getting on the internet at work...

[Jesta23]

So I have a cubicle job, and its BORING.


I am only keeping the job because it is paying for my schooling via tuition reimbursement.

Anyway, they have disabled internet options, and run everything through a proxy. Allowing you to only see a very few select things. (I'm assuming a whitelist, not a blacklist is in effect.)


Now, If i were to install firefox to a small flash drive, and set up my own proxy. I could probably get onto the internet at work.

My question is, what are the odd's they would detect it?

It takes them months to fix a mouse, and if you get a software error odds are you will never get a tech guy to come fix it. It usually means moving to a new desk and sticking a sign on your old one saying its out of order. I've seen these signs stay up for months on end.

Why am I telling you this? I dont think they have more then 1 or 2 people working IT for a center employing several thousand people. (3-4,000.) So I know they do not monitor whats going on in the network.

But I'm wondering if theres something I am overlooking that would alert them in some way if someone were to access the internet.

There is also a user name and password we can use to gain access to a account with internet access to set up our benefits and contact HR. On this user name there are no website restrictions enabled. but only managers know this name and so its not usable on a normal basis.


Any thoughts?

[wolkec]

Well, they channel their trafic over a proxy/router, that means they can ip block whatever they want. I think your best bet would be to get on wireless. You could try to connect to some nearby one, or set up ur own/use antena (Those go 2-10km).

Edit: If you are near a bar or in urban area, there should be no problem getting on wirless net.

[TidusBlade]

Well I'm no networking expert or anything but you could try setting up a tunnel on your home PC and connect to it at work and you can browse just as you do at home, just that your PC will act as a medium between your PC at work and the internet, so it will be slow but I guess it's better than no internet.

As for tunnelling I personally prefer having an SSH server at home and tunnelling everything through SOCKS. It's real easy if you use Linux but if you use Windows you might need to jump through a few hoops to set one up. The best part is it only takes one small program (PuTTy) and 30 seconds to set up on the end your connecting from (your work PC). I use it from school and not a complaint, works perfectly and all the time, just a bit slow, but as I said, better than no internet, or tons of blocked sites in my case.

The only other solution I've read about is using Squid. You set it up on your computer at home, but you'll need a web server to to do that, XAMPP works great in this case imo. I don't know any of the details but in the end you'll have the same thing just that the proxy is an HTTP proxy which I've never used before so can't comment but I imagine it'll be the same thing except for what's going on under the hood.

The only problem you may face is if you have a dynamic IP like me, in which case you might need to set up a dynamic DNS using a site like DynDNS. You just their client running and it makes a subdomain constantly point to your computer, so in my case tidusblade.ath.cx always points to my dynamic IP, so I don't have to worry if my IP changes.

Sorry if I was unclear or wrong in some places, as I said I'm not great with networking and stuff but this worked for me perfectly so hopefully it might work in your case Only way it might not work is if they block direct connections to other computers across the internet, but I've never seen that being done so I don't know, maybe someone else can clear up.

Good luck

[Jesta23]

This is what I was thinking of trying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuJtwTU0zQ

[Proin Drakenzol]

If you're that desperate for internet (and you have your own laptop) you could look into the cell-phone based internet PCMCIA cards. I had one for about a year and it worked really well, I only canceled it because I moved to Japan.

[Mag-X]

The simplest thing I would try first is get yourself a copy of USB Opera. If you turn on Opera Turbo, it will compress/render the web pages on Opera's servers and then send the completed web page to you. The idea is to help people with slow internet, but it also works as a proxy. It's one of the reasons Opera is popular in countries where the internet is censored.

Personally, I bring my own laptop to work, and tunnel to my home connection using the built in Windows 7 VPN software. You'll need admin rights to make this work. My company has very lax security policies though. I also work in I.T., so no one cares. No only does Help Desk know about it, they do it too.

You could also use Team Viewer. It has a no install option that will should work with a limited user account. Install it on your home machine, and then connect to it at work using the no install option. My work's network blocks the VPN part, but the VNC function still works.

[bork]

They can block port 80 at their firewall and force all of it through the proxy
They can do packet inspection and look for HTTP requests.
They can see VPN tunnels being established
They can tell if you install a USB into THEIR computers
They can log every site you visit

If they have a proxy that is that locked down, they would be the types that like rules and take pleasure in enforcing them.

You are trying to end around their system, you can get fired.
Of course now you can do internet at home.

You have a job, do not screw it up.

[wolkec]

They can block port 80 at their firewall and force all of it through the proxy
They can do packet inspection and look for HTTP requests.
They can see VPN tunnels being established
They can tell if you install a USB into THEIR computers
They can log every site you visit

If they have a proxy that is that locked down, they would be the types that like rules and take pleasure in enforcing them.

You are trying to end around their system, you can get fired.
Of course now you can do internet at home.

You have a job, do not screw it up.

What he is trying to say is, they have a whitelist meaning it can be impossible to connect to any other proxy or another computer. I suggest you bring a laptop and go on wirless (or with phone).

[Xiong Chiamiov]

Your IT guys probably aren't the types to get you fired on a first offence, but you'd know more than us how dickish they are.

Damn, limited connectivity?  Aside from the fact that I wouldn't be able to access the server where I do all my work (or the repository hosts for all our code), my productivity would drop to at least a quarter of what it is now.  Programming without google/SO sucks balls.

[Jesta23]

Your IT guys probably aren't the types to get you fired on a first offence, but you'd know more than us how dickish they are.

Damn, limited connectivity?  Aside from the fact that I wouldn't be able to access the server where I do all my work (or the repository hosts for all our code), my productivity would drop to at least a quarter of what it is now.  Programming without google/SO sucks balls.

Im sure they would fire on the first offense. Ill just stay away from it. We also have a paperless environment, meaning no pens, no paper, and no cell phones at our work area. So they are really strict.

I got in trouble about a month ago for having a piece of paper at my desk, all that was on this paper was my schedule.

[Mag-X]

Your IT guys probably aren't the types to get you fired on a first offence, but you'd know more than us how dickish they are.

Damn, limited connectivity?  Aside from the fact that I wouldn't be able to access the server where I do all my work (or the repository hosts for all our code), my productivity would drop to at least a quarter of what it is now.  Programming without google/SO sucks balls.

Im sure they would fire on the first offense. Ill just stay away from it. We also have a paperless environment, meaning no pens, no paper, and no cell phones at our work area. So they are really strict.

I got in trouble about a month ago for having a piece of paper at my desk, all that was on this paper was my schedule.

Dude. That sounds like a prison.

[houkouonchi]

If you can make an outbound SSH connection than that will work as a proxy. SSH itself supports SOCKs. This is completely untraceable (from a network standpoint) other than the fact that it shows you made an SSH connection which has a lot of legitimate uses and can be on any port that the SSH server is on. This might be an option for you.

[fohfoh]

Your IT guys probably aren't the types to get you fired on a first offence, but you'd know more than us how dickish they are.

Damn, limited connectivity?  Aside from the fact that I wouldn't be able to access the server where I do all my work (or the repository hosts for all our code), my productivity would drop to at least a quarter of what it is now.  Programming without google/SO sucks balls.

Im sure they would fire on the first offense. Ill just stay away from it. We also have a paperless environment, meaning no pens, no paper, and no cell phones at our work area. So they are really strict.

I got in trouble about a month ago for having a piece of paper at my desk, all that was on this paper was my schedule.

Dude. That sounds like a prison.

My first impression was... Wtf?

[Jesta23]

Dude. That sounds like a prison.
[/quote]

My first impression was... Wtf?
[/quote]

which is why I am considering this heh.

Its soooo boring there. The only reason I stay is that they pay for my schooling.

[Perplexing]

My first impression was... Wtf?

I have to second that ...... WTF?
I'd last maybe two days there.... maybe

[isukianime]

if you're really that desperate get an internet package of your own that uses power lines and then just plug it in at the office.

e.g. over here in Canada

http://www.rogers.com/web/content/internet-mobile/rockethub