Linux proxy server - how to allow connections?

Belix · Post by **Belix** » 12 Jul 2005, 09:53

Hi Folks
Right, first off, I know almost nothing about Linux. I had it installed on an old PC a while back, but my mother ended up using it for games morethan I did.

Anyway, the office uses a linux server to access the internet. The proxy server used is Squid so far as I can tell. I want to set up the proxy to allow me to use kazaa, bit-torrent or suchlike, but don't want to muck up the entire thing and wipe out the whole companies internet connections.

Their is a web front end to the server which I hope will make life a bit simpler.

Anyone has experience with this?

Stevo · Post by **Stevo** » 12 Jul 2005, 12:06

YEAH sysadmins probably blocked you for whatever reason

Belix · Post by **Belix** » 12 Jul 2005, 12:12

Well, i'm as much sys admin as there is around here

And I watch the bandwidth real carefully. We got 4 users here, 3GB bandwidth and never hit the limit even once in 2 and a bit years...
The boss insisted we get a server, so we did...but no-one knows how to use the bloody thing.

Stevo · Post by **Stevo** » 12 Jul 2005, 12:22

Why go with linux if nobody knows how to use it. Sorry can't help much here.

Putting in a server was a good idea but you need software that you can easily manage on your own or youre just wasting your time unless you prepared to call out the techies whenever you have a problem.

Belix · Post by **Belix** » 12 Jul 2005, 12:26

System works pretty well, but like you say if anything goes pear shaped, we have to call em in. Went Linux cause it was far cheaper than MS, and don't know my way around MS server stuff anyhow.

AlphA · Post by **AlphA** » 12 Jul 2005, 13:16

Belix -> Squid wont let you do the stuff you're trying to....From what I've been told, Squid is only a http caching proxy.

Go to http://www.fs-security.com and download a copy of Firestarter. This is a GUI for IP Tables and will let you use everything from ICQ to Kazaa to Email etc etc.

Setting it up is a breeze as well..

Belix · Post by **Belix** » 12 Jul 2005, 13:22

Thanks mate, will check it out!

AlphA · Post by **AlphA** » 12 Jul 2005, 15:26

No problem - let me know how it goes...

Just one thing....are you running a DHCP server? If you are, dont let Firestarter run its on DHCP server...let it use your current Linux settings.... Seems to give problems assigning IP address to the clients sometimes...

Sojourn · Post by **Sojourn** » 12 Jul 2005, 18:49

Belix wrote:System works pretty well, but like you say if anything goes pear shaped, we have to call em in. Went Linux cause it was far cheaper than MS, and don't know my way around MS server stuff anyhow.

Not to step on toes or anything... but how can a small business have a sysadmin person not knowing MS or Linux, and still be the site admin? Is it a case of Mr one-eye leading the blind ?

S

Belix · Post by **Belix** » 12 Jul 2005, 19:52

your compliments are astounding, Sojourn. You're beginning to rival YOda there

Mr one-eye leading the blind...yes that sums it up nicely (See avatar picture included herewith)

Firstly, I was employed on the accounting side, not for server admin.
Second, a sysadmin guy for a compny of 4 people is a tad excessive, no? As it is I do all the accounting stuff, all the admin, and any computer related stuff and stlll have time to muck about on this site...amoungst others.

I said to the boss we could do without the server. The big bosses in Canada said we needed one. When we got the server, it was set-up to do what we wanted, so why do I need to know how all the nuts and bolts work. I know how to do what I need to do, but creating ports to allow peer-to-peer was not part of the requirements

Anyway thanks for the help...i think...I'll just call up the server guys and get them to do it.