Re: [squid-users] Transparent proxy

fritz,

i too am a newbie, so this is how i understand transparent proxy. as stated by daniel kiracofe, you
use transparent proxy if you like all clients to use the proxy without having to go to the trouble
of configuring each browser to point to the proxy, just like what you did. if you don't point a
client's browser to use the proxy, it would go direct & fetch everything by itself from the origin
server. why bother when you can cache some or all portions of the request, esp. if it is often
requested? imagine if you have 500 dial-up clients & 1000 workstations, would you rather tell each
one of them to configure their browser to point to your proxy? not a good idea coz you have a
far better alternative: a transparent proxy, which will intercept the request (transparently,
which means the browser need not be configured to call the proxy), fetch the request from the
origin server, cache it, & serve the request. the next time a client ask the same request, most
of the contents are already in the proxy, so you save time & bandwidth.

using a combination of iptables, squid acls & proper routing, your network will know which proxy to use.
for example, our router here is configured to pass all http request to a predefined proxy, squid & iptables
does the rest. if you don't use a router, linux can be used as one, & a good combination of squid &
iptables will do the rest.

-- 
Dodjie Nava <dpnava@mozcom.com>
Systems Engineer
E-Net Corporation
Binan, Laguna, Philippines
(049) 511-6799 / (02) 699-2131
"I think, therefore I am"
Fritz Mesedilla wrote:
>Greetings friends!
>I would like to ask something again.
>I'm really a newbie and I am quite confused.
>
>I was able to successfully install and use squid without iptables.
>All I had to do was configure the browser to point to my squid server.
>
>Now what is Transparent Proxy? What is it for?
>I read in Daniel Kiracofe's Mini_Howto that transparent proxy can be used if:
>"You want clients to be proxied, but don't want to go to all the work of updating the settings in hundreds or thousands of web browsers."
>
>How is this possible? How does a client computer know that it is supposed to use the squid proxy while there is a microsoft proxy in the same network?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Fritz Mesedilla
>---
>+ Basta Ikaw Lord
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
>intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
>are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
>the sender immediately by e-mail and delete this e-mail from your
>system. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this
>email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
>those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email
>and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts
>no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this
>email. 
>
>Overture Media, Inc.
>Direct Line: (632) 635-4785
>Trunkline:   (632) 631-8971 Local 146
>Level 1 Summit Media Offices, Robinsons Galleria EDSA Cor. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City 1100
>
>  
>