Nginx Proxy_Pass Cache

Nginx reverse proxy functions as a gateway that directs incoming requests from clients to various backend servers, enhancing both performance and security. Acting as an interface, it manages traffic flow and provides a layer of protection between users and your application. This guide provides a step-by-step configuration process for setting up Nginx as a reverse proxy, suitable for different platforms like Ubuntu and Docker.

Requirements

Before beginning the nginx setup, make sure your server environment satisfies the following requirements:

• Access to a server with root or sudo privileges to perform configurations.
• Nginx is pre-installed. If not, instructions for installing Nginx can be found below.
• Basic understanding of command-line operations, as this process includes CLI commands.

This guide is designed for compatibility with popular server operating systems like Ubuntu and CentOS, ensuring flexibility for different setups. Meeting these prerequisites will help ensure a smooth setup of Nginx as a reverse proxy.

Benefits of Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Nginx is a reliable choice for reverse proxy setups, providing several benefits for handling server resources effectively:

• Load balancing: Nginx spreads incoming requests across multiple backend servers, optimizing load handling and avoiding server overload, which enhances application availability.
• Caching: By caching static files, Nginx lowers the load on backend resources and speeds up client response times, boosting the user experience.
• SSL termination: Nginx can manage SSL encryption at the proxy level, simplifying HTTPS management and freeing backend servers from the encryption load.

These features make Nginx an ideal proxy server choice, particularly for scaling applications and efficiently managing network traffic.

Initial Setup and Installation

If Nginx is not yet installed on your server, use the steps below to install it. The commands below apply to both Ubuntu and CentOS:

On Ubuntu, install Nginx using:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx

For CentOS, the equivalent installation command is:

sudo yum install nginx

To ensure Nginx starts automatically upon server reboot, enable it with this command:

sudo systemctl enable nginx

With Nginx now installed, the initial setup is complete, and we can proceed to configure it as a reverse proxy.

Setting Up Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

To set up Nginx as a reverse proxy, certain changes are needed in the Nginx settings, either in nginx.conf or within a site-specific file. Below is a sample configuration for directing traffic to a backend server:

server {     listen 80;     server_name example.com;      location /          proxy_pass http://backend_server;         proxy_set_header Host $host;         proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;      }

Below is a summary of the essential configuration directives:

• proxy_pass: This directive forwards incoming traffic to the specified backend server. Replace http://backend_server with the actual IP address or hostname of your backend service.
• proxy_set_header: This directive sets headers that transmit client data, such as IP address and protocol, to the backend server, ensuring accurate logging and processing of client requests.

This setup allows Nginx to act as a reverse proxy, routing traffic while retaining essential client information for better management of requests.

Testing the Configuration

After finishing the configuration as a reverse proxy, it’s important to test for errors to verify that Nginx is operating as intended. To validate the configuration, execute:

sudo nginx -t

If everything is correctly set up, you’ll see a message confirming that the syntax is valid. If there are any issues, the output will provide specific details on where problems are located.

After confirming the configuration, apply the settings by reloading Nginx:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Here are some useful tips in case you encounter issues with the proxy server:

• Syntax errors: Double-check the nginx.conf file for typos. Even small errors may stop Nginx from starting correctly.
• Backend server connectivity: Check that the backend server listed in proxy_pass is accessible. You can verify access using curl or ping.
• Firewall settings: Confirm that the server’s firewall isn’t blocking ports 80 (HTTP) or 443 (HTTPS), as these are essential for web traffic.

Once you’ve tested the setup and addressed potential problems, your Nginx reverse proxy configuration is complete. This setup ensures a stable way to manage traffic routing and client requests for your applications.

Adding SSL for Secure Proxy Connections

Securing your Nginx reverse proxy with SSL encryption is crucial for protecting data in transit and supporting HTTPS connections. Using Let’s Encrypt is a simple option for obtaining free SSL certificates, but you may also use other SSL providers.

Step 1: Install Certbot, the tool that assists in managing SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Step 2: Run Certbot to automatically fetch and install an SSL certificate for your domain:

sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com

This command will set up SSL and route requests to HTTPS, securing your proxy server automatically. Certbot also updates the certificates before they expire, so your setup stays secure.

If you’re using a different SSL provider, adjust your Nginx configuration manually like this:

server {     listen 443 ssl;     server_name example.com;      ssl_certificate /path/to/your/certificate.crt;     ssl_certificate_key /path/to/your/private.key;      location /          proxy_pass http://backend_server;         proxy_set_header Host $host;         proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;      }

By activating SSL, your nginx setup will safely manage HTTPS connections, safeguarding user data and increasing overall security.

Additional Configuration Tips

There are several advanced configurations to make your Nginx reverse proxy even more effective, including caching, load balancing, and setting custom headers.

• Caching: Enable caching to store frequently requested content, reducing load on backend servers. Here’s a simple cache setup:

proxy_cache_path /var/cache/nginx levels=1:2 keys_zone=my_cache:10m max_size=1g; server {     location /          proxy_cache my_cache;         proxy_pass http://backend_server;      }

• Load Balancing: To spread traffic among several backend servers, configure load balancing as shown below:

upstream backend_servers      server backend1.example.com;     server backend2.example.com;  server {     location /          proxy_pass http://backend_servers;      }

• Custom Headers: Set headers to improve security and manage client interactions more effectively:

add_header X-Content-Type-Options nosniff; add_header X-Frame-Options SAMEORIGIN;

These settings will make your proxy server highly effective, secure, and well-prepared for high traffic.

Setting Up Nginx with Docker

Nginx can also function as a reverse proxy within Docker environments, making it perfect for containerized applications. Here’s the setup for Nginx with Docker:

Step 1: Establish a Docker network for your application to enable secure communication between containers:

docker network create my_app_network

Step 2: Start your application container and connect it to this network:

docker run -d --name app_container --network my_app_network my_app_image

Step 3: Deploy an Nginx container, connecting it to the same network to serve as a reverse proxy for the app:

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name nginx_proxy --network my_app_network -v /path/to/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf nginx

This setup routes traffic from Nginx to Docker containers smoothly, building a reliable, secure environment for microservices and containerized applications.

Typical Applications and Examples

Nginx as a reverse proxy is widely used across various applications. Below are some typical use cases:

• Node.js Applications: Use Nginx to balance load and cache static content for Node.js apps, improving performance.
• Python Frameworks: Nginx works well as a reverse proxy for Python web frameworks like Django or Flask, securing traffic with SSL.
• Apache Integration: Pairing Nginx with Apache can enhance speed by offloading static content delivery to Nginx while Apache handles dynamic requests.

For more detailed examples of nginx setup as a proxy server in different environments, refer to our additional resources and guides.

8.0 TOTAL SCORE

Bright Data

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• Entry Level Price: $0
• Industries: Marketing and Advertising, Computer Software
• Market Segment: 61% Small-Business, 24% Mid-Market

Bright Data leads globally as the premier platform for web data, proxies, and data scraping solutions. It serves as a cornerstone for Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and small enterprises alike, providing them with the tools, network, and solutions necessary to access vital public web data efficiently, reliably, and flexibly. This enables them to conduct research, monitor, analyze data, and make more informed decisions. With over 20,000 customers across virtually all sectors worldwide, Bright Data's impact spans a broad spectrum of industries.

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PROS

• Extensive IP range, global coverage, reliable, advanced
• Strong customer support and detailed documentation
• Versatile for various use cases

CONS

• High cost, less suitable for small-scale users
• Interface complexity and learning curve
• Some concerns over compliance and privacy policies

7.7 TOTAL SCORE

Sslprivateproxy

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• Free trial available
• Industries: Marketing and Advertising, Computer Software
• Market Segment: 92% Small-Business, 7% Mid-Market

Sslprivateproxy stands out as one of the most accessible means to retrieve local data from any location, offering a global reach across 195 sites and over 40 million residential proxies worldwide. Its appeal lies in the 24/7 technical support, a variety of proxy options, four distinct scraping tools, versatile payment options, a public API, and a user-friendly dashboard. These features have positioned Sslprivateproxy as a highly reliable proxy service provider in the industry.

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PROS

• User-friendly, good for beginners, affordable
• Decent IP pool, residential IPs
• Good customer service

CONS

• Limited features for advanced users
• Occasional speed issues
• Some concerns over session control

8.3 TOTAL SCORE

Smartdnsproxy

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• Entry Level Price: Starting at $1.39
• Industries: Computer Software, Information Technology and Services
• Market Segment: 49% Small-Business, 38% Mid-Market

Smartdnsproxy is a web intelligence gathering platform relied upon by over 2,000 partners globally, encompassing numerous Fortune Global 500 corporations, academic institutions, and researchers. It provides top-of-the-line web data collection tools, such as proxy services, Scraper APIs, and pre-prepared datasets. Boasting a robust proxy network with more than 102 million IPs across 195 countries, Smartdnsproxy maintains one of the most dependable proxy infrastructures available in the industry.

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PROS

• Large IP pool, strong for scraping, reliable
• Excellent uptime, diverse geographic coverage
• Good for large-scale operations

CONS

• Premium pricing
• Complexity for beginners
• Some reports of IPs getting blocked

8.7 TOTAL SCORE

SOAX

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• Entry Level Price: $99.00
• Industries: Marketing and Advertising, Information Technology and Services
• Market Segment: 78% Small-Business, 16% Mid-Market

SOAX is a sophisticated platform for data collection, chosen by top-tier companies for gathering public web data. Firms select SOAX to enhance efficiency, cut expenses, and optimize processes. It provides a unique network of ethically-sourced proxy servers, solutions for bypassing web restrictions, and APIs for web scraping. SOAX's Proxy Servers are notable for their remarkably high success rates (99.55%), swift response times (0.55 seconds), and rare occurrences of CAPTCHA prompts.

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Proxy Management 9

PROS

• Flexible, easy-to-use, good for small to medium businesses
• Clean rotating residential IPs
• Responsive customer support

CONS

• Higher pricing for advanced features
• Limited IPs in certain regions
• Some reports of inconsistent speeds

8.0 TOTAL SCORE

Webshare

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• Entry Level Price: Free
• Industries: No information available
• Market Segment: 50% Mid-Market, 50% Small-Business

Webshare stands at the forefront of legitimate enterprise proxy services, facilitating comprehensive data collection, aggregation, and analysis for companies worldwide. Organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to independent consultants depend on Webshare to ensure access to essential operations such as market research, price comparison, data aggregation, malware analysis, and beyond.

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PROS

• Very affordable, suitable for personal use, easy to set up
• Offers free proxies for testing
• Decent speeds for entry-level users

CONS

• Basic features, not for complex tasks
• Smaller IP pool
• Some reliability issues

7.3 TOTAL SCORE

Infatica

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• Entry Level Price: $1.99
• Industries: Marketing and Advertising
• Market Segment: 63% Small-Business, 30% Mid-Market

Infatica operates a worldwide proxy network, offering dependable Residential IPs primarily for various business needs such as: price comparison – assessing prices from diverse viewpoints, frequently for travel and specialized products; ad verification – confirming that website advertisements reach the correct audience, that ad links work correctly, and that the advertising space is safe and complies with regulations; data collection – extracting information from websites to create new datasets for internal purposes or for sale; and fraud protection – recognizing and detecting known proxies to block malicious proxy usage targeting businesses.

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PROS

• Ethical IP sourcing, good global coverage
• Diverse use cases, transparent policies
• Continuous network growth

CONS

• Newer, stability concerns
• Customer support improvement needed
• Limited advanced options for pros

7.0 TOTAL SCORE

Proxy-hub

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• Entry Level Price: 2-day free trial
• Industries: Marketing and Advertising
• Market Segment: 53% Small-Business, 25% Mid-Market

Proxy-hub is renowned for its exclusive datacenter proxies, while also offering shared datacenter, residential, and ISP proxies, both static and rotating. It stands out as a top option for a broad range of customers. This provider boasts an extensive collection of private datacenter proxies, featuring 300,000 IPs across nine ASNs, all housed within its own data centers. Its peer-to-peer residential proxy network spans more than 150 countries. Additionally, its shared proxies are available in three distinct types: 1) a shared IP list across 11 countries, 2) ports assigned rotating IPs, and 3) a pool of proxies based in the US.

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PROS

• Competitive pricing, good privacy features
• Decent IP range, focus on security
• Growing network and features

CONS

• Less known, limited track record
• Need for more features
• Some user interface limitations

8.3 TOTAL SCORE

IPRoyal

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• Entry Level Price: Starting at $1.39
• Industries: Information Technology and Services, Marketing and Advertising
• Market Segment: 67% Small-Business, 18% Mid-Market

At IPRoyal, we specialize in offering top-tier proxy servers, encompassing residential, datacenter, ISP, mobile, and sneaker proxies. Our commitment lies in delivering dependable and scalable proxy solutions tailored for a variety of applications that require the utmost in online privacy for unrestricted internet access. Our proxies are designed to provide exceptional value for money across multiple use cases, such as web scraping, social media management, brand protection, market research, testing, automation, and beyond. We have meticulously developed our residential proxy network from the ground up, featuring genuine, ethically obtained IPs across 195 countries, city-specific targeting options, flexible pay-as-you-go pricing, and traffic that does not expire.

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PROS

• Cost-effective, easy-to-use for small projects
• Offers sneaker proxies, P2P residential IPs
• Regular updates and improvements

CONS

• Smaller network of IPs
• Not for large-scale operations
• Some reports of slow speeds

6.7 TOTAL SCORE

NetNut

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• Entry Level Price: $300.00
• Industries: No information available
• Market Segment: 60% Small-Business, 25% Mid-Market

NetNut stands out as the premier choice for companies and businesses in need of the fastest residential proxies, boasting a continuously expanding network of over 20 million residential IPs, with numbers increasing every week. Sourced directly from ISPs, NetNut provides distinct benefits that set it apart, including:

• An expansive selection of over 20 million residential IPs globally, with options for worldwide targeting and specific US city-state selection.
• Enhanced proxy speeds and direct, one-hop connectivity to ISPs, offering both premium static and rotating residential IPs.
• Guaranteed 24/7 availability of IPs.
• The support of a dedicated account manager.
• Competitive pricing with lower $/GB rates.
• Unrestricted web access, including search engines, without reliance on exit node connectivity.
• An exceptionally low fail rate.
• Exclusive dedicated proxy pools.
• A hybrid P2P network to further enhance scalability.
• Immediate access to US datacenter proxies.

Residential proxies by NetNut assign IP addresses tied to actual residential locations, rendering them virtually unblockable and ideal for a wide range of applications.

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PROS

• Stable connections, high speed and performance
• Direct ISP connections, reliable
• Strong customer service

CONS

• More expensive, enterprise-focused
• Limited scalability for small users
• Some geographic coverage gaps

6.3 TOTAL SCORE

Zenrows

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• Entry Level Price: from $1 for 1 GB.
• Industries: No information available
• Market Segment: 40% Small-Business, 15% Mid-Market

Zenrows entered the market several years ago, initially making a strong impression with its residential proxy service. However, despite its years in operation, the service has maintained a relatively basic offering, albeit at a very competitive price. The service boasts a modest network of 7 million residential IPs. Notably, our findings revealed a significantly lower number of unique IPs than one might anticipate from such a network, suggesting a high likelihood of encountering duplicate proxies. For instance, in the US alone, Zenrows provided only about 6 thousand unique proxies. Conversely, Zenrows demonstrates commendable infrastructure performance. Its residential proxies have outperformed rivals like NetNut or IPRoyal in some tests. Users benefit from unlimited threads, with proxies rotating after every request, enhancing the overall efficiency and reliability of the service.

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Proxy Management 6

PROS

• Pay-as-you-go model, user-friendly for casual users
• Good for small-scale projects
• Responsive customer support

CONS

• Limited high-demand features
• Smaller IP network, performance issues
• Limited targeting options