Capterra Glossary
Web Proxy Autodiscovery (WPAD)
Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) is an internet protocol used by web browsers to automatically locate cache services within a network. This protocol ensures that all devices on a network use the same web proxy configuration. To locate an available cache service, the WPAD-enabled client uses dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). If this proves unsuccessful, WPAD will utilize the service location protocol (SLP). If the SLP fails to locate cache services in a network then the WPAD will search through the domain name system (DNS) records to locate a cache service. Once the WPAD connects to the cache service, the cache service stores copies of popular web pages at a location closer to the user. Therefore, when a specific webpage is requested by a computer user, the browser is directed to the cache service for the web page instead of having to travel through the network to its website of origin.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Web Proxy Autodiscovery (WPAD)
Small to midsize businesses that prioritize their network security typically use WPAD (Web Proxy Auto-Discovery) to secure their company’s network connection. WPAD eliminates the setup time and costs associated with configuring a proxy server for a company network, making it an ideal solution for small to midsize companies with limited budgets.
Related Terms
- Synchronous
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Intranet
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Scalability
- Data Center
- Authorization
- Multitenancy