Features

Everything in Squid Proxy Professional

A focused commercial product for running Squid as a first-class Windows service, with a native management console for everyday administration.

Windows build of Squid

Squid Proxy Professional ships a Squid build compiled from source for Windows. The build is packaged with the binaries, runtime files, and configuration paths a Windows administrator expects, so you can deploy a forward proxy without standing up a Unix-style toolchain.

The included Squid version is documented on the Download page and updated with new releases.

Highlights
  • Compiled from upstream Squid source
  • Windows-native file paths and conventions
  • No Cygwin or manual toolchain required
  • Default configuration ready to start

Installer and service setup

A standard Windows installer registers Squid Proxy Professional in Program Files, places writable data in ProgramData, and installs the Squid service ready to start. The installer is code-signed so SmartScreen and group-policy controls can recognise the publisher.

Installation completes in minutes and produces a deterministic file layout suitable for documented internal deployment.

Includes
  • Code-signed Windows installer
  • Service registration with automatic startup option
  • Default configuration and cache directory
  • Start menu shortcuts for the management console
  • Clean uninstall

Native management console

A native Windows application written in Delphi provides the day-to-day management interface. The console is responsive, runs without a browser, and does not require IIS, .NET runtime configuration, or third-party desktop frameworks beyond what Windows already ships.

The console is intentionally focused on Squid administration tasks rather than a generic systems-management framework.

Capabilities
  • Service status at a glance
  • Validation before applying configuration
  • Single application, no browser required
  • Works on supported Windows desktop and server editions

Configuration editor

Edit the most common Squid settings — listening ports, visible hostname, cache parameters, and basic logging — through structured forms. For advanced settings, drop into a full configuration editor with syntax-aware editing and validation against the active Squid build.

Editor features
  • Form-based editing for common settings
  • Advanced text editor for full squid.conf control
  • Configuration validation before apply
  • Safe rollback if a change fails to start the service

ACL and access rule management

Define access control lists for source networks, destination domains, ports, and time windows, then bind them to allow/deny rules. The console makes the relationship between ACLs and rules explicit so you can reason about why a request is allowed or blocked.

Manage
  • Source network ACLs (CIDR, IP ranges)
  • Destination domain and regex ACLs
  • Port and protocol ACLs
  • Time-based access windows
  • Ordered allow/deny rule chains

Cache settings

Configure cache directory location, on-disk size, in-memory cache, and replacement policies. Sensible defaults are provided for typical office and lab use, and can be tuned for higher-throughput deployments without hand-editing the configuration file.

Tunables
  • Cache directory and size
  • Memory cache size
  • Replacement policy
  • Object size limits

Log viewer

View access and cache logs without leaving the console. Filter by client IP, status, and date range to find the entries that matter. Tail recent activity to verify a configuration change is doing what you expect.

Includes
  • Access log browsing and filtering
  • Cache log review
  • Live tail of recent activity
  • Quick jump to log files on disk

Diagnostics

Built-in checks for the most common deployment issues: service state, listener port availability, configuration validation, write access to cache and log directories, and Windows Firewall status for the configured ports. Issues are reported with concrete next steps.

Checks
  • Service state and recent failures
  • Listener and port-in-use detection
  • Configuration syntax validation
  • Filesystem permissions checks
  • Firewall rule presence

Backup and restore

Export your configuration, ACLs, and console settings as a single archive. Restore them on another machine to deploy a known-good configuration, or roll back after a change. Backups are plain files you can store in your existing change-management system.

Workflow
  • One-click export of configuration and ACLs
  • Import to a clean install or existing one
  • Optional automatic backup before applying changes
  • Plain archive format suitable for SCM/backup tools

License activation

Activate your perpetual commercial license from the console. View the license status, expiry of bundled updates, and the number of installations remaining at a glance. Trial mode is supported for evaluation before purchase.

Includes
  • Online and manual activation
  • Per-installation license tracking
  • Update entitlement status
  • Trial mode for evaluation

Update checker

The console can check for new Squid Proxy Professional builds, including updated Squid versions and security fixes. Update checks are explicit and never apply changes silently — administrators stay in control of when an update is installed.

Behaviour
  • Manual or scheduled update checks
  • Release-note links for each update
  • No silent or forced updates
  • Clear separation of console and Squid versions

Documentation and support

Every install ships with a focused administrator documentation set covering installation, first-time setup, common configuration tasks, and troubleshooting. Email support is included for licensed customers.

See Docs for the public documentation index and Contact for support enquiries.

Support
  • Bundled administrator documentation
  • Email support for licensed customers
  • Public docs at /docs
  • Defined support intake at /contact