TCP and Firewall support

The http specification defines http proxy servers and how http clients can connect to remote hosts through those proxies. However, there is not really a standard socket proxy server that I know of. For example, I want to use a CVS client from my workstation at work, but our firewall prevents it. I would have to use the Microsoft Proxy Client to allow me through the firewall by accessing the proxy server as a non-http client. I think this is Microsoft-Proxy 2.0 specific. If a firewall doesn't let your socket through, you're out of luck. You could write a proxy yourself, but you still need an open port that you can get through in order for it to work. You might as well just make the port configurable from the client app to begin with. If you could circumvent firewalls under every circumstance, there would be no reason to use a firewall.

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spgilmore22y ago
The http specification defines http proxy servers and how http clients can connect to remote hosts through those proxies. However, there is not really a standard socket proxy server that I know of. For example, I want to use a CVS client from my workstation at work, but our firewall prevents it. I would have to use the Microsoft Proxy Client to allow me through the firewall by accessing the proxy server as a non-http client. I think this is Microsoft-Proxy 2.0 specific. If a firewall doesn't let your socket through, you're out of luck. You could write a proxy yourself, but you still need an open port that you can get through in order for it to work. You might as well just make the port configurable from the client app to begin with. If you could circumvent firewalls under every circumstance, there would be no reason to use a firewall.