In today’s complex network architectures it seems there are limitless ways to deploy networking equipment. This may be the case for some networking gear, but for Web gateways there are only a few proven deployment methodologies that are effective and provide complete security.

In this article, we’ll talk about the four most common types of Web gateway network deployments. Sometimes referred to as forward proxies, these devices are used to secure Web access for an organization’s internal end users. The four commonly used deployment scenarios for Web gateways are inline, explicit, transparent and SPAN port. Each one of these deployments has its advantages and disadvantages.