Introduction to Business Proxy Servers
As new proxy servers are being created or developed on a weekly basis, a business of any size will have quite a number of proxy server solutions to choose from. They range from free services available as open-source to other inexpensive software to protect your computer. Some of the more popular business proxy servers include:
Squid Web Proxy Cache
This is a free proxy available as open-source software made specifically for UNIX-based systems. It is a web proxy cache available at www.squid-cache.org. It is used by numerous small and large businesses, and even home users. It is ideal as it can be implemented on an extensive scale to increase the rate at which people access the internet and browse Web sites. Since it is open source, a lot of developers are tweaking its capabilities to increase the load times of video streaming.
TinyProxy
If a small program is necessary, then TinyProxy may be the solution. Its distribution is on the GNU GPL license so this HTTP proxy can provide a small but effective solution for businesses with POSIX systems. It is remarkably easy to use and gives the user the ability to allocate the HTTP headers that are allowed, and prevent certain information from being sent to the server. It is available at https://www.tinyproxy.sourceforge.net. It is quite useful based on the fact that it can be easily modified to suit your business needs.
Proxy Plus (Proxy +)
Another business proxy server is located at www.proxyplus.cz. This is quite extensive software that not only provides a proxy server, but also a mail server. It offers a cache system that can increase the speed that Web pages load it. It automatically detects harmful Web sites, and can add a list of permitted IP addresses. The Proxy Plus server uses the TCP/IP protocol and is available for any Windows platform.
Proxy Pro Professional GateKeeper
One of the more popular business proxy servers is GateKeeper Proxy Pro. It is “highly evolved” software that allows small to medium businesses to control what information is entering or being transmitted. As the name suggests, it is indeed a “gatekeeper.” The software will closely monitor all connections for harmful threat while spreading the Internet connection to be accessed by the complete network. It maintains all of the relevant proxy services such as HTTP, SOCKS, and POP3. It is available at www.proxy-pro.com.
ComTun Proxy Server and Firewall
This program is very handy software for business owners needing a bit more for their security needs. It is simply a proxy server with a firewall, and can be used on a single Internet connection. It is available for any major type of Internet connection such as DSL or cable modems, and features all of the usual proxy services. It is available at www.linkbyte.com.
This post is part of the series: Understanding Proxy Servers
This series will describe everything you wanted to know about proxy servers.
