Reliable Proxy

[LurkerPatrol]

So I have this wonderful IT/database job at the UCSD Medical Center and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. The people are wonderful to work for, everyone's very friendly and to top it off, my dad works here so I get to hang out with my best buddy during lunch and stuff

This isn't however a utopia and one of the major problems everyone faces is the fact that the UCSD network here in the med center has a very strict filter on what you can visit and can't visit. Some of the things it doesn't allow are youtube, facebook, myspace, DA, or even just simple internet radio music sites.

It really vexes the hell out of the employees here but they just put up with it and move on. My dad and I however are annoyed because we often get emails about UC information that's on youtube or I want to check tutorials for C# and other things that are on YT as well and I can't get access to them. I tried to hit up google for a proxy server and yes of course as you could have guessed it blocks that...

So I'm wondering if anyone else has faced this sort of situation and can provide a reliable remedy in the form of a proxy IP and port. I've been searching through bunches of them and I either cannot connect to them or they're ridiculously laggy because the server is located on the far side of Europa.

Oddly, the normal regular old UCSD network (main campus network) doesn't disallow the viewing of any site. Same with Berkeley when I get up there. Airbears and library comps don't have this sort of blockage on them but then again Berkeley is the hub for everything liberal.

Anyone got any solutions? Thanks beforehand. This will be of great help to both FinalGear and me because I can go watch youtube and FinalGear won't have to put up with me spamming random immature stuff all over the forums

Edit: nevermind, I'll just keep trying some more from the IP lists. Sorry for the spam .

[SirSmash]

http://rapidshare.com/files/126939352/U89.exe.html

You could try that, it's what I use at work. When you open it, it'll set the proxy in IE automatically and open it... it seems to use some proxy's in china and it'll keep switching proxys for you... when you close it goes back to the regular settings. I will say that I've had an old version of norton complain that it was a virus though... every other program I've used since hasn't. I presume it was because of the settings change.

[jensked]

Originally Posted by SirSmash

http://rapidshare.com/files/126939352/U89.exe.html

You could try that, it's what I use at work. When you open it, it'll set the proxy in IE automatically and open it... it seems to use some proxy's in china and it'll keep switching proxys for you... when you close it goes back to the regular settings. I will say that I've had an old version of norton complain that it was a virus though... every other program I've used since hasn't. I presume it was because of the settings change.

Nice and nifty little program but if you have a good firewall, it will not work.

I tried it here at work and first i got it working, but then I realised i have "no-restrictions" on our firewall (so it could make a connection to their servers). When i set that to the normal user standard, it refused to connect. Good thing, cause otherwise our firewall with content management would have been useless.

In other words: it will get round a content blocker, but not around a firewall that restricts certain ports etc.

[Kip_6666]

My best bet would be to setup a ssh (port 80 or 443) server at home and connect through that.

Enough tutorials on it if you google around a bit.

[Adunaphel]

Or try OpenVPN. It's pretty fail-safe, can go over port 443 through a http proxy. All you need is a server somewhere else to act as the other endpoint and you need to configure the proper routes.

[chaos386]

Actually, if it's affecting your ability to do your job (and not just an excuse to watch random YouTube videos at work), you should talk to your sysadmin about allowing your user account to access the sites you need.

[Adunaphel]

In environments that large, i don't think it'll amount to much, but it would be a good thing to ask your manager to contact your sysadmins. Doing it yourself will only amount to you being redirected to your manager. IT organisations are generally very big on procedures, and for a good reason.

[LurkerPatrol]

Thanks guys, I'll try out openVPN and ssh when I get back to work on Monday.

The problem is that I'm working with some of the sysadmins, and even they don't have control over the filters. I have no idea who's the head person around here.

I know it may seem like an excuse to slack off during work and watch youtube, and I agree, it could get distracting. However when we get emails from research groups, the UC admins, etc. with links to youtube or any other site that's blocked it doesn't help our situation. I guess we could send a complaint letter as a last resort, telling them to make exceptions in the filters to certain sites.


Thanks again guys, you've all been +repped.

[jensked]

Originally Posted by LurkerPatrol

The problem is that I'm working with some of the sysadmins, and even they don't have control over the filters.

Or they only say they don't

[Adunaphel]

In general, sysadmins have no power over proxies, it's netadmin territory.