The Key Benefits of Using A Proxy Server

What are proxy servers?

Proxy servers are machines that act as intermediaries to guide the internet traffic to a computer. They filter or authenticate the content the client seeks to access, before granting the request. Any info you send or receive goes through a proxy server first. There are 3 types:

1. Forward (sends requests from an intranet client to internet server),
2. Reverse (forwards requests from external clients to internal servers) and
3. Open proxy server (accessible by any internet user).

Now, let us look at the benefits of using one:

• Secure and Private Browsing: A proxy server conceals the internal clients from the external network. As the proxy server is in the vanguard, your identity is hidden. This means you are protected from spam and hacker attacks. Most proxy servers do not use cookies; this means that there is no way your info is stored anywhere in their databanks.
• Caching: This feature reduces your bandwidth use. When proxy servers cache data, work is speeded up. For example, let’s suppose User A has opened site xyz, and it takes 12 seconds for it to load. When User B tries to access the same site, the server will give him the cached page which means it will take hardly 5-6 seconds for the site to load, and it will not use any bandwidth. Overall the delivery of web content is far more efficient. Proxy servers basically, reduce the time you need for a site to be ‘fetched’.
• Admin: This is very useful for large businesses, where several users are trying to access the Internet through one proxy server. The administrator can easily set firewalls and block sites (porn, social networking, gaming sites and the like) for all users. Filtering content is one of the most common uses of proxy servers.
• Geo Location Testing: Most websites use geo-location technology to ensure that users are directed to content that is most relevant to them. This is done by determining the user location and directing them to the relevant page. To implement such a technology, you would first need to test it thoroughly. If you want to conduct geo-location testing, you can make use of proxy servers spread throughout the world. It’s safer to go with a paid and dependable service rather than free proxy services.