Why Using a Proxy Server Prevents Accessing to Local Addresses?
I Wasn't Able to Reach a Local Address. I Have Searched the Web and Eventually Learned That I Have to Turn off the Proxy Server (Or Add Exception Sites) in...
I wasn't able to reach a local address. I have searched the web and eventually learned that I have to turn off the proxy server (or add exception sites) in order to access local addresses.
However, I could not understand why is this happening. AFAIK, when you request to access to an address, domain name translation must take place, whether or not you have requested a local address or an internet address.
Could you explain why we need to bypass the proxy server when we want to access to a local address? What are the steps in this process?
2 Answers
It's a routing problem (to state it in a simple manner). When you configure a proxy server, you're instructing your browser to send all the web connections to a unique ip (the proxy). The proxy server receives the connection request but if it's addressed to a private IP (internal address) it will fail. As you say, the options are adding an exception (you can use wildcards, like 10.* or *.your.domain).
Could you explain why we need to bypass the proxy server when we want to access to a local address?
Note: There are a couple assumptions/generalizations made here due to lack of specifics in OP...
- The proxy is external to your local network, so it has no idea about where to find it or how to communicate with it (even if it could, your firewall most likely blocks incoming public requests).
- When you tell your browser/OS to send all traffic via the proxy, then it all goes to the proxy first. So for all traffic bound for local hosts, the proxy has no idea where to send it (see 1), so it fails.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
