A proxy sits between two systems. These two systems could be a user and a backend system, or two backend systems. Proxies are usually there to abstract out some complexity of untrusted environments.
A forward proxy is a common proxy. With or without knowing it, we’ve all used one. Also called a proxy, or proxy server, forward proxies act as a layer in front of the client to protect their identity. Many organizations use proxy network software to produce different network internet protocol (IP) addresses, altering the perceived location of internet-connected devices within a data center.
Let’s suppose that a client is a web browser that makes a request to view content. The forward proxy intercepts and forwards the request to a server. The request appears to come from a forward proxy, but the client’s identity remains hidden.
A forward proxy sits between your device and the Internet. Every direct request you send to access a website or a service on the internet goes through the forward proxy. This keeps your identity and your device's IP address private.
When the server responds, the forward proxy listens and sends the response back to you. Since your IP address remains hidden, websites cannot track your online activity, and your privacy will remain protected.
A forward proxy also allows businesses to prevent employees from accessing certain websites. For example, security rules the banking domain, therefore, financial organizations use forward proxies to block access to torrent websites that are more likely to download adverse content on your system. In doing so, they protect their assets from security threats.
Lastly, a forward proxy helps bypass regional restrictions. It gives you entrance to content that might be blocked in your region.
When it comes to exploring the reasons for using forward proxies, security stands as the most important. Every external system you try to access sees the IP address of the proxy rather than your actual system. Your ID is secret and safe.
You can bypass browsing restrictions enforced by institutions like schools, colleges, or big businesses. A client machine can get around these restrictions if you connect to a forward proxy outside the firewall. However, it probably won’t be reliable since firewalls block the proxy's connection.
As discussed in the previous section, you can use a forward proxy to block access to certain content. It's common for schools and businesses to configure networks to limit permission to risky websites. Forward proxies allow institutions and organizations to set the rules. They require a client to configure its applications to point to them. Many large organizations simplify this process using transparent proxies.
When you request to visit a website, the request goes through the proxy server first before the website.
The proxy server picks up your request and sends it to the website on your behalf. The website receives no information about whether you’re using a proxy. It simply sees the incoming request and responds to the proxy server.
The proxy server obtains the response and forwards it back to your device. After this, you can view the content you request online as if connected directly to the website.
In this way, the forward proxy hides your IP address and controls or filters the information between you and the internet. More than just a traffic controller, a forward proxy shields users from would-be hackers and prevents them from compromising resources.
A forward proxy differs from a firewall. Conventional firewalls use a passthrough approach. They forward the traffic to the recipients while the traffic is still under inspection. When unsafe traffic comes in, the firewall sends out an alert, but the user might not receive it until it’s too late.
However, a forward proxy doesn’t relay content until it verifies it to be safe. Modern cloud-based forward proxies can also inspect encrypted traffic. However, as the volume of encrypted traffic increases, firewalls – except for a cloud firewall, which can already handle scale – are becoming compute-intensive to manage such a volume.
Both forward and reverse proxy act as intermediaries, but they do so differently. A forward proxy works for the client, protecting their identity from the website server they’re trying to access. It allows the client to get to blocked content or filter internet traffic based on the organizational policies.
A reverse proxy works for the website that has the content people request to access. Whenever someone asks for permission, the request goes through the reverse proxy first. The proxy decides which server will handle the request and moves it there.
A reverse proxy protects the server’s identity by hiding its IP address while distributing traffic load across multiple servers. Since the actual IP address stays hidden, reverse proxies reduce the risk related to cybersecurity. Moreover, they maintain a cache of the website's static content in order to deliver it quickly to clients whenever they make a request.
Many differences exist between the ways a forward proxy and a virtual private network (VPN) safeguard user privacy. Forward proxy protects user identity through IP masking. VPN protects identity and encrypts the message users share. It scrambles the data in transit to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access.
A forward proxy works at an application layer and the VPN works at an operating system (OS) level. The former is less secure than the latter.
Compared to forward proxies, VPNs are easier to start and maintain. VPNs also require you to set up the server and a client on your machines, which can be memory-intensive. When it comes to costs, VPNs are more expensive than proxies.
Overall, both face performance issues for different reasons. TIn the case of proxies, you might find problems if you’re using a shared proxy. VPNs can also encounter performance issues based on the proximity of the VPN client to the VPN server.
A VPN should be your go-to choice if you want more security and have an ample budget. However, if you’re doing lightweight surfing and want access to some blocked websites or your organization wants to block access to a few websites on the network, a forward proxy server would be a better choice.
You have a wealth of proxy network software to choose from if you and your business need to alter the perceived location of your devices. Many orgs also use forward proxies them to collect data from the Internet and avoid bot detection. If you need help selecting a tool, study up on the highest-ranking platforms on G2.
To be included in the proxy network software list, a product must:
* Below are the leading proxy network software for G2’s Fall 2024 Grid® Report. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
ASocks Residential Proxies sources its reliable IP addresses from real devices and passes them to you. It effectively masks your online activities, which makes it ideal for tasks like web scraping, market research, and ad verification.
“For my proxy needs, I recently started utilizing ASocks, and I have to admit that I'm really impressed. Finding the ideal proxies for my unique needs is made simple by the user interface's ease and intuitiveness. My connections are consistently quick and dependable because of the excellent proxy speeds.
ASocks is unique because of its top-notch customer service. Their support staff was always quick to answer my questions and offer helpful solutions when needed. Working with a company that puts the needs of its customers first is refreshing.”
- ASocks Residential Proxies Review, Muhammad K.
“One drawback I've experienced with ASocks intermediaries is the intricacy of installment techniques. As somebody whose strict convictions confine specific types of installment, for example, digital currency, the restricted choices for installment can be awkward.”
- ASocks Residential Proxies Review, Vladimer R.
Smartproxy doles out fast and reliable IPs from real devices worldwide. It features rotating proxies and sticky sessions to maintain anonymity and stabilize connections.
“Support is always there to help you. When purchasing ISP proxies, they aren't always from the same subnet as some other providers, making it much harder for websites to link multiple accounts together. When upgrading your proxies plan, you don't lose the old proxies; new proxies are just added to your plan. It’s beneficial when you don't want old proxies to change but need new ones. I use ISP proxies daily, and Smartproxy is the easiest to implement and integrate into my code and third-party services.”
- Smartproxy Review, Tyrone P.
“One area where SmartProxy could improve is its payment options. Currently, they do not offer a subscription plan tailored for small businesses. As a result, we often lose money each month because we cannot fully utilize our scraping budget, and any unused budget does not carry over to the next month. Introducing more flexible and scalable pricing plans would make SmartProxy an even more attractive solution for smaller organizations with varying usage needs.”
- Smartproxy Review, Mehran M.
NetNut.io provides residential proxies directly from ISPs to bring users high reliability and speed. Unlike traditional proxy providers, it doesn’t rely on end-user devices, which reduces the chance of IP blocks.
“I've utilized NetNut for my web scraping tasks, and they have been incredibly helpful. I've really tested their abilities with various scripts, tools, and applications, and they consistently deliver outstanding performance without any issues. Their support team is readily available, the connection speed is quick and dependable, and the pricing is very affordable.”
- NetNut.io Review, Najeeb K.
“I find Netnut to be somewhat inflexible when it comes to customization, and monitoring performance can be a challenge.”
- NetNut.io Review, Hamad K.
Oxylabs offers premium residential proxies with IPs from over 195 countries. It focuses on high-quality, reliable connections that minimize the risk of IP bans. Their services include advanced features like AI-powered proxy rotation and session control.
“Liked a lot the idea of the 7-day trial environment. This allowed me to check code and implementation and develop a small internal tool to connect with their application programming interface (API) and retrieve results. I moved to a paid environment almost immediately and have been using the search engine results page SERP API for over a month. I never experienced issues, and whenever I needed help, customer support was available via chat. Implementation was also very straightforward, enhancing the ease of use and connection to the API.”
- Oxylabs Review, Nick Z.
“Maybe the mobile proxy pricing is a bit expensive.”
- Oxylabs Review, Péter P.
IPRoyal is a proxy service provider offering a range of proxy solutions, including residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies. It is known for its reliability, security, and extensive global IP coverage. IPRoyal proxies are commonly used for web scraping, SEO monitoring, accessing geo-restricted content, and ensuring online privacy. With high-speed connections and customizable proxy options, IPRoyal caters to businesses and individuals looking for efficient and secure proxy services.
“I was searching for a long-term partner in browser automation to manage proxies, and I found just that with IPRoyal. Their fast customer support and clear communication about what will and won’t work made the decision easy. Since then, I’ve been using IPRoyal for all my customer projects.
Like other proxies, the integration is straightforward—you receive the IP, username, password, and port to quickly implement it into your code. However, after testing other competitors, I believe IPRoyal stands out for its reliability, making it my go-to choice for proxy management."
- IPRoyal Review, Alexis M.
"One downside of IPRoyal is its limited free trial options. Unlike some competitors, IPRoyal doesn't offer a free trial, making it challenging for potential users to test the service before committing to a paid plan. Additionally, the Chrome extension lacks the ability to assign selective URLs, preventing users from choosing which websites should route through the proxy."
- IPRoyal Review, Charly R.
Forward proxies allow you to explore the web in private so you can access content from anywhere while strengthening your security. You can rely on proxies to circumvent restrictions and find valuable information for your research and analysis or to prevent the usage of harmful websites. Overall, they give you a flexible, comprehensive solution for confidential, anonymous browsing online to keep you safe and stress-free.
Looking for more security? Learn more about how VPNs offer a more secure way to browse the internet.
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