How Does HTTP Proxy Work?

Every time an internet user tries to find information from a server on the web, the information, in most cases, is usually redirected via what we call a proxy. Depending on what the user intends to achieve, this proxy could either be a SOCKS or HTTP proxy or, their less known counterpart, transparent proxy.

Nonetheless, connection to the web generally requires the use of a proxy. And HTTP proxies are commonly used because they offer better security, management, and caching functionalities.

In this brief article, we will see what general proxies and HTTP proxies are, how HTTP proxies work and the best cases to employ them.

What is a proxy?

A proxy is a simple yet powerful tool used for accessing the internet. It serves as an intermediary between a public server and a private IP (Internet Protocol) address.

By standing between a server and an internet user, proxies are in the best position to decide what gets into the user’s computer. They receive queries from users, fine-tune them, then send them to the servers.

Likewise, when the servers return a result of a particular search to the user, it is always passed through the proxy. This way, the proxies, as computers, provide an extra layer of security for the internet user.

Other advantages of using proxies include:

• Balancing internet traffic load to prevent crashes
• Controlling the online activities of the workers to boost productivity
• Compressing the incoming files thereby saving bandwidth
• Keeping employees’ online activities secured and away from snooping eyes

What are HTTP proxies?

An HTTP proxy (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) can be defined as a high-performance, content-filtering protocol that allows for the seamless flow of information between an internet user and a public server.

It is a “go-between” communication protocol that supervises how the query sent by a user gets to the target server and how the results are sent back to the user.

This “stateless and connectionless” proxy takes what the user is sending to the web, rearranges and updates it before delivering it to the web. When the results of the query such as hypertexts, sounds, images, or videos are being returned to the user, the HTTP proxy receives them, scrutinizes and checks them for harmful contents before finally delivering them to the user.

And this is important for several reasons such as:

• Keeping the user anonymous
• Significantly increasing the speed of browsing
• Aiding connection to forbidden websites
• Removing security measures that may prevent the user from accessing a specific server because of geo-location
• Filtering what gets through to the user
• Lowering the bandwidth of internet traffic

How HTTP proxies work?

The way an HTTP proxy works is also sometimes called the HTTP transaction lifecycle, and it goes as follows:

• The user sends out a request using a web browser
• The request is received first by the protocol
• The proxy processes the request and updates it before sending it to the target website using its address and location
• The website receives the request from the proxy, gathers the information and sends it back to the user using the location and address of the proxy
• The proxy receives the information and begins to check for any malware
• Once satisfied with the content, it sends it to the user who sees the final result as a web page containing texts, images, sounds or videos

Best cases to use HTTP proxies

Although other types of proxies exist, some cases require the use of only the HTTP proxies. You can visit Oxylabs for more information about HTTP proxies or read the text below.

1. When anonymity is a priority

HTTP proxies are known for having their IP address and location. Therefore, when a brand uses it to access a web, the proxy conceals its original IP address and location and operates its own instead. This makes the brand and all its queries and tasks completely anonymous.

This is important, especially when businesses are performing highly sensitive tasks or developing business secrets.

2. When trying to avoid server crashing

Certain things infuriate the average man on the internet, and a crashed server happens to be one of them. When a user is trying to access a business server, and it crashes, there could be a high chance of not getting the complete requested information or losing everything altogether. HTTP proxies are used by brands to prevent this from happening.

3. When company security is a priority

Hackers are always on the lookout for things to intercept and breach. And such interceptions are targeted at both incoming requests and outgoing information. Once any of these is unprotected, it will be easier for hackers to key in and breach the data.

HTTP proxies, by standing in the middle, act as a buffer of protection to the data that comes to a server and the information that returns to the user. This is important to secure both customers and companies.

4. When faster speed and smaller bandwidth are important

Servers sometimes become slower when they are bombarded with excess traffic, and this can harm a business.

However, an HTTP proxy can prevent this from happening by compressing the traffic and caching files. This frees up and saves bandwidth, thereby increasing the speed of servers.

Conclusion

An HTTP proxy is like a middleman. To get into the web, sometimes, users go through them. They relay the user’s request to the internet and return the user the answers from the internet.

But it does more than just relaying messages. It also eliminates obvious security risks, increases browsing speed, prevents server crashing, and encourages anonymity.