I am currently using windows 2000 server with ISA to let my LAN PCs in my internet cafe access to internet. I want to use Redhat Linux instead but I don't know if I have to use IP Masquerading alongwith proxy server and which proxy server to use. Plz help me.

you have two options

1) use IP MASQUERADE only to share you interenet connection
2) use ip masquerade + tranparent proxing using squid, yeah squid is the best cache/proxy package for linux/unix

okay in first case you have to put do someting like this
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward (this is enable forwarding)

iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o ppp0 -s 192.168.0.0/24 -d 0/0 -j MASQUERADE

( this will enable MASQ "interent connection sharing for you local LAN thourgh your this redhat box, don't forget to replace -o ppp0 with your EXT interface may be you have eth0 to internet .

put this two lines in any of your start script hmm rc.local (i don't remember what is this called on rd coz i don't use rd however check in /etc/rc.d/ directory file with the name "local" in it.

now im sure you could configure you windows client yourself

Okay the second option is kinda cool and good see "squid" will give you local cache and this will gives your clients fast Internet contents
however im not going to teach you howto setup squid "tranparently" however there are lot of howtos avaible online just point you browser to google.com and type something like "squid howto" or "squid tranparent proxing" , etc

regards

Thanks Mardanian. Plz clarify if I can use just squid without IP masquerading. I am currently using ISA server 2000. What do u think if squid will give me better performance than ISA server. Also tell me if the commands u told work for nay version of Linux. By the way, if are from Mardan in Pakistan, I am from Nowshera, pakistan

Yes you can use setup squid and enable your clients to use the Internet without having to setup IP masquerading. Squid is no doubt the best proxy server out there, most of the ISPs use squid. There might not be a very significant performance difference but squid itself is very flexible.

I thinks you got the answer , squid is the best cache/proxy server around even ISP using only squid these days for there cache servers.

squid configuration is very easy only 8 lines or few to change in squid.conf and here your proxy/cache server ready to server your clients

everything is well documented on squid home http://www.squid-cache.org/ or you could use google for setup squid for transparent proxing google agian for that thing

Well myself i like to do things from sources i duno what you like may be rpm ?
i recommend to it from source it willl gives you more control and more knowledge in end.

sure im from mardan

regards