Force hotspot connections through localhost proxy.

Question

Hello, I'm using an old windows laptop as a prototype for my project. In my project, students connect to my laptop's hotspot as a form of internet access. A localhost proxy is running on my windows laptop to block websites that students are not allowed to access. Despite already setting the proxy settings to "localhost" in "Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy > Manual proxy setup" The connections from the hotspot do not go through the proxy unless the students manually configures it on their end. Is there a way to force all hotspot connections through my localhost proxy without the need for students to manually configure the proxy on their end? Otherwise they will be able to secretly access whatever blocked site it is by "unconfiguring" the proxy settings at their end.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'm Amr, an independent advisor.

You can set up a transparent proxy to force all hotspot connections through your localhost proxy without requiring you to manually configure the proxy.

A transparent proxy intercepts and reroutes network traffic without the need for client-side configuration.
However, configuring a transparent proxy on a Windows laptop can be challenging and may require additional software or hardware.

One possible way is to use third-party software like Squid Proxy Server, which can be configured as a transparent proxy.

Please note that this is a high-level technical process, and you may need to refer to other references, guides, and resources to properly configure your proxy server. Additionally, creating a transparent proxy can have legal and ethical implications, so be sure to comply with local laws and organizational policies.

I hope this is helpful. If you require any additional assistance, don't hesitate to respond to this.

Best Regard
Amr

Answer 2

Hi Amr,

I suddenly realised multiproxy requires a certificate to be installed on the user's device.

So I turned to squid proxy server as you suggested in your reply:

One possible way is to use third-party software like Squid Proxy Server, which can be configured as a transparent proxy.

However, I realised Squid Proxy Server does not have transparent mode available on Windows as mentioned here.

Are there other software I can use? Or is the need for certification installation required for a transparent proxy?
The students are using managed Chromebooks so I'm not sure if they can install the certificate as stated in the instructions here. (That is if I plan to use mitmproxy)

I hope to be able to find a solution soon. Thank you for entertaining my questions.

Cordially

AzlanCoding

Answer 3

Hi Amr,

Thank you for your quick response. I will look into implementing a transparent proxy with mitimproxy.

Best Wishes

AzlanCoding

P.S. Sorry for my late reply, I had a lot of homework this weekend.