Question for computer geeks

[Kat Kanning]

We've got a bunch of people living out here on the farm.  We'd like to save on bandwidth by only downloading certain popular things once (ex:  free talk live podcast, youtube videos, etc.)  What is the best way to accomplish this task?  We have a computer that could be dedicated to holding downloads.

[K. Darien Freeheart]

Set up a file server.

If the spare computer you have is running Windows, pick a folder, right click and "Sharing". You can set up that folder so any Windows PCs on your network can see that folder and download from it rather than from the internet each time.

If it's running Linux, you can do the same thing though the options and proceedure is a little different, it would still expose a folder (or multiple) to the computers on the network.

I can come down to set it up for you guys if ya want.

[Kat Kanning]

Ooh thank you!  The computer we're wanting to use as a file server needs a new power supply installed first, but when we do that, maybe we'll take you up on that offer   It's a linux computer, BTW.

[thinkliberty]

Use an old PC or laptop as a caching proxy server.

I like squid
http://www.squid-cache.org/

But people also use apache (this one has a good explanation of what a caching proxy server does.)
http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds7-5/proxy.html

If your dedicated PC has 2 network cards you could route all internet traffic through it.... mandriva makes this easy to do. (the last time I used it, it was called mandrake.... they have a mandrake wizard that makes setting it up automagic.)

It's set up like this.... internet  <- PC with 2 network cards (running proxy) -> router or switch -> End user PCs

[K. Darien Freeheart]

Actually...

I like what thinkliberty just suggested. I'm gonna do it here and see how it works.

[Kat Kanning]

A proxy server is what they originally had in mind