Proxy server acts as a gateway between a user and the internet, it also acts as an intermediary server which separates end users from the websites that they browse. This server provides various levels of functionality, security, and privacy depending on your use case, needs, or company policy. The internet traffic flows through the proxy server on its way to the address that you are requesting when you are using it. After then, the request comes back through that same proxy server and then forwards the data received from the website to the user. With all these points taken, why do individuals settle for a proxy server?

The reason why individuals bother for a proxy server is that modern proxy servers are able to do much more than forwarding web requests – all in the name of data security and network performance. These servers act as a firewall and web filter to provide shared network connections and cache data to speed up common requests. Users get kept with a good proxy server and the internal network protected from the bad stuff that lives out in the wild, wide internet. The proxy servers are also able to provide a high level of privacy to its users.

How does a proxy server operate?

There is a unique Internet Protocol Address needed for every computer on the internet. Through the IP Address, the internet is able to know how to send the correct data to the correct computer. A proxy server serves as a computer on the internet with its own IP address that your computer is knowledgable about. A proxy server then makes the user’s web request on his/her behalf, collects the response from the web server, and forwards you the web page data to the user is able to see the page in his/her browser.

Among all the benefits of a proxy server, it can also forward your web requests and can make changes to the data you sent and still get you the information that you are expecting to see. A free proxy can change your IP address and lets the web server unable to know where you are in the world. It can also encrypt your data which enable your data to be unreadable in transit. Last but not least, it may also block access to certain web pages based on an IP address.