blocking napster

[cavingjan]

Here's the situation:
I work for a subcontractor who is using the client's network. I don't have access to the firewall to directly block the ports. I have several users who are on napster all day long. The boss has noticed but hasn't directly said anything to the users although he's asked some questions to me and implied that this will stop one way or another. I'd rather nip this in the bud BEFORE we have any further problems with the boss (and also the admins who can kick us off their network.)
The machines are running win98SE. I need to block or break this in a way that it will not function and "uninstalling and reinstalling" will not fix it. Suggestions? I've uninstalled it a couple times (it was actually interferring with some custom programs written for their use) but within a day these people just download the new version and reinstall it and call me the next say saying they have a problem with the same programs. Stubborn aren't they? The boss is a firm believer in not using company computers for personal business.

 

[StoneG]

you don't have to worry anymore as i know napster comunity has disapeared 'cause of the legal problems against them.

 

[CantonMan]

Still works for me...

 

[NOX]

Are your guys all connected to a switch or a hub? We had this problem at work, and it was resolved quickly by unplugging their access to the network (internet/intranet). I know they didn't have the balls at first to ask why they no longer had access to the net, but when they finally did I told them they had been suspended from the network, and that if they continued to use it for downloading music during work hours that they would be suspended from using the network ever again, and ultimately terminated. Because if you can?t access the net, you can't work, we use the net for a lot for work related stuff. And if you can?t work what good are you to the company, yes it sounds harsh but we don?t play you to goof off.

I could have also shut off each computers connection via use IP, but it was easer to just pull the plug since I sit right next to one of our main units.

 

[magix]

treat the admins to lunch and get them to give u access to the firewall

 

[ringzero]

We have the same problem at work. I work with the network admin and we were talking about the napster situation. To us, it just boils down to: Fractional t1's don't give napster and work access. Since we're a corporate company, we really can't just do things like disconnect people because that will cause serious issues with end users. However, the best thing to do is make it unsuitable for them. If you just want to out right kill access, just go to the router and restrict access to the napster port. Which I believe is port 6699.. What we plan to do is allow the port. but throttle the port severely and let like 5kbytes/s go through and that's it.

 

[cavingjan]

I'm trying to avoid going to the admin on this one. He's too busy and his ogical choice would be to unplug the individuals which kills the network for them and the ability to right reports and access the information that they need. Maybe I'll just nuke some registry settings. Everybody is on a switch except my office. I just put a 5 port hub to one of my connections since I'm getting 8 new systems ready for their desks. The sad thing is, when they are at work, I don't notice and speed difference from the 100 switch and the 10 hub. Yesterday with the guys out (all the secretaries and everybody else were still in) I did notice a speed diffference between a computer here that is on the switch versus the hub. Oh well. Thanks a bunch.
I guess time is the ultimate killer here.

 

[NOX]

Yeah, I see. I work with our senior system Admin, I?m just a new kid on the block here, but yes that?s what he would do unplug them from the network (hehe). Each comp is assigned a number all we do is look at our documents which basically maps out the entire network. From there we can tell which comps to unplug.

In any case, Napster can hog some bandwidth no doubt. You wonder why some Universities have banned its use.

 

[Toonces311]

Do you remember the napster ban by Metalica? Basically, if you got banned by metalica, your registry had some extra entries added. This banned you even if you uninstalled and reinstalled. There are some sites that have Registry files to delete the Metalica ban.

Here is an idea. Could you modify the fixed registry files so that they actually add the entry and not delete it? In doing so, their copies of Napster would not work.

Here is a site were you can get the fixed reg file to modify

 

[cavingjan]

Toonces: That should work wonderfully. Now to work up the merge and do it sometime when I'm in and they aren't.

 

[Quickfingerz]

good idea!

 

[konichiwa]

When you log in with an account that is to be banned Napster makes a couple of registry entries for you. The ones I have found are listed below. This definately works for Windows 95 and 98. With the new ones I just found it appears to work with Win98SE.

Registry Keys it makes for Win9x:

HKey_Classes_Root\CLSID\
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
HKey_CurrentUuser\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}
HKey_Local_Machine\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}
HKey_Users\.Default\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}


Instead of the HKey_Users\.Default Win2k does the following:

HKey_Users\S-1-5-21-2000478354-1563985344-1343024091-500\Software\Classes\CLSID\
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}
HKey_Users\S-1-5-21-2000478354-1563985344-1343024091-500_Classes\CLSID\
{35D38C13-1434-AB7E-003483943341AA}
{A1AD8C13-1383-5343-DCC38E43FF0AAE}
{CAD8C813-1F34-1B3E-00CEAE43FF0AAD}

(the "S-1-5-21-2000....." number will be different on every Win2k Machine)