Exploring MikroTik Router Proxy Server HTTP Compression And Cache Control

If you are using Mikrotik, it's important to configure caching properly to ensure that your network runs smoothly and quickly. Here are some tips to help you configure caching on your Mikrotik using Web-proxy:

Why Do You Need Caching?

When you browse the internet, you are accessing different websites and downloading a lot of content. This content is stored on your computer until you close the browser. If you access the same website again, your browser will load the content from your computer's cache instead of downloading it again. This process saves time and reduces internet bandwidth usage.

Similarly, when you have multiple users accessing the same website, you don't want each user to download the same content. With caching, all users can access the same content without downloading it multiple times, which can significantly reduce internet bandwidth usage.

How Does Caching Work on Mikrotik?

Mikrotik has a built-in web-proxy function that allows you to cache web content. The web-proxy function acts as a proxy server that stores web content in cache memory and serves it to clients on your network. When a client requests a website for the first time, the web-proxy downloads the web content and stores it in the cache memory. If the same client or another client requests the same website again, the web-proxy serves the content from the cache memory instead of downloading it again.

How to Configure Caching on Mikrotik using Web-proxy

Follow these steps to configure caching on your Mikrotik:

Step 1: Enable Web-Proxy Function

To enable the web-proxy function on your Mikrotik, go to IP > Web Proxy > General Tab, and enable "Enabled" and "Transparent Proxy" as shown in the screenshot below:

Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.

Step 2: Configure Cache Size

The cache size determines the maximum amount of disk space that the proxy server can use to store web content. To configure your cache size, go to IP > Web Proxy > Cache Tab, and set the maximum disk space you want to allocate for cache memory.

Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.

Step 3: Create Access List

An access list allows you to control which websites are cached and which websites are not. To create an access list, go to IP > Web Proxy > Access Tab, and click the "+" button to add a new access list. In the "Dst. Host" field, enter the website you want to cache. You can also use a subnet to cache multiple websites or a single website with different ports.

Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.

Read also

Step 4: Clear Cache

When you first enable caching, the web-proxy starts caching web content immediately. However, if you have been using your Mikrotik for some time, you may have old cached content that is taking up disk space. To clear the cache memory, go to IP > Web Proxy > Cache Tab, and click the "Clear Cache" button.

Click "Apply" and "OK" to clear the cache memory.

Step 5: Monitor Cache Hit Ratio

Finally, you should monitor your cache hit ratio to ensure that your caching is working effectively. The cache hit ratio is the percentage of web content that is served from the cache memory instead of downloading it from the internet. To monitor your cache hit ratio, go to IP > Web Proxy > Status Tab.

You can also use the command "/ip proxy print" in the terminal to view more statistics about your caching.

Conclusion

Configuring caching on your Mikrotik using web-proxy can significantly improve your network's speed and reduce internet bandwidth usage. By following the steps outlined above, you can configure caching on your Mikrotik easily and effectively. Remember to monitor your cache hit ratio regularly to ensure that your caching is working effectively.

Hopefully, the information provided above is helpful to you. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.