Transparent Proxy On MikroTik Routers Improving Performance And User Experience

Do you want to improve your network performance? Have you ever heard of Transparent Proxy? It can give you faster and more efficient internet access by storing frequently accessed web pages in cache memory.

Transparent Proxy is not a new concept, but it is still widely used by network administrators. In this article, we will guide you on how to configure Transparent Proxy on your Mikrotik router.

What is Transparent Proxy?

A Transparent Proxy is a server that sits between your computer and the internet. It is called "transparent" because you don't need to configure your web browser to use it. The Transparent Proxy intercepts all internet requests and stores frequently accessed web pages in cache memory.

Benefits of Transparent Proxy

Transparent Proxy has many benefits, including:

Improved network performance: By caching frequently accessed web pages, Transparent Proxy can significantly reduce internet access time and improve overall network performance.
Savings on bandwidth: As frequently accessed pages are stored in cache memory, the amount of data downloaded from the internet is reduced, resulting in savings on bandwidth costs.
Increased security: Transparent Proxy can be used to filter web content, block harmful websites, and protect your network from cyber threats.

How to Configure Transparent Proxy on Mikrotik

To configure Transparent Proxy on your Mikrotik router, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a Mikrotik RouterOS user

The first step is to create a router user. This can be done by logging into your Mikrotik router and navigating to System > Users.

/user add name=proxy password=proxy

This command creates a user with the name "proxy" and the password "proxy". You can change the username and password to your liking.

Step 2: Configure Proxy Server

Next, you need to configure the proxy server. Navigate to IP > Proxy in the Mikrotik menu and click on the "Proxy" tab.

Tick the "Enabled" checkbox to enable the proxy server.
Select the network interface you want to use for Transparent Proxy. Usually, this will be the interface that connects your router to the internet.
Enter the port number you want to use for the proxy server. The default port is 8080.

Here is an example command to configure the proxy server:

/ip proxy set enabled=yes interface=ether1 port=8080

Step 3: Create NAT Rule

The next step is to create a NAT rule to redirect all HTTP traffic to the proxy server.

Navigate to IP > Firewall in the Mikrotik menu and click on the "NAT" tab.
Click on the "+New" button to create a new NAT rule.
Select the "Chain" as "dstnat".
Enter the source IP address in the "Src. Address" field. If you want to redirect all traffic, leave this field blank.
Enter the destination port number in the "Dst. Port" field. This should be the port number you entered in Step 2 (8080 by default).
Select the "Action" as "redirect".
Enter the IP address and port number of the proxy server in the "To Addresses" and "To Ports" fields.
Click on the "OK" button to save the NAT rule.

Here is an example command to create the NAT rule:

/ip firewall nat add chain=dstnat protocol=tcp dst-port=80 action=redirect to-ports=8080

Step 4: Update Cached Pages

After enabling Transparent Proxy, you need to update the cache memory to store frequently accessed web pages.

/ip proxy clear-cache

This command clears the cache memory and forces Mikrotik to update it with frequently accessed web pages.

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Conclusion

Transparent Proxy is a powerful tool that can significantly improve your network performance, reduce bandwidth costs, and increase security. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily configure Transparent Proxy on your Mikrotik router and start enjoying its benefits.