A remote proxy server acts as an intermediary for client requests to a server, providing security, filtering, and performance benefits. It can be hardware or software and is commonly used in internet-based networks. Proxy servers cache data and provide anonymity, faster access to data, and increased security against malware attacks. The concept of remote proxy servers improves internet connectivity and reliability by adding layers of security and data duplication, mirroring the original concept of the internet’s structure.
A remote proxy server is usually computer hardware that acts as an intermediary for client computer requests to a typical server on a network. It can be placed anywhere and can even be a software program instead of an actual server. Its purpose is to perform a gateway function on network requests to a server, for security, filtering and performance reasons.
Standard servers on networks are designed to handle all incoming traffic from client computers and software applications, and in the past, securing these servers was done by installing filters and firewalls that protected the on-premises server from malicious attacks. Adding a remote proxy server between client and server traffic allows for a greater level of security and control. Internet-based computer networks, as opposed to local area networks (LANs), are the most common place this type of setup is used due to the anonymity they offer. By passing a computer’s requests for data through this type of server, it is assigned a different Internet Protocol (IP) address than the one assigned to the local computer. The IP address of the remote proxy server itself becomes the IP address of the client from the point of view of the main server.
Some LANs with Internet access have taken the added security measure of prohibiting the use of web proxies. Web proxies are software-related versions of a remote proxy server that use a web browser to access restricted websites. However, a web proxy only works for website traffic. In this sense, they have limited functionality, as they won’t handle all your internet traffic, including email and instant messaging.
Internet servers have benefited in many general ways from the addition of remote proxy servers. They enable enhanced security at the local server level by serving as an additional filtering layer for incoming and outgoing traffic, while providing anonymity to client computers as to their actual location. Performance is also improved, as a remote proxy server often has duplicate data storage that it provides upon client request, so that you never need to access the original server that the traffic was destined for.
Proxy servers also cache data from the master server so they intercept when network requests arrive. This temporary storage of data in the proxy server’s memory again acts as a form of traffic control, freeing up computer server resources elsewhere. This ability of a remote proxy server or remote web proxy to provide anonymity, faster access to data, and increased security against malware attacks has the effect of improving Internet connectivity and reliability.
The inclusion of the remote proxy server concept at key points in the worldwide Internet structure takes a step back towards the redundancy upon which the Internet was originally built. By adding layers of security and data duplication, speed and reliability are improved, which mirrors the original concept of the Internet when it was first created as the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network in 1969 (ARPANET). As a system of four networked universities in the United States Defense Program, ARPANET was the forerunner of the Internet’s current structure, designed to survive and remain functional and robust even if much of it fails.
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