Before we delve into the implementation details, it helps to understand a little about how caching works on the web. If you take the time to study the mechanisms at work, then caching will be less confusing and not as frustrating as if you had just dived straight in.
It is helpful to read and understand the relevant HTTP specifications. However, don't assume that software always strictly adheres to these web standards even if it claims to.
First, let's look at a typical network setup that you may be traversing with your HTTP traffic. The following diagram illustrates an example of a common configuration for a web application:
As seen in the preceding diagram, the laptop and tablet users are connecting through a caching ...
