Re: [squid-users] http request not going through proxy ?

david vauquelin wrote:
> Hello all
>
> I've just installed squid 3.0 on damn small linux. The install was success=
> ful and the configuration too as when i start squid with -z option i dont h=
> ave any errors.
> Then i open my browser and still can reach the internet without configuring=
> anything in my browser. I dont think this is normal behavior after instal=
> ling and starting squid proxy.

Really?

> I dont know much about networking so please help me with this.
>

Oh.

> Thank you.

Right... Quick networking primer. HTTP
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol) rides on top
of TCP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol).
When your browser makes a HTTP request of information hosted by a server
not on your network, your operating system sends the request to the
gateway. Installing a proxy server (on that gateway, on the client
server, or on a machine separate from both) doesn't change anything by
itself, but might allow you to have your gateway redirect the traffic
(interception) and send it to the proxy server (which then makes the
HTTP request on behalf of your browser, or services the request from its
cache).

The best option is to modify your browser such that it contact the proxy
server for its HTTP requests (instead of making HTTP requests directly),
as that doesn't add a unknown "man-in-the-middle" to the HTTP
connection. That is a browser specific setting, and there are a number
of sites with information on how to go about this.

Chris
Received on Tue May 19 2009 - 22:01:14 MDT