Configuring SOCKS firewall integration

SOCKS is commonly used as a network firewall, allowing hosts behind a SOCKS server to gain full access to the Internet while preventing unauthorized access from the Internet to hosts inside the firewall.

In a SOCKS configuration, instead of accessing the origin server directly, the proxy goes through a SOCKS server. The SOCKS server authorizes communication between the proxy and the origin server and relays the data to the origin server. The origin server then sends the content back to the proxy through the SOCKS server.

• Content Gateway can act as a SOCKS client, where it receives and serves HTTP or FTP requests as usual.
• Content Gateway can act as a SOCKS proxy, relaying requests to and from the SOCKS server (usually on port 1080).
• When Content Gateway is installed on an appliance it can act as a SOCKS server, providing all of the services of a SOCKS server. (When Content Gateway is not installed on an appliance, it cannot act as a SOCKS server.)