serious- proxy server

hello,
what is a proxy server. can we make our own proxy server. what it done if we write proxy address in explorer properties ..

thanks

http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aproxy+server

For your network, it will be the 'server' through which all internet service requests are made. On the internet, the only IP address visible will be that of your proxy server. An entire network may sit behind it, but control lies with the proxy server.

Moved. Please don't post technical questions in the Chit Chat forum.

Proxy servers can also filter/block content deemed inappropriate, waste of space or damn right pointless by the administrator.

A proxy server is a machine, or service that sits inbetween the client and the real server. The most usual implementation is an internet (web) caching service that keeps local copies of in-demand pages - thus reducing outbound bandwidth for content that doesn't change.

It is now also common for these types of proxies to do some minimal parsing of the content to remove malicious or other undesirable material from the data it is transmitting.

Placing details of the proxy server into the relevant boxes in IE will mean that every request will be made to the proxy server instead of direct to the source (there are a few exceptions but these are usually entered explicitly).

A real world example is a company that forces its employees to browse through a proxy so that it can control (quota) bandwidth and prevent employess visiting certain websites.