Will I be able to remote connect to my computer at school?

[archcommus]

I have my computer hooked up to my university's network which pretty much allows everything and blocks nothing. I can VPN, remote desktop, etc. OUT no problem.

I have the IP address of my system and of the DHCP server. Can I use these to connect to my system at school from home? Or will it be hopelessly blocked behind a firewall of some type and won't be possible without an explicitly forwarded port.

Thanks.

 

[nweaver]

they block nothing OUT, but I bet they block tons in...

 

[JohnG86]

Since you can make a VPN connection, checkout http://www.hamachi.cc/ "Hamachi is a zero-configuration virtual private networking (VPN) application..." It allows communication both ways for programs like remote desktop, games, file transfers and more.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Originally posted by: JohnG86
Since you can make a VPN connection, checkout http://www.hamachi.cc/ "Hamachi is a zero-configuration virtual private networking (VPN) application..." It allows communication both ways for programs like remote desktop, games, file transfers and more.

zero-config = no port forwarding?

 

[JohnG86]

correct, no port forwarding

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: JohnG86
Since you can make a VPN connection, checkout http://www.hamachi.cc/ "Hamachi is a zero-configuration virtual private networking (VPN) application..." It allows communication both ways for programs like remote desktop, games, file transfers and more.

Thanks I will give this a shot.

 

[futuristicmonkey]

Be sure to initiate the connection from INSIDE the university's network

 

[archcommus]

Works perfectly! I'm remotely connected to my system at school from home right now.

Thanks a lot.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: archcommus
Works perfectly! I'm remotely connected to my system at school from home right now.

Thanks a lot.

What kind of admins do you have?!

 

[archcommus]

What are you talking about? That's exactly what Hamachi does. It is zero configuration and creates a virtual network between any number of systems without any port forwarding, etc. That is the only thing allowing me to RDC in. Without it it is impossible. I'm sure the quality/security of my school's network is just fine.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: InlineFive

Originally posted by: archcommus
Works perfectly! I'm remotely connected to my system at school from home right now.

Thanks a lot.

What kind of admins do you have?!

apparently not very good ones.

bad university.
:thumbsdown:

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: InlineFive

Originally posted by: archcommus
Works perfectly! I'm remotely connected to my system at school from home right now.

Thanks a lot.

What kind of admins do you have?!

apparently not very good ones.

bad university.
:thumbsdown:

Wow....I know you're a security/network admin yourself and all, but calling a university bad (note that you didn't say the university's NETWORK, or the university's SECURITY, you actually said the university itself) just because I am able to RDC in with the help of Hamachi is pretty ridiculous and unfounded. For one, I think you and I both know that has little to do with pretty much anything else (especially things non IT/network related), and second, why do you assume that just because I can do this it means the admins are idiots and don't know what they're doing? 25,000+ people use this network, I'm sure a lot of them, especially faculty, have such needs. Furthermore, it WAS blocked, I had to use Hamachi to create my own virtual network to make this work.

My old school used a proxy server and blocked everything except for 80, 443, and 5190. It did not create a "better" or more secure network. It just hampered the use of technology on campus and made simple things impossible and a hassle for everybody.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: archcommus
My old school used a proxy server and blocked everything except for 80, 443, and 5190. It did not create a "better" or more secure network. It just hampered the use of technology on campus and made simple things impossible and a hassle for everybody.

Now that is a GOOD university.

:thumbsup:

but seriosly, you knew what I meant. the unis IT/security should not be allowing VPNs from within a protected network. It's just considered really bad practice.

UNIs are notorious for not cracking down on security as they should and are a hot bed of worms/viruses/general bad stuff.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: archcommus
My old school used a proxy server and blocked everything except for 80, 443, and 5190. It did not create a "better" or more secure network. It just hampered the use of technology on campus and made simple things impossible and a hassle for everybody.

Now that is a GOOD university.

:thumbsup:

but seriosly, you knew what I meant. the unis IT/security should not be allowing VPNs from within a protected network. It's just considered really bad practice.

UNIs are notorious for not cracking down on security as they should and are a hot bed of worms/viruses/general bad stuff.

Right, because since you're in school your use of the internet should be for no purposes other than acaemdic ones, right? Ever. And things like, oh I don't know, POP3, are so dangerous, risky, and not useful in the slightest. :roll:

EDIT to your edit: Yeah I see what you mean. But at least they provide all students a disc that automatically installs SAV 10, Ad-Aware Pro, and automatic university-disbursed Windows updates. But, just out of curiosity, how COULD they prevent the use of something like Hamachi?

 

[spidey07]

blocking the ports and having a IDS that detects tunneling activity.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: spidey07
blocking the ports and having a IDS that detects tunneling activity.

Would that not interfere though with their own VPN server to allow people off campus to connect and access network resources?

 

[futuristicmonkey]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: spidey07
blocking the ports and having a IDS that detects tunneling activity.

Would that not interfere though with their own VPN server to allow people off campus to connect and access network resources?

The whole university isn't going to be on one /24....

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: spidey07
blocking the ports and having a IDS that detects tunneling activity.

Would that not interfere though with their own VPN server to allow people off campus to connect and access network resources?

No. Remote access is a separate security layer and would likely have it's own set of firewalls. So basically it's treated differently