The Proxy Server
The Road Runner Data Center (effective 11/17/99) features new CacheFlow 5000 proxy servers. (See CacheFlow's web site for more information about the specific product). Through testing, we have seen an improvement in general web browsing with the new CacheFlow proxy server enabled in your browser. If you had tried Road Runner proxy server in the past, you may want to give the new system a try...we think you'll like it.

If you already know what a Proxy Server is, choose your browser from the list to see how to set it up to use Road Runner's Proxy Server. If you're not sure what a Proxy Server is, read on for a general description of how it works.

Definition
The Proxy Server as an "intermediary" computer. The Proxy sits between the Internet and the computer in your home. The Proxy intercepts all requests to the Internet to see if it can fulfill the request itself. This helps to minimize the traffic out to the Internet and increases performance to you, the end user.

In this context, the Proxy Server is not a security device. It does not offer you protection from hackers, viruses, or other potential dangers out on the Internet. In other words, the Proxy Server is NOT a firewall.

How does the Proxy Server work?
When you visit a web site, your computer will send a request to the Proxy Server. If the Proxy Server recently visited that site (because another user already went there), it will have stored the web pages and graphics on its hard drive. So instead of needing to download these pages from the Internet, your computer will download these pages from the Proxy Server (which is in Hawaii), speeding up access times:

If the Proxy Server does not have a copy of the web pages that you're trying to visit, it will pass your request out to the Internet for downloading:

For more on Proxy Servers with related terms and links, visit PC Webopaedia.

The Road Runner Hawaii Proxy Server
Road Runner Hawaii's Proxy Server is named simply "proxy-server" (without the quotes). The following files will show you how to configure your web browser to utilize the Proxy Server.

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