Success!

Finally got this proxy server running so we can all share the same DSL connection. Which means I can be downstairs updating the blog while Cheryl is looking for more Harry Potter sites. Or checking email.

I had hoped to get the proxy running on the Linux (Ubuntu) computer, but it just wasn't working. Got it passing packets back and forth between all the local PCs, but the DNS requests weren't making it out of the local net to the internet, even after I'd set up the Linux box as a DNS server. Followed all the HOW-TOs and posted tips and tricks, but it just didn't want to work.

So then I went to http://www.handcraftedsoftware.com, picked up their FreeProxy product (free!) and installed it on my old Windows 98 machine. Simple to use. Got internet access and email up and running in a matter of minutes, and the only problem after that was the fact that I couldn't browse "modern" sites on the old Windows 98 machine because it came standard with IE 4.01, and most sites don't support anything less than IE 6.0 these days. Or FireFox, if you're so inclined.

Tried to run runescape on the Win98 machine but ran into some problems with loading files across the internet. It kept stopping and forcing a restart of IE. Took three or four attempts to get it to work, and then all of a sudden it completely trashed the display, and I had to reboot the whole machine.

I'm only going to use the proxy when I need to use the internet downstairs. For most occasions, it'll be OK just to leave the main XP machine running with a direct connect, since it has the built-in virus protection and firewall. But when I'm down here putzing around, or if the kids want to run runescape or something, I'll set up the proxy so we can share.

For now, we have 3 Windows 98 boxes, one XP box, and one Linux box up and running. After I figure out how to set up the Linux proxy correctly, I'll redo the Win98 boxes with Ubuntu Linux and have only one XP machine.

At least, that's the plan.