UDP Reverse Proxy - User Datagram Protocol Reverse Proxy

What is UDP Reverse Proxy?

A UDP Reverse Proxy is a server that receives UDP packets from clients and forwards them to backend servers, acting as an intermediary at the UDP transport layer.

Why is UDP Reverse Proxy useful?

UDP Reverse Proxies are useful for: - Load balancing UDP-based applications and services - Hiding backend server details from clients for security - Failover and high availability for UDP services - Traffic monitoring and control at the network edge

How it works?

  • The proxy listens for incoming UDP packets from clients.

  • It forwards packets to one or more backend UDP servers based on configured rules.

  • It manages client-server session mapping as UDP is connectionless.

  • Often used with load balancing software that supports UDP, like HAProxy, NGINX (stream module), or specialized UDP proxies.

Where is UDP Reverse Proxy used?

UDP Reverse Proxies are used in: - DNS services (UDP port 53) - Streaming media servers - Online gaming servers - VoIP protocols like SIP (for some functions) - IoT device communications

Which OSI layer does this protocol belong to?

UDP Reverse Proxy operates at the Transport Layer (Layer 4) of the OSI model.

Is UDP Reverse Proxy Windows specific?

No, UDP Reverse Proxies are not Windows specific and can run on various platforms.

Is UDP Reverse Proxy Linux specific?

No, UDP Reverse Proxies are not Linux specific, though Linux is a common deployment environment.

Which Transport Protocol is used by UDP Reverse Proxy?

UDP Reverse Proxy uses: - UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Which Port is used by UDP Reverse Proxy?

  • Any UDP port depending on backend services.

  • Examples: 53 (DNS), 123 (NTP), or custom UDP ports.

Is UDP Reverse Proxy using Client server model?

Yes, it uses the client-server model: - Acts as a server to the client sending UDP packets - Acts as a client forwarding UDP packets to backend servers

Topics in this section,

  • In this section, you are going to learn

  • Terminology

  • Version Info

  • rfc details

  • setup

  • setup

  • packet details

  • usecases

  • features

  • Reference links