Hot Knowledge Sharing: Explicit Proxies

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The main difference between transparent and explicit proxies is how traffic reaches the proxy. In an explicit proxy setup, the application needs to configure the IP and port of the proxy and sends all traffic through the proxy. On the other hand, in a transparent proxy setup, the application is unaware of the existence of the proxy and sends traffic directly to the intended destination; the network redirects the traffic to the proxy for interception without the application's knowledge.

Transparent Proxy:
Pros:
-No additional client configuration required.
-The client is unaware of the presence of the proxy, reducing the risk of circumvention.
-Ability to intercept traffic without being detected by the client.

Disadvantages:
-May require network redesign.
-Challenges in intercepting SSL authentication.

Explicit proxies:
Pros.
-Easier troubleshooting.
-If the application supports HTTP 407 response codes, all incoming traffic can be authenticated prior to interception.

Cons: Requires client configuration:
-Requires client configuration.
-The client is aware of the proxy and may attempt to bypass it.
-Limited to applications that allow proxy configuration.

Understanding these differences is critical to designing an effective proxy deployment strategy based on network requirements.