windows update cache

Fri Sep 28 17:16:33 UTC 2007

Steve Gibbard wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Sep 2007, Seth Mattinen wrote:
> 
>>
>> Adrian Chadd wrote:
>>> On Fri, Sep 28, 2007, Joe Johnson wrote:
>>>> Windows Software Update Services doesn't require the end-user to be 
>>>> part
>>>> of a domain to get updates. You just need to define the WSUS server as
>>>> the source for updates by changing a few registry entries and make sure
>>>> the server is available via HTTP or HTTPS to your customers. You can
>>>> read more at Microsoft's site.
>>>>
>>>> Also, WSUS is free to run on any Windows server.
>>>
>>> Great if you're running a windows IT type LAN; crap if you're running an
>>> ISP!
>>
>> Why? It talks TCP/IP.
> 
> This seems like a question of how much control ISPs have over customers' 
> PCs at this point.  In my day (when we had to push packets up hill 
> through 28.8 kbps modems, both ways...), we used to send out CDs to all 
> our customers that would install web browsers and mail clients, and 
> change the computers' dial-up networking settings to match our network.  
> Changing some registry strings for Windows Update would have been trivial.
> 
> The ISPs I've dealt with recently as an end user tend to just send out a 
> cable or DSL to ethernet bridge and let DHCP do the rest.  This is 
> progress, as it means devices can move from place to place and just 
> work, but I don't think it provides a way to change registry settings.
> 

One could try to transparently proxy requests to windows update over to 
the WSUS server. No idea if that'll work though. I'm no windows expert, 
nor was I trying to provide some total solution, I was just trying to 
point out it uses TCP on port 8530 and one could try to use that to 
their advantage.

~Seth