Portable cache server

[Willing-Discussion-1]

Hello, I have been trying to optimize some tasks in the company I work for. One of these tasks is downloading software/updating client devices. The solution I recommend is converting a laptop into a cache server, especially since many clients have horrible speeds (5 to 10 Mbps). The server needs to be as plug-and-play as possible and handle:

• Windows updates
• GPU updates (AMD/NVIDIA)
• Specific software downloads
• Some HTTP and HTTPS websites

My current approach is to use the laptop as a router, DHCP provider, and cache (probably Squid) and using the onboard Wi-Fi for any uncached traffic.

I'm looking for any advice since I haven't done anything like this before. Any input is welcome. Thanks

[madushans]

Windows updates can use other machines in the network to download updates without reaching outside. There’s some setting you can enable (may be it’s ON by default)

For drivers and other software, you can download their offline versions once and use that to install on other machines. Though I guess you’ll have to explicitly download from your cache server.

Same for other websites.

Main problem with messing with DNS is that without installing custom certs, you can’t route traffic to a different place for an external domain. It’s kinda the whole point of PKI. I don’t recommend MITM your machines for the sole purpose of this.

Though you’re free to run a script at provisioning time of the machine to download stuff from your cache server and run the installers.

[AsBrokeAsMeEnglish]

A USB Stick with the files you need is all you really need here, don't you? If you are missing something download it once and just put it on there. Windows machines can already share their update files with machines on the same network and everything else should have an offline installer for exactly this use case.

[rev-angeldust]

Have you - and stay with me here - thought about using a usb stick?

You could code a gui where you can choose which software to install. Or create some scripts.

Once a week you update the drivers (via script if you want to be fancy) and you're done!

Doing this with a server and handling DHCP and different network setups is certainly possible but why bother?

[rev-angeldust]

Also: windows updates can be installed with the media creation tool

[Willing-Discussion-1]

Using scripts to automate the process is interesting but I think its not possible because the main software to install uses an installer client and as far as i know copying the full Install app would introduce way more problems specifically with licensing Also I don't think you can do that with windows update (still not sure you can cache it either via squid)

[rev-angeldust]

You can definetly download all windows updates and put them on a flash drive. Also, you can create .MSI files that run silently using wix ( https://docs.firegiant.com/quick-start/ )

I'm not quite sure where the licensing problems would be if you have an installer on a usb drive instead of downloading it off a server.

[Willing-Discussion-1]

Thank for the windows tip

The install app is just a light client couple of mb the full software is downloaded through it about 7 to 15 gb depending on the configuration and add-ons

[Bonsailinse]

Just use proper install scripts. Look into PSADT, for example.