+ HTTP proxy server (Transparent, Anonymous, Distorting, elite) : what is it?

HTTP proxy server is a proxy, allowing working on the Internet with HTTP and (not always) FTP protocols. It (as well as other proxy servers) can carry out caching of information downloaded from the Internet.
Let's have a more detailed look over its abilities.

Anonymity of HTTP Proxy

HTTP proxy servers have several anonymity levels. It depends on purposes, which a proxy is used for, so an anonymity requirement is not always an essential one.
Conditionally HTTP proxy servers by their anonymity degree could be divided into:

Transparent : - these proxies are not anonymous. They, first, let a web server know that there is used a proxy server and, secondly, "give away" an IP-address of a client. The task of such proxies, as a rule, is information caching and/or support of Internet access for several computers via single connection.

Anonymous - these proxy servers let a remote computer (web-server) know, that there is used a proxy, however, they do not pass an IP-address of a client.

Distorting - unlike the previous type, they transfer an IP-address to a remote web-server, however, this address is a phantom: randomly generated by a proxy server or any fixed (not your) IP. So, these proxies distort your IP address from the point of view of a web-server.

High anonymous (elite) – they do not send your IP-address to a remote computer. Also, they do not inform that there is used any proxy server! So, a web-server "thinks” that it works directly with a client.

This anonymity classification is rather conventional. There are many other classifications, specifying / expanding / generalizing this one.

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