One reason why they may want to block all other outgoing ports is because they realize that 100% of the library computers are constantly infected with some virus/trojan/etc and rather than even attempt to keep them clean its easier just to block outgoing ports (to limit outgoing viruses to ones that attack ftp and http servers.)
As Mike T. mentioned, tunneling is your friend... if they allow outgoing https then they aren't transparently proxying requests.. so just run ssh on port 443 on some machine on the net you have root on and then use netcat and ssh on your laptop to create as many tunnels as you want. (one for smtp, one for imap/pop, etc.) -matt On Fri, 9 Apr 2004, Michael L Torrie wrote: > On Thu, 2004-04-08 at 22:49, Josh Jeppson wrote: > > Has anybody else signed up for using the laptop Internet > > access service at Provo City Public Library? Has anyone > > noticed how very limited that access is? > > > > Requirements: > > Sign up at desk > > Use their filtered proxy > > > > Services: > > FTP > > HTTP > > HTTPS > > > > Restrictions: > > Standard ports only > > Abuse = Banned > > Any other network service > > Well you could always set up a special tunneling system over http or > https that uses a server you control to route your internet traffic. > > A commercial implementation (service) is here: > http://www.http-tunnel.com. > > A GPL implentation is at http://www.nocrew.org/software/httptunnel.html > > Michael > > > > > > Now, I realize that it is a free (read: tax supported) > > service that the library is providing. I just wondered > > why other services such as SMTP/POP3 and SSH would be > > blocked. So, I asked a librarian who I could talk to > > about it. A technician was there updating some machines, > > so the librarian directed me to him. He said it was a > > policy established by his boss. I asked if I could talk > > to him. (Throughout all of this I was, of course, very > > polite) He said that his boss was not there at the moment, > > so I asked if I could write him a note. He said sure. So > > I did. > > > > Today I received a very short email: > > > > > The reason is susceptibility to attack. We do what we can > > > with a very limited budget. > > > > > > Provo City Library > > > Systems Manager > > > Gery > > > > <rant> > > No why would he say that? If a firewall only allows outgoing > > services and everything is proxied through their server (via > > SOCKS, I suppose) then what is the big deal? What could they > > possibly fear with outgoing, proxied services? > > </rant> > > > > Before anybody suggested security risks, please remember that > > they already allow you to physically connect to their network. > > Since they are allowing an unknown machine in, internal network > > security is not the risk. Plus, I believe (although, I'm not > > sure) that if two of us both connected to their network, we > > would be able to do whatever type of networking we wanted > > between our two machines. > > > > Josh > > > > > > > > ____________________ > > BYU Unix Users Group > > http://uug.byu.edu/ > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > List Info: http://uug.byu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/uug-list > -- > Michael L Torrie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > ____________________ > BYU Unix Users Group > http://uug.byu.edu/ > ___________________________________________________________________ > List Info: http://uug.byu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/uug-list > ____________________ BYU Unix Users Group http://uug.byu.edu/ ___________________________________________________________________ List Info: http://uug.byu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/uug-list
