Questions regarding use of a local cache server to enhance internet bandwidth and reduce data usage

[phelt54]

Could a local cache server be used to enhance internet bandwidth and reduce data usage? A friend of mine owns a bar in a very small town, they currently provide wifi to customers using the weak rental centurylink modem and router combo unit, but it is so weak that usually only five devices can connect to it wirelessly and actually receive data. The best internet that they can get is DSL that I believe is only 40Mb/s. I suggested that they buy a much nicer aftermarket router and modem to provide service to more customers, but the owner is concerned about going over the data cap that they have with their centurylink account. If a local cache server were connected to the network, could it store a copy of everything that is downloaded from the internet, so that the files are only downloaded the first time and each subsequent patron who requests the same webpages, videos and app updates receives the data directly from the local cache server? I assume that building a local cache server using a file server board would be a better choice since it would likely be better at handling more read and write operations than a desktop/workstation motherboard? If there is an application update to possibly the google application and the application update is often 60mb, would only the first 60mb google application update be downloaded from the ISP while each subsequent 60mb google application update be provided to each of the other bar patrons from the local cache server? If someone watches a video on youtube or possibly on netflix using the bar's wifi, would a copy of the video be saved to the local cache server, so the following patrons that decide to view that same video receive the video from the local cache server? Could a local cache server be used to enhance internet bandwidth and reduce data usage?

[CerealExperimentsLain]

Considering that most of the content the patrons will be accessing will be social media, which is highly dynamic, or streaming video/audio 'Check out this YouTube video, lookit my phone!' which would vary widely patron to patron, I somewhat doubt caching will be of much help.

[LIGISTX]

On 10/1/2022 at 8:58 PM, CerealExperimentsLain said:

Considering that most of the content the patrons will be accessing will be social media, which is highly dynamic, or streaming video/audio 'Check out this YouTube video, lookit my phone!' which would vary widely patron to patron, I somewhat doubt caching will be of much help.

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The amount of overlapping data will be minuscule, and most of it will likely be encrypted anyways which would further reduce the effectiveness of a solution like this.