Proxy and reverse proxy are two of the most confusing terms in computer science

"The diagram below shows the differences between a 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐲 and a 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐲.

🔹 A forward proxy is a server that sits between user devices and the internet.

A forward proxy is commonly used for: 1️⃣ Protect clients 2️⃣ Avoid browsing restrictions 3️⃣ Block access to certain content

🔹 A reverse proxy is a server that accepts a request from the client, forwards the request to web servers, and returns the results to the client as if the proxy server had processed the request.

A reverse proxy is good for: 1️⃣ Protect servers 2️⃣ Load balancing 3️⃣ Cache static contents 4️⃣ Encrypt and decrypt SSL communications

In ABN's terms, think about the cases when you want to access a website somewhere, the forward proxy is what stands in your company right in front of you, giving you access to the internet. The other case is when you have a bunch of services in your company, the reverse proxy is the one that sits at the front desk answering web requests. It then forward those requests to inside servers / services, and get back the results, send those to outside."

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