addressforwarding

Address forwarding is the process of redirecting communications or data addressed to one address so they are delivered to a different destination. It is used across several domains, including postal services, electronic mail, computer networks, and the web, to ensure continuity of service when a recipient’s address changes or access points are reorganized.

Postal address forwarding involves redirecting physical mail from a sender’s address to a new recipient address, typically after a move or temporary relocation.Official postal systems offer forwarding services with defined durations and rules. Forwarding can be permanent or temporary and may involve limitations on the types of mail that are redirected.

Electronic mail forwarding, or mail aliasing, redirects messages addressed to one mailbox to another mailbox. Forwarding can be set up at the mail server or by account settings and may be configured as permanent, temporary, or conditional. Some services provide catch-all forwarding to handle messages sent to unrecognized addresses, which can increase vulnerability to spam.

In networking, forwarding refers to the movement of IP packets from one network segment to another, performed by routers. Port forwarding maps external traffic on a specific port to an internal IP address and port, enabling access to services inside a private network from the outside. This is commonly used for servers behind NAT and requires careful security configuration.

Web-based address forwarding includes HTTP redirects (301 or 302) which tell clients to request a different URL, and DNS-level or registrar-based URL forwarding, which directs traffic to another site or resource. Considerations include caching, SEO impact, and privacy.

Overall, address forwarding helps maintain reachability and continuity across changing address contexts, while requiring attention to reliability and security.