September 12, 2025
Real-Time Revolution: Diving into the World of WebSockets and Long Polling
Introduction
Modern users expect web applications to work as fast and responsive as native software. Chats, stock quotes, collaborative document editing — all these scenarios require instant data exchange. In this article, we’ll break down how Long Polling works, why it was replaced by WebSockets, and how to properly configure these technologies on popular web servers.
The Real-Time Problem and the First Solution: Long Polling
HTTP was originally designed for the request-response model: the client contacts the server, the server replies, and the connection closes. For dynamic applications, this is inconvenient.
September 6, 2025
Caddy vs. Traefik vs. HAProxy vs. Nginx vs. Apache
Introduction
Choosing a web server and reverse proxy today depends on tasks and infrastructure.
Caddy, Traefik, HAProxy, Nginx, and Apache are five popular solutions, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we’ll compare them by key criteria: philosophy, installation, SSL, CI/CD, and complexity.
Comparison by Key Criteria
| Criterion | Caddy | Traefik | HAProxy | Nginx | Apache |
|---|
| Philosophy | Simplicity, automatic SSL | Dynamic routing and Service Discovery | High-performance load balancer | Universal web server and proxy | Classic web server, static approach |
| Installation | Single binary | Container, requires setup | Single binary, manual configuration | OS package, easy installation | OS package, easy installation |
| SSL Automation | Built-in, main advantage | Built-in, part of ecosystem | No (requires external integration, e.g., certbot) | Partial (via certbot or modules) | Partial (via certbot or modules) |
| CI/CD | Very easy integration | Ideal for microservices | Used for high-load balancing | Requires manual steps, integration possible | Requires manual steps, integration possible |
| Complexity | Low, beginner-friendly | Medium/high, requires orchestrator knowledge | Medium, more complex configs | Medium, rich ecosystem | Medium, often bloated configs |
| Performance | Good, but not top-tier | Good | Excellent, optimized for load balancing | Excellent | Average |
| Best Use Case | Local development, quick MVPs | Docker/Kubernetes, microservices | High-load systems, load balancing | Universal choice for web and proxy | Static site hosting, legacy systems |
Who Is It For?
🔹 Caddy
Ideal for:
August 13, 2025
Introduction: From Local Defense to Global Protection
In the previous article, we explored Fail2ban — a reliable and time-tested tool for defending against brute-force attacks. However, Fail2ban only works with local logs and has no awareness of what’s happening on other servers. In today’s environment, where cyberattacks are increasingly distributed and sophisticated, we need a smarter and more collaborative solution.
Enter CrowdSec — a modern, open-source Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) that leverages a crowdsourced approach to build a global threat intelligence network.
July 7, 2025
Introduction to FastPanel
In the market of free server control panels, FastPanel stands out as a powerful and modern solution offering a wide range of features without compromising on performance. Unlike lightweight options aimed at minimal setups, FastPanel seeks to deliver full functionality comparable to paid alternatives, while remaining free for personal use and small projects. If you’re looking for a panel that combines rich features, high performance, and an intuitive interface to manage your VPS or dedicated server, FastPanel is an excellent choice.
July 6, 2025
Introduction to Hestia Control Panel
If you’re looking for a powerful, modern, and completely free control panel for your VPS or dedicated server, Hestia Control Panel (HestiaCP) is one of the best options available. HestiaCP is a fork of the once-popular but now inactive VestaCP and is actively developed by the community. It offers an excellent feature set focused on performance and security. It’s a perfect fit for individual developers, freelancers, small businesses, and anyone who wants full control over their server without extra costs.
June 20, 2025
In the previous article, we explored the general principles of proxy servers and their classification. Now it’s time to dive into specific solutions, and we’ll start with Nginx (pronounced “engine-x”) — one of the most popular and high-performance web servers and a powerful reverse proxy. Nginx plays a key role in modern web infrastructure, powering millions of websites worldwide.
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a free, open-source software that was originally developed as a web server to solve the C10k problem (handling a large number of simultaneous connections). Over time, its functionality has expanded significantly, and today Nginx is widely used as:
June 19, 2025
In today’s internet-driven world, where data constantly travels between millions of devices, it’s often not enough to establish a direct connection — you may need a “middleman.” That’s where a proxy server comes in. It acts as a bridge between you (the client) and the destination resource (server), handling network requests on your behalf. Understanding how proxies work is critical for network security, optimization, and access management.
What is a Proxy Server?
A proxy server (from the English proxy — representative, intermediary) is a server in a computer network that acts as an intermediary between a user (client) and other internet servers. All client requests go through the proxy first, which then forwards them to the destination server. Responses from the destination server also return to the proxy first before being sent back to the client.
