Question about VPNing from ResNet

[archcommus]

I got an offer from my internship to work for them remotely from school via VPN. My concern is that this won't work through ResNet. I just talked to someone at the help desk who said it most likely wouldn't, and if it didn't they probably wouldn't be able to do anything to get around it. Was he just uninformed or is it true that there might not be any workaround if it doesn't work, even for those with the highest level access to the system?

If it doesn't work, what other options may I have? Using remote desktop to connect to a system at work? I really don't want to lose this job opportunity due to a silly thing like this if it becomes a problem.

Thanks.

 

[spidey07]

You'll have to cooridinate between your potential work and resnet.

VPNs can be done any number of dozens of different ways. And wheter or not it will work or is blocked depends on the security of resnet.

An SSL vpn would probably work, or see if your reznet offers a guest network that allows VPN access.

-edit-
oh - it is common practice to block VPN access from a protected network. Allowing it renders a firewall useless.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: spidey07
oh - it is common practice to block VPN access from a protected network. Allowing it renders a firewall useless.

Not if you decrypt the encrypted packets at the firewall, examine them for improper traffic, and then re-encrypt them. ISA Server 2004 can do this. I imagine some other advanced firewalls can, too.

 

[spidey07]

That's very unusual. It's no longer a VPN if an intermediary device is encrypting/decypting them. It's no longer a secure connection?

Unless of course the ISA server is one of the VPN endpoints.

 

[RebateMonger]

I gotta' quit the late-night comments. 😱 I was thinking of decrypting/analyzing/re-encrypting SSL traffic, not VPN traffic. My mistake. But, of course, ISA can serve as a VPN endpoint and analyze the incoming traffic as well.

Too many late nights on Anandtech....