In simple terms, proxy usually means acting as a substitute or an agent.In case of telecommunication, it is used for a device or program empowered to act for another. In computer networks, a proxy server is a server which acts as a mediator for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server and requests some service,like web page or access to a file. The proxy server analyzes the request according to its filtering rules.
The most common example of filtering is by IP address or protocol.
One of the most popular proxy servers for Windows-based systems is WinProxy. The main reason for its popularity is that no software needs to be installed on the client systems.WinProxy is a transparent proxy server,which means that it also provides NAT (Network Address Translation). This ensures that the client system is unaware of the proxy server’s existence. Apart from caching and the usual security features like filtering,WinProxy supports important protocols like HTTP,FTP,Telnet,Secure Sockets and DNS.
The WinProxy Server is easy to install and configure. Before you begin setting up the proxy server, install the TCP/IP protocol on all systems connected to the network. Then, install WinProxy on the system,which you want to act as the proxy server. The software can be bought from stores and also downloaded. When you begin the installation, you get the option to run the Install Wizard. The first screen that appears is the product registration screen,which requires the user to enter the product key. The next two screens gathers information about the type of Internet connection that will be used- dial-up or broadband. You need to select the connection’s type and name. Next,it will ask to enter the username and password of the Internet connection. WinProxy then configures the internal and external IP addresses for the network. It assigns a unique address automatically, to each device on the LAN as internal addresses. The IP address that the Internet Service Provider has assigned to the modem or router becomes the external address. The external address is the IP address, which will be displayed to a user from another network, when his system interacts with any device from your network. WinProxy will then prompt the you to disconnect from the Internet,if you are already connected. In the final step, WinProxy verifies all the steps and ensures that all operations have been performed properly.