Setup of a simple Proxy

For a test installation, I selected: www.pscs.co.uk/software.vsockslight.html

PSCS offers for free a light version of their VSOCKS Windows95/NT4 Proxy Server.

First, make sure, that the local network is properly configured for TCP/IP networking (I suggest IP-addresses: 192.168.1.1, 192.168.1.2,...) and that you have a working Dialup-Networking connection to the Internet.

Setup of the system running the Proxy server:

Connect to the Internet and and use WINIPCFG (from the RUN-menu)
to check your ISP-parameters


Select "More Info":

For this proxy program, I need the IP-address of the DNS-server of my ISP.

make sure, that you have proper IP-addresses defined for your local network and that you have a binding of TCP/IP to BOTH the Network card and the Dialup-Adapter.

The installation of the Proxy program itself is simple: start the SETUP-program:

Like most other proxy programs, it prompts you to define the Startup-method:
- None ,i.e. you have to start it up manually
- via the Startup Group
- as a "Service"
Your choice.


Once it is installed, it is part of the menu-structure:


On starting this proxy ("VSOCKS Light"), it puts itself as an icon into the taskbar:

The context menu ("right-mouse click") give more options, we need to select:

"Properties" to finalize the setup:


When it states "RAS", that is the Windows NT word for "Dialup-Networking".
Define your Dialup-connection, user-name and password (so that it can dial without any keyboard input), and this program also requires to enter the DNS-server.

That's all for this proxy-program.
Double-clicking the icon brings up the Proxy-monitor:

Setting up the Clients on the network:

	Make sure, that you have a working TCP/IP connection, so that you can communicate with the Proxy server.
	This proxy requires to configure the Clients with DNS: "Enable DNS" and define the IP-address of the Proxy system as DNS-system.

You need to configure now your Internet browser for usage of a proxy
(this has to be done for ANY Proxy program ! ) :

Netscape:


Enter as "SOCKS Host" the IP-address of the system running the Proxy-program and use as Port : 1080.

Microsoft:


Enter as "SOCKS" the IP-address of the system running the Proxy-program and use as Port : 1080.


That's it ! You are ready to use the Proxy.

On the Proxy-server:

	as long as nobody requires the Internet connection, it will be offline.
	as soon as a client requires a connection, the proxy will dial to connect to the Internet.
	It will send the Username and password to get authenticated.
	And will then handle the communication. If no communication has detected for the time defined in the Preferences, it will stop the connection to the Internet by "hanging up".

if you have trouble getting to get your proxy program to work with your Internet software, please view my suggested steps.