Smart HTTPS VS Azure Traffic Manager

• Automatic Redirection to HTTPS
  Smart HTTPS automatically changes HTTP protocol to HTTPS, which enhances the security of your browsing by ensuring that the connection is encrypted.
• Fallback to HTTP
  In cases where an HTTPS version of the site is not available, it can automatically revert back to HTTP, ensuring you can still access the website instead of facing a disruption.
• Whitelist Feature
  Allows users to maintain a whitelist of websites that should always be accessed using HTTP, providing flexibility and control over the browsing experience.
• Improved Privacy
  By automatically using HTTPS, it helps in protecting user data from eavesdroppers and enhances privacy while browsing the web.

Possible disadvantages

• Compatibility Issues
  Some websites may not function correctly over HTTPS, leading to potential misbehavior or broken features when accessed using Smart HTTPS.
• Potential for Increased Loading Times
  Sometimes, redirecting to HTTPS can result in slightly longer loading times, especially if the server's configuration is not optimal for HTTPS.
• Resource Intensive
  The addon might consume additional resources to check for HTTPS versions of every site, which could impact browser performance, especially on older systems.
• Limited Control Over Redirection
  Users might have limited ability to control which sites are redirected to HTTPS if they haven't preemptively whitelisted specific HTTP sites.

• Geographic Distribution
  Azure Traffic Manager allows for distributing traffic based on geographic location, which can improve load balancing and reduce latency for users by directing them to the closest endpoint.
• Automatic Failover
  Provides automatic failover capabilities to ensure high availability by redirecting traffic to another endpoint if one goes down, improving service reliability.
• Traffic Routing Methods
  Supports various routing methods such as priority, weighted, performance, and geographic, offering flexibility in controlling how traffic is distributed.
• Integration with Azure Services
  Seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Azure services, making it easier to implement and manage for organizations already using Azure.
• Scalability
  Scales automatically to handle the demands of high-volume applications without requiring manual intervention, providing better performance management.
• Customizable Health Probes
  Allows users to set up customizable health probes to continuously monitor the health of endpoints, ensuring traffic is directed based on endpoint availability.

Possible disadvantages

• Complex Configuration
  Setting up and configuring Azure Traffic Manager can be complex, especially for users who are not familiar with Azure or network configurations.
• Dependency on External Services
  As a cloud-based service, it is dependent on Azure infrastructure. Any issues within Azure could potentially impact Traffic Manager performance.
• Cost
  While Traffic Manager can optimize performance, it can also increase costs, particularly for smaller businesses or those with fluctuating traffic patterns.
• Limited Control Over Underlying Infrastructure
  Users have limited control over the underlying Azure infrastructure, which can be a disadvantage for those who require more granular control.
• Potential Latency
  While Traffic Manager can reduce latency by routing to nearby endpoints, the initial DNS query routing might introduce some latency.

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Azure Traffic Manager Vlog 1

• “We don’t track you … except for when we get paid for it.”

  Smart HTTPS, site This tries to send you to https sites instead of http sites. Using http sites makes you venerable to man in the middle attacks. (dont use http on public wifis if possible). Source: over 4 years ago

• question about non secure websites

  I'd recommend using Smart HTTPS which automatically makes your site's HTTPS if it can offer it so it will reduce these situations. Here's the site where you can choose whichever browser you use. https://mybrowseraddon.com/smart-https.html. Source: over 4 years ago

Tracking Azure Traffic Manager since Mar 2021.