Is your Express app showing every visitor as 127.0.0.1 instead of real user IP addresses? This common issue occurs when an Apache reverse proxy sits in front of your Node.js application and masks the original client identity. As a result, logs, analytics, rate limiting, and security mechanisms fail to function correctly. In this guide, you’ll learn how to properly configure Apache settings like ProxyPreserveHost and X-Forwarded headers, along with strict Express trust proxy rules, to restore accurate client IP detection, maintain protocol integrity, and ensure your production infrastructure remains secure, scalable, and compliant for global deployments.