Popular object requests are handled using a front-end cache, and hashing is applied only to the requests in the stream that were not handled by the front-end cache. A cache (e.g., a web proxy cache) is placed in front of a Level 7 switch and services the popular requests from the cache based on the content of the request (e.g., based on the portion of an HTTP request following the domain name). The remaining requests are hashed and then routed to the back-end server. Requests that make it past the cache are still routed to the back-end server. A Level 4 switch is placed in front of a plurality of web proxy caches, each of which are in turn placed in front of a respective Level 7 switch, each of which are connected to a respective server farm, so that incoming web requests are handled on a round robin basis (or other SLB technique) before being sent to the cache.