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A web cache stores data from visited web pages, reducing load time and data transfer costs. Browser caches store website content, while proxy server caches store data for all network users. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
A web cache is a folder of files in a web browser that stores data from web pages a user has visited. It provides a way to more quickly display web content from sites the user has previously visited and stores images, web scripts, media files, and other website content. Both web browsers and proxy servers implement a cache that can reduce the time required to obtain information, reduce network load, reduce data transfer costs and improve network accessibility.
The most common type of web cache is the browser cache, which stores images, streaming video data, JavaScript® files, Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) files, and other content that appears on websites. When a user visits a website, the browser first looks for content in the browser’s cache. If the user has visited the website before, the cache usually contains a stored copy of the website content, so the browser does not need to download the page from the web server again. Cached material has an expiration date to ensure that the user does not view outdated content. When the content of the accessed web page changes, the site data in the web cache will also be updated to reflect these changes.
Another type of web cache exists on networks that implement a proxy server. When a user accesses a website in their browser, a request is sent to the proxy server to check if that specific website is already cached. The proxy server cache contains data about websites visited by all users on the network. If the material already exists in the cache and is not obsolete, it will not be necessary to download it again from the Internet. Caching data on your local network can help improve accessibility and efficiency on networks with high traffic or limited bandwidth.
Both types of web caching have their advantages and disadvantages. Browser cache and proxy server cache allow users to access website data faster. A proxy server cache is especially useful for large networks that have many users, provide limited bandwidth, experience high data usage, and implement streaming video or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Both types of web caching can have disadvantages if the material is not updated quickly enough and if the browser or proxy server is not configured to cache certain types of data. The cache can also fill up quickly if only a small amount of space is available.
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