a website blacklists your country, it can identify you connecting from that country via your IP address and block you.

That's why proxy servers are an excellent option for people who want to visit websites that have country restrictions, usually due to rights agreements. For example, you can visit reddit by using a proxy server located in the UK using a web browser.

When web browsers check your geographic location, they will see the proxy server's IP and not your IP. They acknowledge the proxy server as a UK based source and allow the server to access their data. This data is passed on to you, and allows you to access the site

2. Business Use

Proxy servers are more than just a way to hide. Due to its “go-between” nature, a proxy server can also monitor outgoing connections to the internet. In effect, this allows companies to ensure their employees don't see anything bad going against company policy.

Proxy servers can sit between employees and the internet, keeping tabs on connections. Every time a worker wants to visit a website, they will pass through a proxy server which checks to make sure everything is ok. If employees are found browsing blacklisted sites, the proxy server redirects the user to a web page informing the user that they cannot access it.

Things Proxy Servers Can't Do

1. Hide Browsing History

Proxy servers only affect the connection you are using, therefore, the proxy doesn't change anything on your computer or browser. A proxy server also only hides your identity from websites, but cannot hide your browsing history in the browser. Everything you visit will still be recorded in your history.

2. Protect Data From ISP

Unlike VPN services, proxy servers cannot hide your browsing history from your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Even if the sites you visit cannot identify you, your data still has to go through your ISP to reach the proxy server. As a result, proxy servers are a bad choice if you want to remain anonymous.

3. Encrypt Data Sent And Received

Since nothing changes between your computer and the proxy server, this means that all data sent to the proxy server does not go through any additional encryption, unlike a VPN. Therefore, a proxy server is not a solution to protect your data from unsecured connections.

Are Proxy Servers Secure?

Just like messengers, proxy servers are a great way to mask the identity of the real sender, but you should choose a proxy server carefully. Just as an untrustworthy messenger can snoop on the messages you send, a rogue proxy server can analyze communications as they arrive. They can even deliver malware to your PC when you use them.

Therefore, make sure to use a trusted proxy server service, it may be paid when using it. Even though you will find many free proxy servers available, if you are still using this free proxy server you must be prepared for a series of risks that you can get.

Conclusion

So What Is a Proxy Server? In simple terms, a proxy server acts as a gateway between you and the internet. While Proxies are not the perfect solution to all your privacy problems, proxy servers can be of great help if you want to perform simple tasks.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________

So many articles What is a Proxy Server and How Does it Work. Look forward to other interesting articles and don't forget to share this article with your friends. Thank you…

Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.