Help needed...Desperate person...

[edyzmedieval]

Because of the past things that happened in the school, the WLAN of it now unfortunately has several layers of firewalls attached to it. This means you can't download absolutely ANYTHING.

Now, I need something to get past this. LEN recommended me something, but my access was denied and I got "Criminal skills ; Hacking".

Is it possible something? Or am I doomed forever?

Oh, just to warn you, I need something legal.

[Lemur]

Hmm, there are certainly ways to bypass a pesky firewall, but before I go handing out Dangerous Knowledge, might I inquire what sorts of things you're planning to do? We aren't talking about anything unsavory, are we?

[Out]

I'm sure that actually depends on your definition of "unsavory", Lemur. :P

[Lemur]

Good point. Let me fill in with a personal example:

I worked for an organization that banned its employees from accessing their webmail. The reason given was that several idiots had downloaded spam attachments and introduced virii to the network.

The area I worked in was populated by pure geeks. We scoffed at the n00b users who clicked attachments from unknown senders. But we chafed at not being able to check our outside mail accounts for nine hours a day.

So obviously, we concocted a technique that allowed us all to access our webmail, and we never, ever downloaded anything. IT Security never caught on to what we were doing, so everybody was happy as a clam.

To me, this is a low- to no-damage bit of tomfoolery. None of us were engaging in illegal, unethical or dangerous behavior. We just wanted to read our ***** mail.

[TevashSzat]

Because of the past things that happened in the school, the WLAN of it now unfortunately has several layers of firewalls attached to it. This means you can't download absolutely ANYTHING.

Now, I need something to get past this. LEN recommended me something, but my access was denied and I got "Criminal skills ; Hacking".

Is it possible something? Or am I doomed forever?

Oh, just to warn you, I need something legal.

First thing that comes to mind: proxy

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

First thing that comes to mind: proxy

I'd like to echo that, proxies are nice.

Please don't do anything that would get you in serious trouble. I don't know if you get Internet access in Romanian prison, but I don't want you to go there anyways.

[edyzmedieval]

I'm not talking about downloading porn, what the heck!!!

I just want to download useful stuff like GIMP, Blender..That kind of stuff, which I can use. Also, I WANT TO USE STEAM GOD DAMMIT!!!

Argh, the connection is this at the school:

-WLAN
-firewalled to hell
-proxied
-any sites with programs for IP hiding are classified as Criminal Skills and Hacking

What the heck...

[Lemur]

Hi Edzy,

Using the most obvious solutions, Steam isn't gonna happen. Pretty sure it uses multiple ports, so it could be a bit of work getting it past the firewalls. Also, most games from Steam download hundreds of megabytes of data, if not gigabytes, so you would probably get in trouble for larding up a school PC with that much stuff. My advice: forgo Steam.

For web browsing and downloading apps such as GIMP and Blender, here's how you do it:

• Google proxy surfing
• Poke through the results, look for a proxy that is free
• If the security at your school is decent, they're going to block many of the free proxies, so just keep poking until you find one they didn't plug
• Once you've found the hole, download the apps you need
• Be aware that active security teams will usually plug the holes within a month or so. Don't rely on a single proxy forever!

[Caius]

Wow, I've learnt something today. Interesting.

[Xiahou]

While we're on the subject of anonymous proxies, has anyone ever tried TOR, from the EFF? I've been meaning to check it out, but have yet to get around to it.

[Lemur]

I've used TOR. It's pretty nifty, and if you're feeling paranoid about your privacy, it's not a bad way to go. I wound up uninstalling it, however, since the Vidalia package I downloaded ran persistently. I mean, of course I could turn it off in msconfig, but still. I just don't need to be anonymous online more than once a month, when I check out the blogs of old acquaintances and don't want them to know I was lookin'.

-edit-

If you pair Vidalia with TorButton, you can toggle TOR on and off while your browse in Firefox. Kinda nifty.

-edit of the edit-

Of course, there are downsides to anything ...

[edyzmedieval]

Well, here is the problem: they thought of almost everything. Plus, it's my own computer!!! I cannot do anything with my own computer!!!

EDIT: It's over actually. You are denied to every proxy downloader. I can't believe I can't do anything with my computer. I don't want porn for god's sake, I just want to download Blender, GIMP, iTunes...

[Crazed Rabbit]

While we're on the subject of anonymous proxies, has anyone ever tried TOR, from the EFF? I've been meaning to check it out, but have yet to get around to it.

I have. Nice tool, though I never have much reason to use it.

Lemur - how could one add encryption to one's surfing?

CR

[Lemur]

Trying to remember ... I think it's an option within the Vidalia preferences. Like I said, I uninstalled the software, so I can't go doodle in the menus to figure it out.

It's a free download, though, and there's no harm in giving it a try.

You are denied to every proxy downloader.

Are you sure about that? Every proxy is blocked? At my old job, they had the vast majority blocked, but I found a nice one out of Germany that they had missed. Used it for months. It's always worth poking around some more ...

[Out]

There are other options too, but a proxy definitely seems easiest. The other method I know of involves some prep work, with an active server and some free software. Builds a tunnel and shoves the program you're working with through that tunnel, onto your server. Slow, obviously, but functional...

But it doesn't seem like that will help you, considering you're already trapped behind the firewall.

[Lemur]

Yeah, building your own VPN is the way to have full access from behind das evil firewall. But between getting the VPN up and running, and getting the server to behave like a proper TCP/IP proxy, I dunno if it's for the faint of heart. Can't see why it wouldn't work, though.

[drone]

I don't want porn for god's sake, I just want to download Blender, GIMP, iTunes...

Don't want pr0n? What's the matter with you?

You could always do an end-around, I suppose. If you have a laptop, maybe you could take it to a place in town with wireless access and download the desired programs. If not a laptop, go to an internet cafe and get the programs loaded onto a flash stick. The Sneakernet is the biggest security hole out there.

Or, depending on how much you want access, you could (god forbid) get a dial-up account in town and bypass the school's network altogether. This would only work if you have a modem, unlimited phone access, and unlimited patience...

[Bijo]

Drone's advice seems good. I would say more or less the same.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

EDIT: It's over actually. You are denied to every proxy downloader. I can't believe I can't do anything with my computer. I don't want porn for god's sake, I just want to download Blender, GIMP, iTunes...

Couldn't you do that at home, or are you at a boarding school?

[TevashSzat]

Well, here is the problem: they thought of almost everything. Plus, it's my own computer!!! I cannot do anything with my own computer!!!

EDIT: It's over actually. You are denied to every proxy downloader. I can't believe I can't do anything with my computer. I don't want porn for god's sake, I just want to download Blender, GIMP, iTunes...

Okay.....so why don't you try to make your own proxy?

Don't ask me how to do it, but some students at my school made ones and it worked for about a couple of months before it was patched up.

[sapi]

Okay.....so why don't you try to make your own proxy?

Don't ask me how to do it, but some students at my school made ones and it worked for about a couple of months before it was patched up.

He'd need an external server to set it up on...though do go ahead with the explanations; I've been meaning to set one up here for months

A point in the right direction re:software's all I'd really need

EDIT: It's over actually. You are denied to every proxy downloader. I can't believe I can't do anything with my computer. I don't want porn for god's sake, I just want to download Blender, GIMP, iTunes...

Have you tried tor? It should be nigh-on impossible to block (and someone here can email you the necessary files if it comes to that...)

[edyzmedieval]

I think TOR and that proxy site are the first things they denied.
And I've been warned by the IT teacher, whom I spoke to last night about this stupidity: Don't try to do anything nasty, even if you don't download porn and stuff like that, or they will kick you out of the school.

Dammit.

[Husar]

Can't you just go to some internet cafe or have a teacher supervise you if you just want some small programs like iTunes?

[edyzmedieval]

Ah well, there is only one solution, and I'm already working on it: my IT teacher will download the programs like OpenOffice and iTunes...

The only thing is, I can't play online games like M2TW Multi or Counter Strike Source at all!!

[Bijo]

Ah well, there is only one solution, and I'm already working on it: my IT teacher will download the programs like OpenOffice and iTunes...

The only thing is, I can't play online games like M2TW Multi or Counter Strike Source at all!!

But you are not there to play games, are you?

[edyzmedieval]

Yes Bijo, of course I am not. But for example on Wednesdays, we don't have any sports, or on Sundays, unless we do something (go out of the campus), we don't have basically what to do...

[Lemur]

You're gonna have to comb through your library for games that don't require online play or activation. That rules out every Steam title. Just thank your lucky stars that Creative Assembly has not given in to the dark juju (a.k.a. Online Activation).

Or fall crazy in love with some lady. But be warned, games are cheaper.

[Husar]

Or fall crazy in love with some lady. But be warned, games are cheaper.

They're also easier and not nearly as addictive.

[LeftEyeNine]

They're also easier and not nearly as addictive.

They can't enlighten you in the middle of a damn void. They just postpone such pain.

Go for a girlfriend. Make her fall in love with you before you flirt to enjoy it even more

[Sensei Warrior]

I agree with LeftEye, Husar, and Lemur, forget this tom foolery with your computer, and go out and participate in the ultimate preadatory sport, chick hunting. Much more fun than dl-ing iTunes and playing videogames, i promise.