Uni Firewall giving me issues - a little networking help please?

[hob]

Hey, I'm pretty sure "software" is the best place to post this but please feel free to flame me if I'm wrong!!

Ok, so I'm at university. First week all my PC-using buddies are like "oh my god oh my god my p2p doesn't work" and I just roll my eyes and help 'em out. The uni's set up so that you have to run everything such as MSN through port 3128.

But now I'm slowwwly realising (after 6 weeks) that it's affecting me quite badly! I can't use quicktime to view trailers off the Apple trailer site (it's actually a bit of a hobby of mine). I thought it was a software issue whereby it would keep asking for a codec to play the file (but only on apple's site). I went home last weekend and everything worked fine on my standard cable connection/wi-fi... so i'm asuming that's down to the uni.

Adium doesn't work - I'm stuck on the goddamn MSN messenger

Also getting annoyed 'cos my BT was working (just downloading the odd TV show here and there - not music of course, I spend ££ on legal downloads) and now suddenly it's not. I have no idea why not. It's all quite baffling the area of options I have for port number this, proxy server that - I would have thought if the proxy/port number in network preferences (osx) is correct, then it would just run through there - how can they block applications running through an "open" port?

Sorry, I used to be quite good at this stuff but it's like excercise - you don't do it enough and you get saggy. Networking gives me a headache now.

Hob

 

[jeremy.king]

Interesting network setup by your school - Lets just block EVERYTHING.

Most of you issues seem like legitimate gripes to bring to the IT director's attentiong. You may have to spin it to make it look educationally related. Such as "How the heck am I supposed to view this video for a report I am writing!" - stuff like that.

I am also surprised that the school doesn't provide a proxy for you to run everything through, but the fact of the matter is if they block everything, theres less potential for intrusions, legal liablility, etc...

Not sure how to help you except suggest you talk to someone in charge to get the policies modified.

 

[brap]

3128 is the standard port for a webcache. You're probably connected through Greenwich - they supply the Kent MAN, too. ~155MBit backbone, IIRC

I think Aduim's proxying ability leaves a lot to be desired, I've had it crash o many times whilst connecting. Prolly best to avoid it.
Uh, the BitTorrent, you say it was working? Through the Uni network? That's bizarre - I tried so damn hard to tunnel through 3128. Webcaches generally are wise to these port numbers and give you a nasty nasty message when you try to tunnel.

Basically, you're locked down. It'll be in your network conneciton agreement, anyway, to not even try to get through the proxy for filesharing means; they can disconnect you for trying such things. I think the only way you're going to get through is either SSH'ing to a remote box (if you have a server which has access to the outside world -- at Kent I did), or knowing one of the admins

 

[Palad1]

Can you ssh to a box located outside of your campus?

if so, ssh tunnels are your best friends
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/howto/howto-sshtunnel.html

Palad1,
Proudly talkin way too nerdy to OSX users, since 2004

 

[hob]

Can you ssh to a box located outside of your campus?

if so, ssh tunnels are your best friends
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/howto/howto-sshtunnel.html

Palad1,
Proudly talkin way too nerdy to OSX users, since 2004

A good idea - I'll give it a go this evening when I get in from work!

Cheers for the comments guys

It is weird, and I did try getting friendly with some Admins but they're all quite strange here - then again it took me like 3 years till the admin at secondary school knew who I was!

Hob