I've been setting up a linux server on my home network. Here's roughly my project:
- Setup a local DNS server
- Setup a local cache / web server
- Setup a file server
- Probably something else when the need arises
I got most of the way through without too much issue. Namely because at a previous point in my life I've run a webserver and done a bunch of things with linux. I finally hit the point where I decided I should setup a home server of my own.
Where I'm at: pihole somewhat takes care of the "local DNS server". I wanted more than just a forwarding DNS, took the extra setups to install unbound so that I had a recursive DNS instance. I don't particularly care about pihole as an adblocking service. Currently it's mostly functioning as a web gui so that I can see the dns requests coming through.
Here's where I got stuck: I have a lot of devices on the network, a lot of phones, a lot of laptops, a number of desktops. I'm not a network expert. I knew for example it'd be trivial to configure my router for instance to change its DNS server to a local one. That takes care of the DNS server. What I didn't know is whether it'd be possible to have devices on the network be aware of a "proxy" or "caching" server. I'd like people who connect to my network and the stuff already on my network to have a pretty seamless experience.
From what I've read online, squid is a caching web proxy, which sounds like a perfect fit. Some skimming later, I've read there are several potentially abandoned web protocols for devices to try to communicate that a cache exists on the network to reduce outgoing traffic. Sounded iffy, but I couldn't find anything about how, or what to configure if anything. Until I found: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/internet-explorer/ie-it-pro/internet-explorer-9/gg699445(v=technet.10)
I'm not completely certain if this is what I'd need, but at the bare minimum if this works for windows devices that's a step in the right direction.
So, is setting up WDAP what I need? And if so, what am I adding to unbound's configuration file to get it working?
Note: I did try to follow the instructions, I probably messed up adding a "host" record. There's a possibility that it may be pihole's ftl dns creating problems. I'm not sure. If anyone's got a better understanding of WDAP / unbound I'd appreciate an overview. If you were to follow the instructions for installing pihole, unbound and squid you're likely around where I'm at, although I tweaked some port numbers.
pihole's web gui requires a lighttpd web server to be installed, I can host files on the server. I've confirmed that going to http://<my_linux_server's_local_ip>/wdap.dat is accessible on a browser. I'd have followed the instructions for setting up WDAP with DHCP but my router doesn't appear to have any options like what's suggested. A potential choice is to move the DHCP service over to the linux server, but for the moment I'd rather not. Especially since I'm crossing fingers that if say the linux server goes down that everything on the network will work fine without it being there.
Here's what is currently tacked onto unbound's config file, I don't think this is what the thing was asking.
private-domain: "localserver"
private-domain: "wpad"
local-zone: "localserver." static
local-data: "localserver. IN A 192.168.1.2"
local-data-ptr: "192.168.1.2 localserver."
local-zone: "wpad." static
local-data: "wpad. IN A 192.168.1.2"
