How I Build a Scratch Proxy Server Using Node.js

You might be curious about how proxy servers work and how they serve data over the internet. In this blog, I am going to implement a proxy server using core NodeJs.I achieved this using a core NodeJs package called net which already comes with NodeJs.

How Proxy Works

a proxy server is an agent between the client and the server. When a

client sends a request to a server it is forwarded to a target proxy
server. The targeted proxy server processes the request and sends it
to the main server and the main server sends the back request to the
proxy server and the proxy server sends the request to the client.

Set up Proxy Server

Before, starting programming you know little about socket and NodeJs.You know what a is socket and how they work.
In NodeJs There are two methods to implement a proxy server. First I custom method and second in-build. Both are easy to understand.

To test your proxy server you can run your local HTTP serve on your local machine and then target the host machine.

• Now, I will define the net package and then write the target server and port number.

const net = require('net');

// Define the target host and port
const targetHost = 'localhost'; // Specify the hostname of the target server. For Ex: (12.568.45.25)
const targetPort = 80; // Specify the port of the target server

• Creating and listening TCP server.

const server = net.createServer((clientSocket) => {

});

// Start listening for incoming connections on the specified port
const proxyPort = 3000; // Specify the port for the proxy server
server.listen(proxyPort, () => {
    console.log(`Reverse proxy server is listening on port ${proxyPort}`);
});

• we have created a server using the net package. it's a TCP server which is running port number 3000 as we define in using the proxyPort variable. if the server starts it will show the Reverse proxy server is listening on port 3000 message on the console.
• when the client tries to connect the proxy server it runs the callback function which is inside createServer.

• In server function callback we have one parameter clientSocket it's the user connection that we received for the connection.

• accept and receive data from the user
  

const targetHost = 'localhost'; // Specify the hostname of the target server. For Ex: (12.568.45.25)
const targetPort = 80; // Specify the port of the target server

// Create a TCP server
const server = net.createServer((clientSocket) => {
    // Establish a connection to the target host
    net.createConnection({host: targetHost, port: targetPort}, () => {

        // When data is received from the client, write it to the target server
        clientSocket.on("data", (data) => {
            targetSocket.write(data);
        });

        // When data is received from the target server, write it back to the client
        targetSocket.on("data", (data) => {
            clientSocket.write(data);
        });
    });
});

• When a client tries to connect proxy server we will create a temporary connection to the server using create createConnection
• createServer have 2 arguments
  • 1st Host where we want to connect in this case we have to connect to our server host which is defined in targetHost variable.
  • 2nd Port where we want to connect in this case we have to connect to our server port which is defined in targetPort variable.
• Now, When user send data I will pass this data to server. using this code

 clientSocket.on("data", (data) => {
     targetSocket.write(data);
 });

• Then, the Server sends data I will send this data to the user, using this code

  targetSocket.on("data", (data) => {
      clientSocket.write(data);
  });

• Congratulations! you successfully created your proxy server.

Error Handling

While exploring the functionality of the proxy server is exciting, ensuring reliability requires robust error-handling methods to handle unexpected issues gracefully. To handle those types of errors we have an event called an error. It's very easy to implement.

    const server = net.createServer((clientSocket) => {
     // Establish a connection to the target host
     const targetSocket = net.createConnection({host: targetHost,port: targetPort}, () => {

       // Handle errors when connecting to the target server
       targetSocket.on('error', (err) => {
         console.error('Error connecting to target:', err);
         clientSocket.end(); // close connection
       });

       // Handle errors related to the client socket
       clientSocket.on('error', (err) => {
         console.error('Client socket error:', err);
         targetSocket.end(); // close connection
       });
     });
   });

• when any error occurs we will console the error and then close the connection.

ALL Code

• replace host name and port number according to your preference.

const net = require('net');

// Define the target host and port
const targetHost = 'localhost'; // Specify the hostname of the target server
const targetPort = 80; // Specify the port of the target server

// Create a TCP server
const server = net.createServer((clientSocket) => {
   // Establish a connection to the target host
   const targetSocket = net.createConnection({
      host: targetHost,
      port: targetPort
   }, () => {
      // When data is received from the target server, write it back to the client
      targetSocket.on("data", (data) => {
         clientSocket.write(data);
      });

      // When data is received from the client, write it to the target server
      clientSocket.on("data", (data) => {
         targetSocket.write(data);
      });
   });

   // Handle errors when connecting to the target server
   targetSocket.on('error', (err) => {
      console.error('Error connecting to target:', err);
      clientSocket.end();
   });

   // Handle errors related to the client socket
   clientSocket.on('error', (err) => {
      console.error('Client socket error:', err);
      targetSocket.end();
   });
});

// Start listening for incoming connections on the specified port
const proxyPort = 3000; // Specify the port for the proxy server
server.listen(proxyPort, () => {
   console.log(`Reverse proxy server is listening on port ${proxyPort}`);
});

Built Method

To reduce client and server connection complexity we have built-in method pipe.I will replace this syntax

// Handle errors when connecting to the target server
targetSocket.on("data", (data) => {
   clientSocket.write(data);
});

// When data is received from the client, write it to the target server
clientSocket.on("data", (data) => {
   targetSocket.write(data);
});

Into this syntax

// Pipe data from the client to the target
clientSocket.pipe(targetSocket);

// When data is received from the client, write it to the target server
targetSocket.pipe(clientSocket);

Here is all code

const net = require('net');

// Define the target host and port
const targetHost = 'localhost';
const targetPort = 80;

// Create a TCP server
const server = net.createServer((clientSocket) => {
   // Establish a connection to the target host
   const targetSocket = net.createConnection({
      host: targetHost,
      port: targetPort
   }, () => {
      // Pipe data from the client to the target
      clientSocket.pipe(targetSocket);

      // Pipe data from the target to the client
      targetSocket.pipe(clientSocket);
   });

   // Handle errors
   targetSocket.on('error', (err) => {
      console.error('Error connecting to target:', err);
      clientSocket.end();
   });

   clientSocket.on('error', (err) => {
      console.error('Client socket error:', err);
      targetSocket.end();
   });
});

// Start listening for incoming connections
const proxyPort = 3000;
server.listen(proxyPort, () => {
   console.log(`Reverse proxy server is listening on port ${proxyPort}`);
});

A Working Proxy Server!

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