Would my university know if I put a router in my room

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screw3d

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2001
6,906
1
76
If you are simultaneously broadcasting multiple MAC addresses you will get banned. If you use a router with MAC cloning though.. it will work because the network only sees one MAC address ;)
 

Sultan

Banned
Feb 21, 2002
2,297
1
0
Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Is there any way my university would be able to tell that I am running a router? I would like to be able to hook two computers up to the internet simultaneously so I can plugging and unplugging the cable all the time.

Technically it is against the policy, and the guys down at the "ResNet" office know me well and would make me disconnect it just because they think it would be funny if they realize it.. but will they?

Use a HUB doofus, not a router
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: rahvin
Originally posted by: kami333
Originally posted by: rahvin
Why do you need a router, jesus, just use a hub or a switch. You don't need a router.

Some schools make you register MAC addreses or otherwise limit access.

My school I just used a switch, they didn't do any registering or things like that.

You would still have a MAC address on any computer using the service. All the switch/hub does is turn one port into X ports so you can have more cables connected. They are completely transparent to the network.

They are not completely transparent and can be detected.
 

DaFinn

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
4,725
0
0
Wtf is wrong with you people. IF ITS SO HARD, JUST ADD ANOTHER NIC TO YOUR COMPUTER CONNECTED TO INTERNET, PLUG OTHER MACHINE WITH CROSSOVER CABLE (OR NORMAL CABLE IF BOTH HAVE GB NICS), ALLOW ICS ON FIRST COMPUTER... GOOOOOOOO!

 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: DaFinn
Wtf is wrong with you people. IF ITS SO HARD, JUST ADD ANOTHER NIC TO YOUR COMPUTER CONNECTED TO INTERNET, PLUG OTHER MACHINE WITH CROSSOVER CABLE (OR NORMAL CABLE IF BOTH HAVE GB NICS), ALLOW ICS ON FIRST COMPUTER... GOOOOOOOO!

Still detectable.
 

Quasmo

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2004
9,630
1
76
GaTech doesn't care if you have a router. I ran 3 computers, and so did my friend.
 

ScottMac

Moderator<br>Networking<br>Elite member
Mar 19, 2001
5,471
2
0
Just to sum up some of the valid points:

- Policies will vary from school to school. Check with *your* IT department and make sure you understand the policy.

-MAC addresses are Layer two (bridging / switching). Hubs are Layer one and are repeaters ... doesn't matter for the sake of this conversation; either would work jus' fine (if permitted).

- NAT will only expose one MAC address (and IP address) to the upstream router.

- NAT is detectable with very little technology and effort. If your school bans routers, then they (almost certainly) will have a mechanism to detect NAT, and a policy to shut down or severely throttle your bandwidth if caught. If they're "nice" they might warn you once or twice.

- Not yet presented, but still true: There isn't much that you can try that hasn't been tried before. If you try to circumvent policy, chances are very good that you'll get caught. Keep in mind that most of the network security people review the same "hacker" sites and publications that the would-be circumventer does and has probably already set up traps. They like to see people that would expose their network (and cause them extra work) suffer. They like catching "extra smart" students and crushing them. Trust me.

- Also not presented, but still true: Connecting a few machines to a SOHO router does not make you a Swinging-Dick Network Person. Even if you "read a lot." Professionals or students acting under professional supervision are way ahead of you ... even with the vast knowledge and experience bestowed with your CCNA or Network+ certificate. Again, Trust Me.

- Wireless? Forget about it. Poaching wireless signals is even easier to detect than a rogue router.

I' m what you might call a "Networking Professional" (and have been for over twenty years) .... this is no sh!t I'm talking here.

Check with your institution's IT department, if they permit routers and / or multiple connections, then have at it. If not, get used to what you have. Moving a cable between machines is not that big of a deal.

Good Luck

Scott


 

DaFinn

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
4,725
0
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: DaFinn
Wtf is wrong with you people. IF ITS SO HARD, JUST ADD ANOTHER NIC TO YOUR COMPUTER CONNECTED TO INTERNET, PLUG OTHER MACHINE WITH CROSSOVER CABLE (OR NORMAL CABLE IF BOTH HAVE GB NICS), ALLOW ICS ON FIRST COMPUTER... GOOOOOOOO!

Still detectable.

Uuuh, what kind of security are we talking here??? I've setup networks to couple of schools and one university here. Its true that hub/router is easy to detect. But another NIC in your computer is not usually something that raises the alarm. Many mobos come equipped with 2 anyways.

You can also connect the 2 computers through firewire/USB, which makes detecting the other computer even harder.

With proper firewall software, properly configured, IT would have to go to extreme lenghts to detect the other computer! I think we would be talking of invasion of privacy here...
 

helpme

Diamond Member
Feb 6, 2000
3,090
0
0
Originally posted by: ScottMac
- NAT is detectable with very little technology and effort. If your school bans routers, then they (almost certainly) will have a mechanism to detect NAT, and a policy to shut down or severely throttle your bandwidth if caught. If they're "nice" they might warn you once or twice.

This man speaks the truth. One example of NAT detection is by watching the TTL of the packets coming out of your machine.

Windows and Macintoshes send packets with a default TTL, which is decremented each time it gets to a router. A NAT device also decrements this value, and the net admins can look for this.

 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,808
5,972
146
I think we would be talking of invasion of privacy here...

DaFinn, read the post above mine. Even when you share a connection on one computer, NAT and TTL incrementing is happening. It is detectable on each packet you send out.
 

eflat

Platinum Member
Feb 27, 2000
2,109
0
0
Originally posted by: ScottMac
Just to sum up some of the valid points:

- Policies will vary from school to school. Check with *your* IT department and make sure you understand the policy.

-MAC addresses are Layer two (bridging / switching). Hubs are Layer one and are repeaters ... doesn't matter for the sake of this conversation; either would work jus' fine (if permitted).

- NAT will only expose one MAC address (and IP address) to the upstream router.

- NAT is detectable with very little technology and effort. If your school bans routers, then they (almost certainly) will have a mechanism to detect NAT, and a policy to shut down or severely throttle your bandwidth if caught. If they're "nice" they might warn you once or twice.

- Not yet presented, but still true: There isn't much that you can try that hasn't been tried before. If you try to circumvent policy, chances are very good that you'll get caught. Keep in mind that most of the network security people review the same "hacker" sites and publications that the would-be circumventer does and has probably already set up traps. They like to see people that would expose their network (and cause them extra work) suffer. They like catching "extra smart" students and crushing them. Trust me.

- Also not presented, but still true: Connecting a few machines to a SOHO router does not make you a Swinging-Dick Network Person. Even if you "read a lot." Professionals or students acting under professional supervision are way ahead of you ... even with the vast knowledge and experience bestowed with your CCNA or Network+ certificate. Again, Trust Me.

- Wireless? Forget about it. Poaching wireless signals is even easier to detect than a rogue router.

I' m what you might call a "Networking Professional" (and have been for over twenty years) .... this is no sh!t I'm talking here.

Check with your institution's IT department, if they permit routers and / or multiple connections, then have at it. If not, get used to what you have. Moving a cable between machines is not that big of a deal.

Good Luck

Scott


What about a "switch"?

Would that work?
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,808
5,972
146
Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Originally posted by: ScottMac
Just to sum up some of the valid points:

- Policies will vary from school to school. Check with *your* IT department and make sure you understand the policy.

-MAC addresses are Layer two (bridging / switching). Hubs are Layer one and are repeaters ... doesn't matter for the sake of this conversation; either would work jus' fine (if permitted).

- NAT will only expose one MAC address (and IP address) to the upstream router.

- NAT is detectable with very little technology and effort. If your school bans routers, then they (almost certainly) will have a mechanism to detect NAT, and a policy to shut down or severely throttle your bandwidth if caught. If they're "nice" they might warn you once or twice.

- Not yet presented, but still true: There isn't much that you can try that hasn't been tried before. If you try to circumvent policy, chances are very good that you'll get caught. Keep in mind that most of the network security people review the same "hacker" sites and publications that the would-be circumventer does and has probably already set up traps. They like to see people that would expose their network (and cause them extra work) suffer. They like catching "extra smart" students and crushing them. Trust me.

- Also not presented, but still true: Connecting a few machines to a SOHO router does not make you a Swinging-Dick Network Person. Even if you "read a lot." Professionals or students acting under professional supervision are way ahead of you ... even with the vast knowledge and experience bestowed with your CCNA or Network+ certificate. Again, Trust Me.

- Wireless? Forget about it. Poaching wireless signals is even easier to detect than a rogue router.

I' m what you might call a "Networking Professional" (and have been for over twenty years) .... this is no sh!t I'm talking here.

Check with your institution's IT department, if they permit routers and / or multiple connections, then have at it. If not, get used to what you have. Moving a cable between machines is not that big of a deal.

Good Luck

Scott


What about a "switch"?

Would that work?

If the school will let you switch beteen the two devices now, a switch will probably work fine.

 

DeeKnow

Platinum Member
Jan 28, 2002
2,470
0
71
they really cant tell... my ISP tels me I have to pay extra if I want to connect more than one PC, but I hooked up a wireless router from day one and often have 3 pc's hooked up ... they havent noticed in three years!
 

tami

Lifer
Nov 14, 2004
11,588
3
81
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
I imagine a lot of schools use the name "ResNet" for their on campus internet.

Yep. ResNet is just short for "Residential Networking." It's pretty common. So common in fact, that there is actually an http://www.resnetsymposium.org/ dedicated to campus networks, and it is the ResNet Symposium.

Doh...I guess Tami already covered that :)

:D

Doug: what have you and haven't you tried? a hub is like $10 on ebay. see if that works.
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
4
0
Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Originally posted by: jewno
i got a router in my room but one computer's down so...

but hub works the best fyi.

How is a hub any different than a router?

hubs have no intelligence, they just spit out whatever they receive. Routers actually.....route....
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
4
0
Originally posted by: DaFinn
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: DaFinn
Wtf is wrong with you people. IF ITS SO HARD, JUST ADD ANOTHER NIC TO YOUR COMPUTER CONNECTED TO INTERNET, PLUG OTHER MACHINE WITH CROSSOVER CABLE (OR NORMAL CABLE IF BOTH HAVE GB NICS), ALLOW ICS ON FIRST COMPUTER... GOOOOOOOO!

Still detectable.

Uuuh, what kind of security are we talking here??? I've setup networks to couple of schools and one university here. Its true that hub/router is easy to detect. But another NIC in your computer is not usually something that raises the alarm. Many mobos come equipped with 2 anyways.

You can also connect the 2 computers through firewire/USB, which makes detecting the other computer even harder.

With proper firewall software, properly configured, IT would have to go to extreme lenghts to detect the other computer! I think we would be talking of invasion of privacy here...

You'll be able to see that 2 IPs are being assigned to one port in the room, no? That's the problem with 2 NICs or using a hub/etc. I don't know if they can detect it, but his best bet is to set up a router with NAT and hope he doesn't get caught, as said before, that way the Univ. only sees one MAC and IP
 

Cheetah8799

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2001
4,508
0
76
Originally posted by: CitizenDoug
Is there any way my university would be able to tell that I am running a router? I would like to be able to hook two computers up to the internet simultaneously so I can plugging and unplugging the cable all the time.

Technically it is against the policy, and the guys down at the "ResNet" office know me well and would make me disconnect it just because they think it would be funny if they realize it.. but will they?


I don't know anything about the network you're on, but at the college I used to work at we setup some security/scanning software that would make sure student's machines were running antivirus and also patched with Windows patches. If they were behind a router it would fail because they were on their own private network of IP addresses behind the router. However, if they configured the router like a switch, or better yet, just bought a switch, then it would work.

Long story short, buy a switch and you'll be fine.


edit: others suggest the university will scan for # of mac addresses on a port at the switch. Unless if they have lots of money and time, I doubt the admins care enough to do it. Most schools don't have the money or time, so it's not a problem even if they technically say they don't like it. The only way you'll have a problem is if they setup some restriction on the switch or elseware that automatically checks the mac addresses on a port and somehow blocks one or all of them. I don't know of any technology that does this off hand.
 

BMdoobieW

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2000
3,166
0
76
Haha, this is why I lived sorta off-campus. Long story short - I lived in an ex-frat house on-campus, but it was considered "off-campus" housing. So we had our own internet, first Road Runner from 1999-2000 and then Verizon Business DSL 7.1Mbps. I had as many as 9 computers on in my room at once, mainly just running SETI :)
 

BMdoobieW

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2000
3,166
0
76
Please post a link to your college's network policy so we can better solve your problem.

BTW, switches will be $10 or less on Black Friday, and are often less than that during the year. I just picked up a 5-port switch at Staples for $5 after Easy Rebate.
 

ScottMac

Moderator<br>Networking<br>Elite member
Mar 19, 2001
5,471
2
0
Regarding hub versus switch:

While they operate differently internally, they are functional equivelants as far as connecting a group of network devices together.

Hubs act as repeaters (everything into one port end up going out the other ports, clock-for-clock, pulse for pulse. Only one device at a time can talk through a hub.

Switches will pass unicast traffic from a source port to a destination port and allow several virtual circuits to occur concurrently (an apparent multiplication of bandwidth). i.e., PC a and B can be talking the same time C and D can be talking, while E talks to the printer.

But, again, for the sake of this discussion, hubs and switches are functional equivelants.

FWIW

Scott
 

eelw

Lifer
Dec 4, 1999
10,353
5,502
136
Originally posted by: ScottMac
- Also not presented, but still true: Connecting a few machines to a SOHO router does not make you a Swinging-Dick Network Person. Even if you "read a lot." Professionals or students acting under professional supervision are way ahead of you ... even with the vast knowledge and experience bestowed with your CCNA or Network+ certificate. Again, Trust Me.

WTF are you talking about???????? It's clearly obvious the OP intentions is not to be an elite hacker to impress his fellow college mates. Where this dumbass comment came out of the blue, who knows. I guess your 20 years of network experience crap that you're spewing has gotten to your head.


Originally posted by: BMdoobieW
Please post a link to your college's network policy so we can better solve your problem.

Possibly the most helpful post in this entire topic. Instead of all of us second guessing if a hub/switch will work, a copy of his school's network policy will help.
 

ProviaFan

Lifer
Mar 17, 2001
14,993
1
0
Originally posted by: Cheetah8799
I don't know anything about the network you're on, but at the college I used to work at we setup some security/scanning software that would make sure student's machines were running antivirus and also patched with Windows patches. If they were behind a router it would fail because they were on their own private network of IP addresses behind the router. However, if they configured the router like a switch, or better yet, just bought a switch, then it would work.

Long story short, buy a switch and you'll be fine.


edit: others suggest the university will scan for # of mac addresses on a port at the switch. Unless if they have lots of money and time, I doubt the admins care enough to do it. Most schools don't have the money or time, so it's not a problem even if they technically say they don't like it. The only way you'll have a problem is if they setup some restriction on the switch or elseware that automatically checks the mac addresses on a port and somehow blocks one or all of them. I don't know of any technology that does this off hand.
The university I'm at enforces a strict policy of one MAC address per port, so switches and/or hubs will not work, PERIOD. However, they are very amenable to routers (even wireless routers, as long as you're secure - and if you're not, you get to pay the cost of getting disconnected if someone else abuses your connection), so it doesn't matter in the end to the students that we can't use switches. In other words, policies are different, so you can't make blanket statements like that.