As your intermediary on the web, proxy servers have many useful roles. Here’s a few of the primary uses for a proxy server:

Firewalls: A firewall is a type of network security system that acts as a barrier between a network and the wider internet. Security professionals configure firewalls to block unwanted access to the networks they are trying to protect, often as an anti-malware or anti-hacking countermeasure.

A proxy server between a trusted network and the internet is the perfect place to host a firewall designed to intercept and either approve or block incoming traffic before it reaches the network.

Content filters: Just as online proxies can regulate incoming connection requests with a firewall, they can also act as content filters by blocking undesired outgoing traffic. Companies may configure proxy servers as content filters to prevent employees from accessing the blocked websites while at work.

Bypassing content filters: That’s right — you can outsmart a web proxy with another proxy. If your company’s proxy has blocked your favorite website, but it hasn’t blocked access to your personal proxy server or favorite web proxy, you can access your proxy and use it to reach the websites you want.

Caching: Caching refers to the temporary storage of frequently accessed data, which makes it easier and faster to access it again in the future. Internet proxies can cache websites so that they’ll load faster than if you were to send your traffic all the way through the internet to the website’s server. This reduces latency — the time it takes for data to travel through the internet.

Security: In addition to hosting firewalls, proxy servers can also enhance security by serving as the singular public face of the network.

From an outside point of view, all the network’s users are anonymous, hidden behind the internet proxy’s IP address. If a hacker wants to access a specific device on a network, it’ll be a lot harder for them to find it.

Sharing internet connections: Businesses or even homes with a single internet connection can use a proxy server to funnel all their devices through that one connection. Using a Wi-Fi router and wireless-capable devices is another solution to this issue.