hi to be able to convert domain names (eg www.ngfl.gov.uk) into IP numbers (eg 193.63.51.56) you need to ensure that you client machine (or server) knows where a domain name server is to be able to resolve that name. This is what the named does.
If I browse on the server with Netscape I eventually access the Internet/cache on the client.
I have seen references in this group to "named" which is not running on my box. When is "named" needed and do I need any other changes for resolving to work reliably.
you dont need to have named running locally, typically a client machine with a dynamic IP address is allocated information about named, or Domain Name System (DNS) servers where lookups can be made. A server will have this information in the config. There is usually two (primary and secondary servers). For a test set up, you can get by without DNS and use the /etc/hosts file, but you'll soon realise why DNS was developed !. If you look at /etc/nsswitch.conf you'll see the order in which hosts are looked up. My nsswitch.conf on my local LAN at home is set up as: hosts: files nis dns where host names are checked against the /etc/hosts file, the local NIS (yp) server before the DNS.
When all this works well I will need to use it with a router which accesses the LEA proxy server. This has an authentication process based on IGear software. Anyone any experience with this and knowledge about how I can get squid to talk to it.
you might be able to only test it properly in situ, where you want to hardwire the location of your LEA or Internet Service Provider DNS servers into the machine. This can be found in /etc/resolv.conf (on Redhat anyways). I know that people have got squid talking to the cache on I-Gear, but there are set-up and potential performance issues, i'll have a hunt round on interesting stuff when i am in the office tommorrow Malc ------------------------------- Dr Malcolm Herbert Head of Technology R&D, Becta 02476 847126 Mob: 07801 612438 -------------------------------