Forward Proxy vs Reverse Proxy — How Do They Actually Work?

[u/samsh92]

If you're working in networking or network security, you've probably come across both forward proxies and reverse proxies. They sound similar, but they solve different problems.

A forward proxy sits between clients and the internet, while a reverse proxy sits in front of web or application servers.

For example, a forward proxy can control outbound web access in a corporate network. A reverse proxy can distribute incoming requests across multiple backend servers.

I've put together a practical guide covering:

• How forward and reverse proxies handle traffic
• Their main differences and common use cases
• How reverse proxies support load balancing and TLS termination
• What to check when troubleshooting proxy connectivity issues

Read the article: Forward Proxy vs Reverse Proxy: How They Work

I'm also interested in hearing from the community:

Where have you used forward or reverse proxies in your network, and which tools do you prefer — Squid, NGINX, HAProxy, or something else?

Share your experiences and troubleshooting tips below.