Filtering home Internet access with Squid

Parental Guidance

© Natascha Farber, Fotolia

© Natascha Farber, Fotolia

Article from Issue 100/2009
Author(s):

Are your children wearing out their eyeballs on the Internet? Squid will help you impose some time limits and filter out inappropriate content.

Corporate networks often use the Squid proxy server to filter Internet traffic. If you are using a Linux system as your home router and firewall, you can also use Squid on a smaller scale to create access rules for your home network. A few simple commands will help you establish a schedule for Internet use and rule out sites with inappropriate content.

Getting Started

These examples assume your Linux home server is acting as a firewall and router. The Linux system will be the only computer on the home network with an Internet connection, and it will act as a proxy server, giving all the other clients access in a way that ensures nobody can work around the filter. For this reason, the router will not forward TCP ports 21 and 80, forcing the clients to access the proxy for the ftp and http protocols.

System Requirements

The information in this article is based on Squid version 2.6 [1]. Debian 4.0 and Ubuntu 8.04 users can simply type apt-get install squid to install the proxy.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subs
Digisubs
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Security Lessons – Squid Filtering

    Kurt describes how to use Squid's ACLs and ICAP when you want to limit Internet access, for whatever reason.

    more »
  • SafeSquid

    If you are looking for a secure option for home surfing and want to protect your children against questionable web content, you need a filtering proxy. SafeSquid is a commercial proxy tool, but it comes with a free version for private users.

    more »
  • Squid Bridge

    Caching proxies remember web pages and serve them up locally, saving both money and time. The most intelligent members of this family also remove dangerous content and provide transparent bridging.

    more »
  • Squid proxy server

    A proxy server provides safer and more efficient surfing. Although commercial proxy solutions are available, all you really need is Linux and an old PC in the attic.

    more »
  • Filter Proxy for AD

    You might want to reap the benefits of active directory’s single sign-on for your virus scanning and content filtering. If you also use Squid to handle user access to the internet, you have a front-row seat for “when worlds collide.”

    more »
comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News

Tag Cloud

Administration Community Events Hardware Linux Linux Pro Magazine Mobile Programming Security Software Ubuntu Web Development Windows free software open source