How to create a proxy server

Question

I'm interested in setting up a proxy server for controlling and monitoring network traffic, but I'm new to the process. Could someone guide me through the basic steps required to set up a proxy server, along with the necessary tools and configurations?

If there are specific setup considerations or software recommendations, I’d appreciate them as well.

Answer 1

To set up a basic proxy server, here’s a quick guide on the steps and tools you'll need:

1. Choose a Proxy Server Software:

• Squid: Popular for web traffic control; supports caching, access control, and logging.
• Nginx: Can be configured as a reverse proxy, often used for web servers.
• 3proxy: Lightweight and easy to configure, good for smaller setups.

2. Install the Proxy Software:

For Squid:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install squid -y

For Nginx:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nginx -y

3. Configure Proxy Settings:

Squid: Edit the config file at /etc/squid/squid.conf to set the port, allowed IPs, and access control.

# Set the port
http_port 3128

# Allow specific IPs
acl allowed_networks src 192.168.1.0/24
http_access allow allowed_networks

Nginx: Configure reverse proxy in the /etc/nginx/sites-available/default file.

server {
  listen 8080;
  location / {
    proxy_pass http://target_server;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
  }
}

4. Start and Enable the Proxy:

For Squid

sudo systemctl start squid
sudo systemctl enable squid

For Nginx

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

5. Test the Proxy Server:

Configure your browser or application to use the proxy server’s IP and port.

6. Enable Logging:

Logging helps in monitoring traffic. Check the default logs and enable additional logging if needed in your proxy config.

7. Secure the Proxy Server:

Restrict access by IP, add authentication, and configure firewall rules to allow only necessary IP ranges