First, I will discuss Ositis' WinProxy, which is currently up to version 2.0. This program was nice in that the Installation Wizard had me up and running in under five minutes. It even creates a constantly-changing document that you can use to configure your internet clients on your LAN. Also, you get a contiunally updated display on who exactly is using your proxy services. But what sets this product apart from any other proxy product for Windows 95 or NT is that Ositis WinProxy will work with AOL connections! If you have people who use AOL and want to use it over a shared Internet connection, this product is what you want.
The cost of Ositis' WinProxy is $299 for unlimited users, or $399 if you want a year's worth of updates to the product. A "lite" version, intended for home users, is available for $49. It allows up to three users to simultaneously access the Internet from your LAN. You may also try it free for 45 days to see if it meets your needs.
Next, I will talk about LAN-Projekt's WinProxy, which is currently on version 1.4. The entire program is configured by means of forms interface on a standard web browser. By accessing a URL that points to your local system, you can configure everything from which proxies are active to who can access the Internet. This is nice in that you can configure the program from anywhere on your local LAN. Another unique feature of LAN-Projekt's WinProxy is that you can run a mail server that fetches email from POP mail accounts on an ISP and filters it to local users who fetch their mail with POP3 and allows people to send out email via SMTP. Also, you can point your Netscape browser at a URL that points to your WinProxy system and all the proxies are automatically configured for you.
The cost of LAN-Projekt's WinProxy is somewhat cheaper than Ositis's WinProxy, though there are more features on Ositis's product. A five-user license of LAN-Projekt's WinProxy is a mere $99 bucks, a ten-user license is $199, and an ulimited user license is $299. A two-user license is free!