Best Option for new Proxy Server

[alstro]

I am looking at Wingate to install on a small company network to help control lost time, viruses and spam and I am wondering what would be the best option for setup. Basically my options would be to install it on a Windows 2003 server or build a small box specifically for this and maybe run XP on it. I like running it on the server to keep the number of systems to a minimum plus consolidate everything as much as possible for remote monitoring, but I am not sure if I will be running into security issues this way. Also, would I remove the routre and use the proxy server for LAN and WAN connections, or would I still leave the routre in place? If the Proxy Server becomes the Gateway, is it protected from everything like the systems behind it in the network.
Thx
Tom

[adrien]

Hi Tom

2k3 is a better OS for a proxy than XP, due to connection limiting in XP since SP2. It's hard to comment whether running the proxy on the server is a security issue or not. You would most likely retain your router as is, and configure clients to connect through the proxy. Depending on your router capabilities, you may be able to force all port 80 connections (e.g. web surfing) to have come from the proxy, so that client computers can't bypass the proxy.

Another way to force use of the proxy is to segment the network, so you have 2 subnets - 1. between the proxy and the router with the internet connection, and 2. the LAN, then the only way to the internet from the LAN is via the proxy computer.

This is a bit more work and may require renumbering, and more network hardware. So many customers just opt to run the proxy on the same network, and force people to use proxy either by preventing other computers from access except the proxy, or doing things like setting proxy configuration in AD GPO.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Adrien

[alstro]

I have installed WP on my server and it is running through my router at the moment. I activated DHCP, DNS POP3 and SMTP in WP and for the most part, everything seems to be working. The one issue I am have so far is trying to send email out through outlook2007 with a hotmail account. I am using outlook connector, but I am not sure if/what settings I have to change in WP for it to work. I can send out emails through Gmail, Ymail, and my local ISP. Just hotmail is causing an issue.
Thx
Tom

[adrien]

Hi Tom

I think the outlook connector uses SOAP which is basically HTTP to talk to hotmail, so you'd need to make sure that the web proxy isn't blocking it.

When you attempt to send, what do you see in WinGate activity / www proxy usage logs?

Regards

Adrien

[alstro]

Hi Adrien

I ended having all kinds of issues with the server and some other apps it was running and I didn't have the time to trouble shoot, so I had to uninstall. I have built a Server2008R2 that I am playing with to setup as a primary domain controller here, and I am trying to get wingate running on it. I am running DHCP and DNS on the server and I don't want to switch it over to wingate if I don't have to, but I can't seem to get wingate working with the server and active directory. I think I have done everything right, and I think I have DDNS setup right, but I am not sure, and the info I can find on this is a little spars. I assume the info I am finding is meant for people with more experience than me, and I am working on things that really are above my pay scale, but I would like to figure it out and get it working. The server license I have is good for 180 days, so I have that long to figure it out and get it working.
Thx
Tom