In article <4182cffe$0$8055$afc38c87@news.ukonline.co.uk>,
Al Wilson  <al.wilson@mailinator.com> wrote:

George wrote:

I want to run BOINC from work to do my part for SETI!  but we use a
proxy server here and i'm afraid that the packets being sent and
recieved between seti and my PC will set off some flags with security or
something.  Does anyone know exactlt what sort of data is transferred
and how often?  will it just look like regular internet traffic from my
PC or will something look a bit sus? cheers,

S@H Classic and BOINC both use port 80 (e.g. the packets look like regular
HTTP traffic).  However, the network admin bozos will closely monitor port
80.  Not just because they are anally-retentive nerds, but also because
the company has a financial incentive -- bandwidth is expensive.  They
will be watching for porn site requests etc. and any programs that are not
web browers will likely be blocked.

Speaking as a network administrator, we bozos are usually paid to be
anally-retentive--the network doesn't belong to us any more than it
belongs to you.

Further, blocking is usually done on a per-site basis, rather than
what program is generating the packets. Much easier that way.

Make sure you do a "soak test" (remember to log-on to the network using
someone's account, otherwise you might land in the shit if the geeks
decide to investigate) on just one machine by running S@H for a while to
see if it isn't blocked or noticed.  If everything looks good, then roll
it out on other machines in a slow and methodical way, otherwise the
network admin bozos will notice the sudden increase in HTTP traffic.

There are two major pieces of bad advice here--using someone elses'
account, and not getting permission. The first is frequently a 
dismissal offense at companies; the second can be. The second is also
a direct violation of the S@h license.

For example, I ran S@H for a few weeks on my workstation in a new 
company I had just joined.  Nobody noticed, so I installed it on 42 other
computers during my lunch-hour.  The next thing I know I'm in the General
Manager's office explaining why I did this.  He said the sudden spike in
network activity gave it away.  Curses, foiled again!  If I had installed
it on say, one additional machine per week, I probably would have gotten
away with it.

So, where are you employed now?

ASK FIRST. If they say no, accept it. If they do grant permission,
make sure it _never_ interferes with business, like scheduling all
the traffic well outside business hours.

Finally, remember to use a program like SETIStash (there are others too)
to hide the tray icon.

Two more pieces of bad advice; using _another_ unauthorized program,
and concealing unauthorized activity.

Don't do things like this; it hurts S@h far more than it helps.


Gary

-- 
Gary Heston  gheston@hiwaay.net 

"Sept. 11, 2001, already a day of immeasurable tragedy, cannot be
the day liberty perished in this country." Judge Gerald Tjoflat