ServeTrue IQ Proxy Server

A reverse proxy server stands between your home network server and the Internet, controlling access and protecting your network. Fastream Technologies' IQ Proxy Server is a forward-reverse proxy server application for Windows. It acts as a secure front end for all incoming traffic, and it can also perform common tasks like load balancing, authentication, and caching. It boasts a robust, scalable server engine that can handle up to 20,000 hits at once and serve more than 10,000 requests per second in keep-alive mode. It supports all major Web protocols, features a strong firewall for both forward and reverse proxy modes, and includes a wide range of tools for managing not only your proxy connections but also your Web hosting.

IQ Proxy Server's tab-based pop-up interface resembles a Windows properties dialog, only more complex, a reflection of this sophisticated and capable program's many settings. Everything is instantly accessible, though, thanks to the at-a-glance functionality that the tabs bring to the primary controls, each with its numerous tabbed selections for configurations. A good Help file brings clarity to what is admittedly not a program for newcomers to proxy technology.

IQ Proxy Server is free to try for 30 days and costs $60. It works in Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. It installs desktop icons without asking and leaves folders behind when it's uninstalled. If your home network server hosts a Web site or is connected to the Internet in any way, a good proxy server application like IQ Proxy Server is a must.