Which server type intercepts web requests from clients on a local network?

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between clients and the web, intercepting web requests made to sites on the internet. When a client sends a web request, it first goes to the proxy server, which then forwards the request to the intended web server. This configuration can provide various benefits, including increased security, privacy, and caching of web content to improve loading times for frequently accessed resources.

In contrast, other server types fulfill different roles. A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed, enhancing availability and reliability. A web server is designed to serve content like HTML pages and media to clients but does not function as a middleman for requests. An application server provides business logic and runs applications, serving data from a database or another source to clients, but is not specifically tasked with intercepting web requests in the same way a proxy does.