Nginx Reverse Proxy

Nginx reverse proxy acts as a gateway that directs incoming requests from clients to multiple backend servers, enhancing both performance and security. Serving as an intermediary, it manages traffic flow and provides a layer of protection to protect your application. This guide provides a step-by-step configuration process for setting up Nginx as a reverse proxy, applicable to multiple platforms like Ubuntu and Docker.

Requirements

Before beginning with the nginx setup, ensure your server environment meets the following requirements:

• Access to a server with root or sudo privileges for configuration.
• Nginx is already installed. If not, installation steps for Nginx are provided below.
• Basic familiarity with command-line operations, as this setup involves CLI commands.

This guide is created for compatibility with popular server operating systems like Ubuntu and CentOS, offering flexibility for various setups. Meeting these prerequisites will ensure a seamless setup of Nginx as a reverse proxy.

Why Use Nginx as a Reverse Proxy?

Nginx is a robust choice for reverse proxy setups, providing numerous benefits for managing server resources efficiently:

• Load balancing: Nginx distributes incoming requests across various backend servers, enhancing load handling and avoiding server overload, thereby improving application availability.
• Caching: By caching static files, Nginx reduces the demand on backend resources and accelerates client response times, improving the user experience.
• SSL termination: Nginx can handle SSL encryption at the proxy level, making it easier to manage HTTPS management and freeing backend servers from the encryption load.

These capabilities make Nginx an ideal proxy server choice, especially useful in scaling applications and efficiently managing network traffic.

Installation and Basic Setup

If Nginx is missing on your server, follow these instructions to set it up. The following commands apply to both Ubuntu and CentOS:

On Ubuntu, set up Nginx using:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx

For CentOS, the corresponding installation command is:

sudo yum install nginx

To ensure Nginx begins running automatically upon server reboot, activate it with this command:

sudo systemctl enable nginx

With Nginx now set up, the initial setup is complete, and we can move on to configure it as a reverse proxy.

Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

To configure Nginx as a reverse proxy, specific adjustments are needed in the Nginx configuration files, 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 breakdown of the essential settings:

• proxy_pass: This command forwards client requests to the specified backend server, enabling the core functionality of the reverse proxy.
• proxy_set_header: This setting allows headers to transfer client data, such as IP address and protocol, to the backend server for logging and tracking purposes.

This setup is crucial for directing traffic accurately and makes sure that client information is delivered to the backend servers. You can further customize this setup as necessary to create a tailored proxy server for your application environment.

Setting Up Nginx: Installation and Basics

To begin setting up Nginx as a reverse proxy, you’ll first need to have Nginx set up on your server. The instructions below will help you set up Nginx on either Ubuntu or CentOS.

Ubuntu Installation: Run the following command to install Nginx:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx

CentOS Installation: Use the next command to install Nginx on CentOS:

sudo yum install nginx

After installation, it’s essential to configure Nginx to start automatically on system boot. This ensures that your proxy server is consistently active. Use the command below to set Nginx to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable nginx

With Nginx set up and set to start on boot, the basic nginx setup is complete, and you’re set to configure it as a reverse proxy.

Reverse Proxy Configuration for Nginx

The next step is to modify the Nginx configuration to activate reverse proxy functionality. Typically, these settings are specified in the nginx.conf file or in a configuration file located in /etc/nginx/conf.d/. Here’s an sample configuration that directs client requests 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;      }

Explanation of the key configuration options:

• proxy_pass: This command defines the backend server to which incoming requests are forwarded. Replace http://backend_server with the actual IP address or hostname of your backend service.
• proxy_set_header: This setting configures headers to transfer client details, including the IP address and protocol type (e.g., HTTPS or HTTP), making sure backend servers receive essential client information.

This configuration enables Nginx to function as a reverse proxy, directing traffic between clients and the backend server while preserving crucial client data for accurate management.

Testing the Configuration

After configuring Nginx as a reverse proxy, it’s important to test the setup to confirm it’s operating as intended. To check the configuration, run this command:

sudo nginx -t

If the syntax is correct, you’ll see a message confirming that the configuration file is valid. In the event of issues, Nginx will indicate the problems, helping you find and fix them.

Once confirmed, apply the new configuration by reloading Nginx:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

If issues arise, here are some troubleshooting tips to help ensure your proxy server works reliably:

• Syntax Errors: Double-check for typos in the nginx.conf file. Use nginx -t to verify there are no syntax errors.
• Backend Connectivity: Verify the backend server defined in proxy_pass is reachable. Use tools like curl or ping to check connectivity.
• Firewall Rules: Verify that required ports (80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS) are open in the server firewall to allow traffic through the reverse proxy.

Once testing and troubleshooting are complete, your Nginx reverse proxy setup is ready to handle incoming traffic and route it to your backend servers efficiently.

Securing the Reverse Proxy with SSL (Optional)

To completely secure your Nginx reverse proxy, implementing SSL is essential for encrypting data and establishing secure HTTPS connections. A straightforward way to implement SSL is by using Let’s Encrypt, a free and reliable SSL provider. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Install Certbot, a tool for SSL certificate generation and renewal for Let’s Encrypt:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Step 2: Use Certbot to request an SSL certificate and automatically configure Nginx for HTTPS:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

This command will set up SSL for your proxy server, and Certbot will automatically renew the certificate prior to expiration. If you’re using a separate SSL provider, follow your provider’s instructions and configure Nginx as follows:

server {     listen 443 ssl;     server_name yourdomain.com;      ssl_certificate /path/to/ssl_certificate.crt;     ssl_certificate_key /path/to/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;      }

This setup enables secure HTTPS traffic for your Nginx reverse proxy, ensuring encrypted communication and protecting user data.

Additional Configuration Tips

To further optimize your Nginx reverse proxy, consider additional configurations, such as caching, load balancing, and setting custom headers to enhance performance and security.

• Caching: Enable caching to store frequently accessed data, improving response times and reducing load on backend servers. Use this setup:

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

• Load Balancing: Distribute traffic among multiple backend servers for improved performance. Set up load balancing as follows:

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

• Custom Headers: Enhance security by setting headers to protect against certain threats:

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

These settings ensure that your nginx setup is tuned for performance and security, enabling it to function as a robust proxy server.

Docker-Based Reverse Proxy Setup (Optional)

If your services are running in Docker containers, Nginx can serve as an effective reverse proxy within a Docker environment. Here’s a guide for setting it up:

Step 1: Create a Docker network for your applications:

docker network create app_network

Step 2: Start your application container, attaching it to this network:

docker run -d --name my_app --network app_network my_app_image

Step 3: Run an Nginx container configured as a reverse proxy within the same network:

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

With this setup, Nginx will direct traffic to your application container, offering easy integration and management of Dockerized services.

Common Use Cases and Examples

Nginx as a reverse proxy is commonly utilized with various types of software. Here are some popular use cases:

• Node.js Applications: Use Nginx to handle load balancing and static content delivery for Node.js, enhancing scalability and performance.
• Python Web Frameworks: Nginx is commonly used as a proxy server for Django and Flask, providing SSL support and optimized routing.
• Apache Servers: Pairing Nginx with Apache enables Nginx to handle static content while Apache handles dynamic requests, increasing server efficiency.

For more detailed guidance on using Nginx as a reverse proxy with specific applications, explore our additional resources.

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 stands as the global leader in web data, proxies, and data scraping solutions. It serves as the backbone for Fortune 500 companies, academic entities, and small businesses 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 trends, analyze data, and make well-informed decisions. With a clientele of over 20,000 customers spanning almost every sector worldwide, Bright Data is the go-to resource for web data needs.

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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 is perhaps the most user-friendly way to access local data anywhere. It has global coverage with 195 locations and offers more than 40 million residential proxies worldwide. Round-the-clock tech support, different types of proxies, four scraping solutions, flexible payment methods, public API, and an easy-to-use dashboard are among the reasons why Sslprivateproxy has become one of the most trusted proxy providers in the market.

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Proxy Management 7

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 leading platform for web intelligence gathering, earning the trust of over 2,000 global partners, among them numerous Fortune Global 500 firms, academic institutions, and research teams. It provides top-tier web data collection solutions, featuring proxy services, Scraper APIs, and pre-prepared datasets. Boasting a robust proxy network of over 102 million IPs across 195 countries, Smartdnsproxy offers one of the most dependable proxy infrastructures available in the industry.

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Proxy Routing 8

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Proxy Management 8

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, favored by top-tier companies for harvesting public web information. It is the go-to solution for businesses looking to enhance efficiency, cut expenses, and optimize their operations. SOAX provides a unique array of ethical proxy servers, a solution for unblocking websites, and APIs for web scraping. The proxy servers offered by SOAX are notable for their extraordinarily high success rates (99.55%), swift response times (0.55 seconds), and a low frequency of CAPTCHA prompts.

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Proxy Routing 8

Proxy Rotation 9

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 businesses worldwide. From Fortune 500 corporations to independent consultants, a diverse range of clients depends on Webshare to ensure consistent access to vital services such as market research, price comparisons, 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 offers a worldwide proxy network, specializing in dependable Residential IPs aimed at supporting various business needs, including:

• Price comparison: Conducting comparisons of prices from diverse user viewpoints, frequently for travel and specialized products.
• Ad verification: Verifying that website advertisements are accurately targeted to the right audience, ensuring ad links work as expected, and confirming the ad environment is safe and complies with regulations.
• Data collection: Extracting information from websites to create new data sets for internal purposes or for sale.
• Fraud protection: Identifying and detecting known proxies to block malicious proxy usage against 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 private datacenter proxies and also offers shared datacenter, residential, and ISP proxies, both static and rotating. This makes it an attractive option for clients of various sizes. The provider boasts a significant network of private datacenter proxies, featuring 300,000 IPs across nine ASNs, all hosted in its own data centers. Additionally, its peer-to-peer residential proxy network spans more than 150 countries. The shared proxies are available in three distinct styles: 1) a list of IPs shared across 11 countries, 2) ports that assign rotating IPs to each port, and 3) pool-based proxies available 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

IPRoyal specializes in delivering top-tier proxy servers, encompassing residential, datacenter, ISP, mobile, and sneaker proxies, tailored for those who seek dependable and scalable online privacy solutions. Our commitment is to facilitate unhindered internet access for a myriad of applications, ensuring our proxies are a perfect match for tasks ranging from web scraping and social media management to brand protection, market research, and automation. We pride ourselves on offering an outstanding price-to-value ratio across all use cases. Our residential proxy network is meticulously constructed from the ground up, featuring genuine, ethically obtained IP addresses across 195 countries, with precise city-level targeting. We adopt a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, complemented by non-expiring traffic, to cater to the diverse needs of our clients, ensuring they only pay for what they use without worrying about unused traffic.

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Proxy Routing 9

Proxy Rotation 8

Proxy Management 8

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 provider of the fastest residential proxies for companies and businesses, boasting a continuously expanding network of over 20 million residential IPs. Unique in its approach, NetNut sources its IPs directly from ISPs, presenting distinct advantages that set it apart from competitors:

• A vast global network of over 20 million residential IPs, with options for worldwide targeting and specific city-state selection within the US.
• Enhanced proxy speeds and direct one-hop connectivity to ISPs ensure faster data retrieval.
• A mix of premium static and rotating residential IPs caters to various operational needs.
• Guaranteed 24/7 availability of IPs for uninterrupted service.
• Personalized support through a dedicated account manager.
• Cost-effective pricing with competitive $/GB rates.
• Unrestricted access to the entire web, including search engines, without the limitations associated with exit node connectivity.
• Exceptionally low failure rates, ensuring reliable connections.
• Customized proxy pools tailored to specific business requirements.
• A hybrid P2P network architecture enhances scalability.
• Immediate availability of US datacenter proxies for diverse application needs.

Residential proxies by NetNut use real residential IP addresses, making them virtually unblockable and ideal for a wide range of business applications.

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Proxy Routing 7

Proxy Rotation 6

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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 has been present in the market for several years, initially launching with a promising residential proxy service. However, despite its affordability, the service has remained relatively basic over time. The company offers a modest pool of 7 million residential IPs, but it's noteworthy that the actual number of unique IPs is significantly lower than one might expect from such a sizable network. This discrepancy suggests a higher likelihood of encountering duplicate proxies. For instance, Zenrows provided approximately 6,000 proxies in the US alone. Conversely, Zenrows demonstrates commendable infrastructure performance. Its residential proxies have outperformed competitors like NetNut and IPRoyal, offering unlimited threads and ensuring proxy rotation with every request.

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Proxy Routing 6

Proxy Rotation 7

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