Proxy: Proxy servers are available for: Win95, NT, Linux, Solaris, etc.

Pro:
One IP address c!ea"
O"tional cac!in# for better "erfor$ance %WWW, etc.&
'on:
(ll a""lications be!ind t!e "roxy server $ust bot! S)PPO*T "roxy services
%SO'+S& and be 'ON,I-)*./ to use t!e Proxy server
Scre0s u" WWW counters and WWW statistics
( "roxy server uses only %1& "ublic IP address, li2e IP 3(S4, and acts as a translator to
clients on t!e "rivate L(N %WWW bro0ser, etc.&.T!is "roxy server receives re5uests li2e
T.LN.T, ,TP, WWW,
etc. fro$ t!e "rivate net0or2 on one interface. It 0ould t!en in turn, initiate t!ese
re5uests as if so$eone on t!e local box 0as $a2in# t!e re5uests. Once t!e re$ote
Internet server sends bac2 t!e re5uested infor$ation, it 0ould re6translate t!e T'P7IP
addresses bac2 to t!e internal 3(S4 client and send traffic to t!e internal re5uestin#
!ost. T!is is 0!y it is called a P*O89 server.
Note: (N9 a""lications t!at you $i#!t 0ant to use on t!e internal $ac!ines :3)ST:
!ave "roxy server su""ort li2e Netsca"e and so$e of t!e better T.LN.T and ,TP clients.
(ny clients t!at don;t su""ort "roxy servers 0on;t 0or2.
(not!er nice t!in# about "roxy servers is t!at so$e of t!e$ can also do cac!in# %S5uid
for WWW&. So, i$a#ine t!at you !ave 5< "roxied !osts all loadin# Netsca"e at once. If
t!ey 0ere installed 0it! t!e default !o$e"a#e )*L, you 0ould !ave 5< co"ies of t!e
sa$e Netsca"e WWW "a#e co$in# over t!e W(N lin2 for eac! res"ective co$"uter.
Wit! a cac!in# "roxy server, only one co"y 0ould be do0nloaded by t!e "roxy server and
t!en t!e "roxied $ac!ines 0ould #et t!e WWW "a#e fro$ t!e cac!e. Not only does t!is
save band0idt! on t!e Internet connection, it 0ill be 3)'= 3)'= faster for t!e internal
"roxied $ac!ines.
NAT: N(T servers are available on Windo0s 957NT, Linux, Solaris, and so$e
of t!e better IS/N routers %not (scend&
Pro:
>ery confi#urable
No s"ecial a""lication soft0are needed
'on:
*e5uires a subnet fro$ your ISP %ex"ensive&
Net0or2 (ddress Translation is t!e na$e for a box t!at 0ould !ave a "ool of valid IP
addresses on t!e Internet interface 0!ic! it can use. W!enever t!e Internal net0or2
0anted to #o to t!e Internet, it associates an available >(LI/ IP address fro$ t!e Internet
interface to t!e ori#inal re5uestin# P*I>(T. IP address. (fter t!at, all traffic is re60ritten
fro$ t!e N(T "ublic IP address to t!e N(T "rivate address. Once t!e associated
P)?LI' N(T address beco$es idle for so$e "re6deter$ined a$ount of ti$e, t!e
P)?LI' IP address is returned bac2 into t!e "ublic N(T "ool.
T!e $a@or "roble$ 0it! N(T is, once all of t!e free "ublic IP addresses are used, any
additional "rivate users re5uestin# Internet service are out of luc2 until a "ublic N(T
address beco$es free.
A/o not confuse a "roxy server 0it! a N(T %Net0or2 (ddress Translation&. (lt!ou#! t!ey
a""ear si$ilar, a "roxy server actually connects to, res"onds to, and receives traffic fro$
t!e Internet. In ot!er 0ords, it acts on be!alf of t!e client co$"uter. ( N(T, on t!e ot!er
!and, $erely c!an#es t!e ori#ination address of traffic co$in# t!rou#! it and "asses it to
t!e Internet. T!e co$"uter be!ind t!e N(T, not t!e N(T itself, does t!e 0or2. T!e N(T is
intended to be trans"arent to t!e 0!ole "rocess.
,or t!ose 0!o understand t!e OSI %O"en Syste$ Interconnection& $odel of net0or2in#,
t!e tec!nical difference bet0een a "roxy and a N(T is t!at t!e "roxy server 0or2s on t!e
trans"ort layer %layer B&, or !i#!er of t!e OSI $odel, 0!ereas a N(T 0or2s on t!e net0or2
layer %layer C&.A