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The Complete Guide To Proxy Servers (Vs VPN Services)
As you know an internet is a private network which is protected by many different networking devices such as firewall, router, proxy servers, DMZ, honeynet, IPS and IDS. Maximum people of the world do business, shopping, banking through internet. This is beauty of present world. As per topic of proxy servers and VPN services, both are technologies. Proxy and VPNs servers both protect its clients or users identities and are effective gears for accessing contents. VPN (Virtual Private Network) provides you online privacy and anonymity by generating a private network from public internet connection. VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy than even a protected Wi-Fi hotspot.
What is Proxy Servers?
Proxy Server is server that retrieves data on the internet on behalf of user or client. Proxy servers play a role of mediator between the external and internal networks. It does screen of all incoming and outgoing traffic. It has mainly five functions and these are as follows:
- (a) Proxy server acts as a mediator on behalf of its clients. When clients make request to web server, that time proxy server use it own IP Address to replace its clients IP Address. And when the page is returned, that time the Proxy Server forward it to the client. In this way Proxy Server hides IP Address of its clients or users. This function is called NAT (Network Address Translation). This NAT functions is more commonly performed by Firewall or Routers.
- (b) To act as caching machine
- (c) To control inbound and outbound traffic
- (d) To keep track of all incoming and outgoing.
- (e) To set up to bypass the Firewall.
What is VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is one of the smartest ways to protect your online privacy and maintain your data security. It allows you to create a secure connection to another network over internet. VPNs can be used to access area restricted websites for shielding your browsing history from hackers or from snooping eyes on public Wi-Fi.
Requirement of VPN
Primary function of VPN is to prevent clients on the same network access points from intercepting her/his web traffic and act as middleman during the hackers attack. VPN is very useful for travellers and for those who using public Wi-Fi networks. Public Wi-Fi activities in such area at Malls, Hotels, Airports, Railway stations and coffee shops etc. Someone on the same network of the network as you are using could possibly catch your information while you are connected. VPNs hides your computer’s actual IP Address hiding it with its Server you are connected with. Distribution of IP Address are based on location. Simply you can make guess of someone’s location by making glance towards their IP Address. And while IP Addresses may change, it is possible to track somebody across the internet by surveillance where the same IP Address comes into view. Using a VPN makes it harder to track you when you online. Many VPNs services provide their own DNS resolution system. This is an essential for client’s privacy. Maximum consumers buy products online, so they need a VPN security.
Difference between Proxy and VPN
You have heard the terms of Proxy and VPN, but you must know difference between them. The major difference is VPN configures at the system level and all traffic goes towards VPN with encrypted connections. And other hand, proxy server configured at the individual application level. VPN has considered as more secure than proxy. Present time, privacy and security of data does matter a lot. Proxies and VPNs have asupplementary layer of security and privacy to your data. If you want to allow your team to work properly with secure access, then you need to set up and maintains VPN network. Proxy servers are also better tool.
Benefits of Proxy and VPN
If you ask me as why you would want to use a proxy server? Proxy has server benefit, and one benefit is privacy. It allows you to surf internet anonymously. Proxy servers hides your IP Address. When visit any website, your IP address is visible and certain people can know as which website you are visiting but when you use Proxy, your IP Address becomes invisible because as proxy server retrieves web page for you only the IP Address of Proxy Server can be seen viewing the web page. Second benefit of Proxy Server is its speed. Whenever you company wants to retrieve web page, the proxy server will retrieve web page from the internet on n behalf clients or users and stores it page into centralised cache data base. This makes web page retrieval much faster. Third benefits is save bandwidth. This server reduces the need to go out on the internet to retrieve data because already has that store in its data base. Fourth benefit is activity login. So many companies use proxy server to keep track of their employees. When company’s employees surfing the internet, the proxy keeps record as which websites were surfing and how long they were on those websites. In addition, company can also configure Proxy to block certain website to keep their workers or employees from visiting them. One notable thing proxy server can do and that’s encrypting data. When data is not encrypted, it can be intercepted by hackers and ISP or Government with proper equipment. That’s why VPN has come into existence.
VPN means Virtual Private Network. VPN not only hide your IP Address but also encrypt the data that being transferred between your computer and the internet. So any activity you do on internet such as viewing pages, transferring files it get encrypted and kept private when using a VPN. And logging is involved into this process. The biggest discussion to use a VPN instead of proxy is total encryptions for all traffic you get with the VPN. A VPN is more secure than a similarly priced proxy. VPN providers maintain their own network and use their IP address for your connection. As IT businessman, you have an advantage of both.
Conclusion
So, I tried to give information on Proxy Servers and VPN services. In the ear of globalization, online activities have increased. System of every country is responsible to make secure connection to its consumers. Ever big organisation is needed Proxy Server and VPN for their uses.
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