Networks·41,393 discussions

setting up a proxy server

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we have 1 server and 8 pcs in our IT lab.
the server is used for sharing database only locally.
all computers are connected in internet thru (wired only)lan.
students were given laptop.Their laptops are configured for wireless.
I want to set proxy server and firewalls in my lab so that students when they use their laptops as well as labsystems must have restrictions for certain sites.
suggest some proxy servers and firewalls and guide to install it. All systems have win xp sp2 and server has win 2003 server.

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Clarifications

In reply to setting up a proxy server

Clarifications

Watchguard or…

In reply to setting up a proxy server

For an all in one hardware solution Watchguard and their Firebox products do a great job. Then again you may want to go with Smoothwall which is a free, easy to install, firewall. You would just need a PC with two nic cars to run it on.

I still use smoothwall for my home firewall, its great. Oh and its running on a 386DX!

http://www.watchguard.com
http://www.smoothwall.org

Question on Smoothwall?

In reply to Watchguard or…

You say you are running on a 386DX.

I just downloaded the installation guide and it states a P200 + 128 MB RAM as a minimum requirement.

Is this “recommended” minimum or are you running an older version of the firewall.

I am curious a I am running an old Netgear router at home that seems to keep dropping the connection. I also have an old COmpaq Deskpro 526 (?) All-In-One 486 just sitting around with two Kingston 10BT NICs in it.

I thought I might try it out.

386

In reply to Question on Smoothwall?

Well I’ve been using it for about a year and a half now and I may have a different build then what’s available. I’ll have to check when I get home.

But its been getting updates and purring right along very happy.

My Bad not 386

In reply to 386

My bad all around, I had a 386DX Running FreeBSD with Gauntlet firewall. The Smoothwall is on a Pentium 233, which replaced the Gauntlet. But I turned the Gauntlet on and it still works! 🙂

Three options

In reply to setting up a proxy server

Free:
Squid with DansGuardian

Low Cost:
WebSense Express
Rhinosoft AllegroSurf

Squid

In reply to setting up a proxy server

Squid is open source proxy software that runs on Unix based systems. Although it runs in Unix, it will still filter traffic for windows machines. Your network seems kind of small to spend a bunch of money on some “fancy” vendor driven garbage like GFI. Squid rocks

Squid rocks if you’re a ‘nix head

In reply to Squid

But I am lazy and my eyelids start to droop when I get to writing rules for ipchains and editing the /etc/pam.d/squid file more than ten times.

With a product like AllegroSurf, you can add the whitelists automatically from the browser favorites, and it can use Windows logins for authentication. About $20 a seat, and runs just fine on any box that can run XP.

Note that there’s a Squid/DansGuardian as a VMWare Appliance. Frozen ready-to-eat squid? 🙂

VMWare appliances are great for non UNIX folks to get a box going quick and easy.

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/577

IPCop has a squid proxy

In reply to Squid

option and it greatly simplifies the set up. I have also heard good things about (but have not used) Clark Connect. EndianFirewall also has a content filter and is a single cd install system. Almost but not quite turn key.
For content filtering in squid you may need to use dansguardian which is not a strict GNU license… may want to double check it before you use it, as they sell a commercial product in smoothwall to do content filtering. Though it has been a good while since I looked into them, they may have a new or different new license. It was free for non-commercial use, and I’m not sure how they fit educational facilities in there, but would assume its free for you.

Home Page

http://www.endian.com/en/community/
http://www.ipcop.org/
http://www.untangle.com/
These 4 are a solid starting point, and *nix head or not, anyone with decent network fundamentals should be able to set up and configure them pretty quickly, as the OS install is all automated (other then the root/admin password).
I set up 3 squid/dansguardian proxy filters on debian etch and they are rock solid and kicking tail.

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