[nSLUG] How to make users from certain subnets go to a voting website?

[Rich]

D G Teed wrote:
> At our institution, we already use Netreg for authenticating users
> to add their own hardware to our host management (inserts them
> in dhcp tables and issues a useful DNS rather than a DNS which
> directs them only to the Netreg site).
>
> Now we have a request from the student union to do something similar
> for a voting website.  They want all students to be forced to visit
> a web page and vote before they can do anything else on the network.
>
> I can't see how we could do this and keep netreg and our host management
> system working. 
>
> It is expected to be enforcing only in common areas, residences, and 
> such subnets
> which would not effect business functions.
>
> I'm not sure if there are other solutions to a problem like this, 
> perhaps in router
> set up, proxy, etc.  Has anyone worked on a problem like this before
> or have an idea how to tackle it?
>

I would look into Squid proxy server.

It can be setup for passthru transparent proxy.
You would need to make it the new gateway.
Can help with web too - add caching.

You can check the requestor IP coming in,
and redirect tot he voting server/app.
However, you would need some
type of cookie to keep track of who voted.
Maybe check that before redirecting.


I think it would be like content filtering,
where you log web site access and can
deny certain sites - NetNanny or SurfPatrol... etc..

So something like:

Users  ->   SquidProxy  ->  VotingApp if applies -> Main Gateway

The DHCP would need to be updated with the squid GW,
that way you can keep the main GW.  I would also restrict
access from the main GW to only the Squid GW, avoid bypass.


Hope this helps
Rich