[squid-users] Authenntication with a Transparent Proxy

Thanks for you attention. I've just now subscribed to this list. I'm a
little green with squid and want something that conventional wisdom
says can't be done. Here's the run down.

I'm looking at installing free wireless internet access for the public
to use in the downtown Macon GA area. Expenses are rather high, and I'm
hoping to offset the costs by selling advertising. The plan is to
high-jack port 80 with a transparent proxy server (so the random people
using the service don't have to configure their machines for a proxy
server to view web-pages) and serve up a default web page that has
advertisements for the downtown businesses subsidizing this project.
This would give these businesses a return on their investment.

Basically I want the users to only see this web page until they
authenticate somehow, preferably by just hitting a button that
authenticates them as a regular unprivileged user. I believe there are
some commercial pieces of software that handle this, but I was hoping
to keep costs low by using squid running atop Slackware linux.

I noticed that a year ago this question was asked here:

http://www.squid-cache.org/mail-archive/squid-users/200305/0291.html

The only reply I can find to this is here:

http://www.squid-cache.org/mail-archive/squid-users/200305/0305.html

Does anyone have any ideas that could work? I've currently got a
transparent proxy server working, but the real magic will be
re-directing the users to a default page until they authenticate
somehow.

Thank you again for your help.

-- 
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5