A transparent proxy is a server that intercepts the connection between a device or an end user and their target website. A transparent proxy is sometimes also referred to as an inline proxy, forced proxy, or intercepting proxy. However, this proxy is mainly called transparent because it doesn't modify the user's requests or the target website's responses.
Transparent proxies stand between the end user and the internet. They’re mostly used by corporate networks to ensure a better user experience and enhance the protection of internal servers. However, there are more features that differentiate transparent proxies from non transparent proxies.
Let’s see how transparent proxies work, and what are their main use cases.
How Transparent Proxies Work
To help you better understand how transparent proxies work, visualize them as standing between an internet user and their target website. Transparent proxies intercept the request coming from the internet user to the target. These proxies can cache content, redirect the request, or ask for authentication.
For example, if someone from an organization tries to connect to a news website via the organization's network, they can access the site and see the content as usual.
However, without the user’s knowledge, the content may come not from the news site’s server but from a transparent proxy that runs on the organization’s network.
While user experience remains the same, a transparent proxy allows the organization to have more control over what sites can be accessed via its network.
Does a Transparent Proxy Hide Your IP?
A transparent proxy doesn’t change the end user’s IP address. Transparent proxies don't modify the user's information, which means that the target site knows the IP address the request comes from.
If you’d like to hide your IP address, you should choose rotating residential proxies or datacenter proxies, depending on your targets and use cases.
Is Transparent Proxy Safe?
From the service provider’s side, a transparent proxy can enhance security by filtering content and restricting access to unwanted web resources. For example, schools or libraries can limit user’s access to certain sites.
On the other hand, end users often don't know that they're accessing the internet via a transparent proxy. In some cases, a transparent proxy is used to monitor the end user's traffic. For example, if a user connects to free Wi-Fi at a cafe, the public internet provider may monitor all the network traffic. This way, the user's privacy may be compromised.
What Is the Difference Between a Transparent and Non-Transparent Proxy?
The main difference between a transparent and non-transparent proxy is that the latter one requires proxy settings on the client device. Meanwhile, a transparent proxy doesn’t require any modifications on the client’s device.
Another difference is that the client will know when they’re using a non-transparent proxy. Meanwhile, they may not be aware that they’re connecting to the target website via a transparent proxy.
Both transparent and non-transparent proxies can be used at the same time, so there’s no need to choose between transparent and non-transparent proxies.
Uses for Transparent Proxy
When deployed by the client, a transparent proxy can be used for various cases. Here are the main uses of transparent proxies:
Caching
Caching content is a helpful feature that allows maintaining a great user experience without overloading internal servers. For example, if many users from the same network are accessing the same target site, the content can be cached and displayed to the users.
Filtering content
A transparent proxy can help filter unwanted content, which can be defined via proxy settings. When the end-user requests a specific website that has been filtered, the proxy server can block access to the site and refrain from forwarding the request to the server. The proxy then intercepts the connection and displays an error message to the end user, informing them that the site is unavailable.
Gateway proxy
Transparent proxies can be used as gateway proxies. They allow modifying or blocking traffic based on a set of rules. For example, a transparent proxy set as a firewall can allow the traffic between the internet and an internal network but block all the connections that violate the pre-set rules.
Traffic monitoring
In some cases, a transparent proxy can be used for monitoring user traffic and behavior. Companies can choose to monitor their network traffic to learn about employee activities online. This may be helpful if a company wants to learn what websites are most frequently accessed by employees and cache those sites’ content for easy access.
However, traffic monitoring may also be used for unethical or even illegal reasons. For example, public Wi-Fi networks may employ a transparent proxy server to monitor users’ traffic and even steal their credentials.
Conclusion
Transparent proxies intercept end user connections to the internet, but they don’t modify the requests that a user sends or responses from the target site. End users often don’t know that they’re accessing websites via a transparent proxy.
Contrary to regular proxies, transparent proxies don’t hide the end user’s IP address from the target site. For this use case, the best choice is residential or datacenter proxies.
Get residential or mobile proxies for just $2.
The main difference between transparent and non-transparent proxies is the fact that transparent proxies don’t require any modifications to the end user’s device. Both transparent and non-transparent proxies can be used simultaneously, so there’s no need to choose between them.
Transparent proxies can be used to cache websites, monitor traffic, filter content, or work as a gateway. While, in most cases, transparent proxies are used to protect internal networks from harmful content, that’s not always the main use case. Some unethical public internet service providers may illegally use these proxies to steal end users' data.
