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Woohoo! Internship offers me more work

A

archcommus

Diamond Member
So yesterday was the last day at my summer internship at a software company near my home. I was sad to leave it because it was a great job with a great environment and great people working there. I was hoping they would want me back next summer.

Well, I talked to the boss on the way out, and not only does he want to see me again next summer, but he said if I have time to work during the school year that I could work for them remotely from school via VPN. I told him I could probably work 15-20 hours/week and he had no problem with that. He said just drop him a line after I get settled and get everything situated and we'll work it out.

Awesome! Sure beats getting a work study job for $6/hr or something.
 
Thanks. 🙂

The one concern I have is if VPNing won't work from my university's network, and I fear that if it doesn't they might not be able to do anything to get around it. Anyone familiar with ResNet?
 
archcommus,

I would not worry about VPN working on your universitys network. A lot of universities actually encourage it as a way to log onto their systems from external locations.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
archcommus,

I would not worry about VPN working on your universitys network. A lot of universities actually encourage it as a way to log onto their systems from external locations.
Click to expand...
Thanks. However I called the help desk and asked and he said although you can't be sure without trying, he wouldn't really expect it to work and he's not sure if anything can be done to get around it if it doesn't. If that's the case I'm not sure if I would just work locally and upload via FTP or just not do it at all or what. 🙁
 
Originally posted by: archcommus
Originally posted by: BigJ
archcommus,

I would not worry about VPN working on your universitys network. A lot of universities actually encourage it as a way to log onto their systems from external locations.
Click to expand...
Thanks. However I called the help desk and asked and he said although you can't be sure without trying, he wouldn't really expect it to work and he's not sure if anything can be done to get around it if it doesn't. If that's the case I'm not sure if I would just work locally and upload via FTP or just not do it at all or what. 🙁
Click to expand...

You're going to PSU right? I'm suprised that it wouldn't be supported on such a large campus. Here at Maryland, everyone can use it.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: archcommus
Originally posted by: BigJ
archcommus,

I would not worry about VPN working on your universitys network. A lot of universities actually encourage it as a way to log onto their systems from external locations.
Click to expand...
Thanks. However I called the help desk and asked and he said although you can't be sure without trying, he wouldn't really expect it to work and he's not sure if anything can be done to get around it if it doesn't. If that's the case I'm not sure if I would just work locally and upload via FTP or just not do it at all or what. 🙁
Click to expand...

You're going to PSU right? I'm suprised that it wouldn't be supported on such a large campus. Here at Maryland, everyone can use it.
Click to expand...
No, University of Pittsburgh main campus. Still fairly large, about 17,000 undergrads. Maybe they do support VPNing IN to their network, just not sure about VPNing OUT to another network. It may work just fine, I just know the guy at the help desk said it's likely not to.
 
Originally posted by: archcommus
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: archcommus
Originally posted by: BigJ
archcommus,

I would not worry about VPN working on your universitys network. A lot of universities actually encourage it as a way to log onto their systems from external locations.
Click to expand...
Thanks. However I called the help desk and asked and he said although you can't be sure without trying, he wouldn't really expect it to work and he's not sure if anything can be done to get around it if it doesn't. If that's the case I'm not sure if I would just work locally and upload via FTP or just not do it at all or what. 🙁
Click to expand...

You're going to PSU right? I'm suprised that it wouldn't be supported on such a large campus. Here at Maryland, everyone can use it.
Click to expand...
No, University of Pittsburgh main campus. Still fairly large, about 17,000 undergrads. Maybe they do support VPNing IN to their network, just not sure about VPNing OUT to another network. It may work just fine, I just know the guy at the help desk said it's likely not to.
Click to expand...

Yea, I've used it outbound here as well as inbound, so I figured it'd be similar to your campus. UPitt is another huge undergrad. By anychance, do they employ packetshaping?
 
Really not sure. I've been scouring technology.pitt.edu for awhile now. Does yours? What does that affect exactly?

EDIT: This just figures. At Grove City, they blocked EVERYTHING, but they had the ability to open specific ports for specific rooms if they wanted to. At Pitt, they certainly block a lot less, but if this one particular thing doesn't work, they might not have the ability to open it up like GCC did. Wouldn't that be ironic, I think I'm going to a school that has a less restrictive network and it actually ends up creating another problem.

You'd think if a big school like yours is fine with it, all big schools would be. Why the difference in opinion?

Then again, it may work just fine...
 
Originally posted by: archcommus
Really not sure. I've been scouring technology.pitt.edu for awhile now. Does yours? What does that affect exactly?
Click to expand...

It comes down to packetshaping vs. port blocking. With port blocking, you can get around the restrictions by using different port numbers that aren't blocked.

With packet filtering + shaping, it doesn't matter. It's based on what type of packet it is. So universally, BitTorrent, eMule, etc won't work because the packes are identified and throttled, if not blocked alltogether. PS. I know this isn't an exact definition, but it helps get the point across.

Maryland implements both.

If it's just port blocking, you could work around it.
 
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: archcommus
Really not sure. I've been scouring technology.pitt.edu for awhile now. Does yours? What does that affect exactly?
Click to expand...

It comes down to packetshaping vs. port blocking. With port blocking, you can get around the restrictions by using different port numbers that aren't blocked.

With packet filtering + shaping, it doesn't matter. It's based on what type of packet it is. So universally, BitTorrent, eMule, etc won't work because the packes are identified and throttled, if not blocked alltogether.

Maryland implements both.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure Grove City just used port blocking, because virutally nothing worked but the things that did work were really fast. I have already been told by Pitt help desk folk that they don't block any specific ports, so now that I think of it I guess that means they almost definitely use packetshaping. So I guess whether they use that or not has nothing to do with whether VPNs will work or not, it's all what they decide to allow and not allow. I guess that's also why they wouldn't be able to make it work specifically for my room, because it's packetshaping for the whole ResNet and not just opening a port. Maybe I'd be able to get them to change the entire policy, heh.

Again I question, why would one huge school be fine with allowing such traffic yet another maybe wouldn't?
 
Originally posted by: archcommus

Again I question, why would one huge school be fine with allowing such traffic yet another maybe wouldn't?
Click to expand...

Network policies don't have to make sense. We had to bitch and moan to OIT just to get them to allow certain online games to work without lag on campus.
 
Congrats :thumbsup:

You should have been looking to ask about working with them the following summer about a month towards the end of your contract or a few weeks before also. You have to ask for what you want or you will never get it.

Koing
 
Originally posted by: Koing
Congrats :thumbsup:

You should have been looking to ask about working with them the following summer about a month towards the end of your contract or a few weeks before also. You have to ask for what you want or you will never get it.

Koing
Click to expand...
Yeah I know, the boss was very distant. Luckily we had that very good talk on my last day.

Also, hmm?

 
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Is there a Starbucks or another place that would provide wifi for free near your campus? You could just go there to work.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea! However I use a desktop and don't own a laptop. Haha oh well.

Well we know now that Pitt offers VPN for connecting to THEIR network from elsewhere. Does that mean anything for whether it'd work going out?

 
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