If your Internet connections must (or can) pass through a proxy, this tool allows you to define URLs of proxies for the FTP and HTTP protocols. Figure 10.7, “Proxy Server Settings” shows example settings, just fill the fields with the required values and click .
What's a Proxy. A proxy is a server that retrieves information from the Internet on your behalf, keeping a local copy of the web pages that are most frequently requested. They are referred to as “caching proxies”, and optimize bandwidth usage. In some organizations, you cannot access the Internet directly. You must pass through a proxy that authenticates you before allowing you to connect to the Internet. This is usually combined with a firewall that only guarantees the proxy direct access to the Internet. They are referred to as “authentication proxies”. In corporate or business environments, proxies perform both caching and authentication functions for performance and security reasons.