What is WinGate?

WinGate 2.1 is a multi-protocol proxy server and general purpose secure Internet connectivity tool. These types of products are traditionally the exclusive domains of network specialists, and there are a number of concepts that may be new to you. Keep reading if don’t understand some of the terms used, as the manual is packed with explanations in understandable language.

WinGate provides Internet access to a whole Local Area Network (LAN) via a single machine on the LAN. This machine is connected, either via a dial-up modem / ISDN connection, or second Ethernet interface. WinGate can save you money by eliminating the need for separate dial-up accounts, telephone lines and modems for each user that wants access to the Internet. With WinGate, they can all use the one link, at the same time.

WinGate was designed to facilitate Internet access. In fact, it can be used in any network situation that uses TCP/IP. WinGate controls access to Internet services such as email and the World Wide Web. WinGate can be used on Intranets or company WANs that have no Internet connection. Throughout this manual, Internet connections are normally assumed. In reality this could be any connection (e.g remote office dial-up link, etc), via LAN, WAN or Internet.

WinGate 2.1 has two components. The WinGate engine is a service that runs on the connected machine. This engine does the proxy serving but is not visible to the user. GateKeeper is the control and configuration interface for the WinGate engine.

As GateKeeper uses a TCP/IP connection to the engine, it can be run on any machine that is connected to WinGate. This means you can securely administer WinGate from the WinGate machine, any machine on your network, or any machine on the Internet!

Once WinGate is installed and your workstations are configured, you are ready to surf as if you were directly connected to the Internet.