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Thread: Internet options for home like proxy or RRAS

  1. #1
    Ultimate Member rraehal's Avatar
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    Internet options for home like proxy or RRAS

    I have a license for Windows Server 2008R2 Standard. I was thinking about using it to provide internet access and control my home network. I want to be able to log and track traffic and block things much better than my current router allows. I have caught the kids accessing some content that is not age appropriate so my current filter via OpenDNS is not fully adequate but blocks most things. Torrent traffic and other things may get past the DNS filter they provide.

    I was thinking about setting up some basic hardware to provide DHCP and DNS service. I have 4 nics in my computer I plan to use. I wanted to connect one to the Internet "modem" and one to my equipment (WAP's, switch, and computers). My experience is limited to business options so I considered Squid, Proxy and RRAS. I am just not sure how to set up all of these services to also cover phones and tablets of visitors without directly touching devices. I want it to be automatic without all the extra hardware and device I have at the office.

    What other options can you recommend for my research to pick a solution?
    -- Mathias

  2. #2
    Senior Member rockinup1231's Avatar
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    Late reply, but oh well.

    Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for the level of service you are describing unless you want to spend time learning how to make various services work together, or pay quite dearly for it. Per the latter, Cisco Meraki security appliances are perfect for this kind of thing. I won't cover all the details here but you could buy a smaller unit such as the MX60W, pay for a cloud management subscription and get the "it just works" type of functionality you are looking for. However, the device itself is very expensive and the subscription itself is fairly spendy, too. You'd be looking at over $1k USD up front for the cost of the device and a subscription.

    Open Mesh and Cloudtrax provide a similar service for a fraction of the cost. However this would not cover your need for a VPN solution, just wireless.

    Beyond that is going to be a long Google adventure for all the services you want, throwing Linux on a server and piecing it together.

    In the end of the day, it would simply be easier (and less expensive) to scold your kids about surfing questionable sites, limiting them to a non-administrative user account on any devices you purchased for them so they can't use applications you don't want them to use, enforcing mac filtering at the router and setting up something like Teamviewer or Hamachi for VPN access. Kids are gonna kid. Your home network doesn't need to be totalitarian to keep it secure and thwart abuse.
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