Upcoming Events

Cloud Connect
Santa Clara
Feb 13-16, 2012

Cloud Connect brings together the entire cloud eco-system to better understand the transformation we're experiencing and promises to be the defining event of the cloud computing industry. Learn about the latest cloud technologies and platforms from thought leaders in Cloud Connect’s comprehensive conference.

Register Now!

More Events »

Subscribe to Newsletter

  • Keep up with all of the latest news and analysis on the fast-moving IT industry with Network Computing newsletters.
Sign Up





Footloose And Fancy Free With Three Socks 5-Based Proxy Servers
Unfortunately, we were unable to configure Proxy Server's URL filters to block access to specific Web sites. Unlike WinGate, which lets you apply an HTTP filter to the proxy, Proxy Server demands that all browsers be set up to proxy HTTP through Proxy Server. This defeats some of the advantages of using Socks 5--you must set up filtering in two places, or have users alter their local configurations to send HTTP to Proxy Server. Using Socks 5, we filtered HTTP tags, such as Java applets and JavaScript, without having to redirect users to the URL filter.

While testing Netscape's filter Rule Manager, we hit a snag attempting to set a filter rule specifying a destination address and port number. The destination address kept showing up in the source port field. We were offered the following solution: Edit the sock5.conf file by hand and reapply the changes to Proxy Server, then restart the Socks server. The rule continued to be swapped back and forth on each successive save and apply. Netscape promises a fix is forthcoming.

Logging for Socks 5 information was extensive, with great detail about who is making connections, where they are connecting and how much data is being transferred. A complete log entry has two lines: the request, which shows date and time of connection and destination, and a line showing how much data was sent and received while processing the connection. Denials of service are also logged, showing who is running up against filter rules and how often.

Mike Fratto can be reached at mfratto@nwc.com.



Putting On The Socks: How We Tested
In this review we were interested in the management and security issues surrounding Socks 5 implementations. Major stumbling blocks to the rollout of protocols such as Socks include the impact and management overhead involved when integrating them into an existing security framework. We particularly kept an eye on how each of these servers leverage existing network services for user management and event logging for auditing and accounting.

For our setup, we configured each solution to allow some internal users out onto the Internet, but only after they had authenticated to the Socks server. And we attempted to restrict HTTP access to non-business-related sites with sports, entertainment and adult content. In addition, we wanted to track usage (per user) and destination information. Access by external users to specific servers on our internal LAN was granted only after users authenticated to the Socks server. External users could access our internal Web server and internal FTP server for downloads only.

We set up each server on a 200-MHz Pentium Pro with 128 MB of RAM and two 3Com Corp. 3C509 10/100 network adapters. The servers straddled our internal and external networks, forcing all traffic to traverse the Socks server. We used similarly configured servers for the Socks proxy chain. A Cisco Systems 4700 router tied the networks together. Meanwhile, we installed Aventail Corp.¹s AutoSocks 2.3 and NEC Corp.¹s freeware SocksCAP on Windows 95 clients. Each client was configured similarly, and we redirected specific network traffic to the Socks server while directly connecting all other traffic.


Other Reviews
Lifting the Fog With Frame Relay Management Products
By David Willis
Candle and Microsoft Help You Feel Safe and Secure With MOM
By Barry Nance


Print This Page


Research and Reports

Hypervisor Derby
August 2011

Network Computing: August 2011

TechWeb Careers