Can I use a VPN at uni?

I have various things I need to do online that would be breaking my uni's rules and was wondering how many of you guys use a VPN? Are VPNs very detectable? And would it better if I used a VPN just for my 'forbidden' business and then surf as normal or should I just have it switched on the whole time?

Reply 1

danman14

1

no, VPN's are not detectable. My cousins in iran use VPN all the time to bypass government filters to get onto facebook and twitter etc etc. Not sure how you would get hold of one though.

Reply 2

somebody else

6

Some are easily blocked and detected, but some (eg. openvpn-based services) use SSL, so in theory it can't be detected easily. In practice, it'll be pretty obvious what's up if you're downloading vast amounts of data from one IP over an encrypted connection, and if the network admins wanted to they could get in a jolly game of blacklisting and/or kick you off. In practice, as long as you're not using too much bandwidth they probably won't care.

Reply 3

Amberbamberha

OP

Ok, so basically I need to use an SSL-based service. Is that separate to VPN? I'm totally computer-stupid. If I was uploading video for a couple of hours a day over an SSL-based service, do you think I'd be ok?

Reply 4

somebody else

6

Original post by Amberbamberha

Ok, so basically I need to use an SSL-based service. Is that separate to VPN? I'm totally computer-stupid. If I was uploading video for a couple of hours a day over an SSL-based service, do you think I'd be ok?

The idea behind an SSL VPN is that it uses basically the same techniques as a standard secure web connection. In the case of a university firewall, this type of encrypted traffic on port 443 is almost certainly going to be allowed, because it looks the same as a connection to a website that's using https (eg. a bank/online shop). That said, if you start uploading gigabytes of data a day, the fact that it's encrypted won't stop it sticking out like a small science department on the uni's network... On the one hand, you probably won't be done for copywrite infringement. On the other, you might be stopped if you're using up all their precious network resources.

If you feel like learning about the technology, have a read (pdf) - long, but lots of good stuff there.

Reply 5

Amberbamberha

OP

So, what you're saying is, if I use the SSL Vpn I could just as easily be uploading video to some secure website as well as a Vpn server, in their eyes? Could I say I was using Skype or something? Also, the uni policy says you must not conceal or fake the authorship of traffic...would this ban vpns?

Reply 6

DarylDonnes

8

No one is going to be monitoring network traffic. IT support staff don't know a thing about anything, if something goes wrong, they call someone else to deal with it.

Don't worry about using a VPN, if you do get caught and it's against the rules, just deny knowledge and perhaps blame it on malware (but call it a virus, since IT support staff will have to google "malware").

I would surf as normal, this would allow you to backup this story if caught.

Reply 7

Amberbamberha

OP

upload wise, how much per day would look suspicious? I don't think I'd be uploading in excess of a gigabyte. if not less.

Reply 8

somebody else

6

Original post by DarylDonnes

No one is going to be monitoring network traffic. IT support staff don't know a thing about anything, if something goes wrong, they call someone else to deal with it.

Don't worry about using a VPN, if you do get caught and it's against the rules, just deny knowledge and perhaps blame it on malware (but call it a virus, since IT support staff will have to google "malware").

I would surf as normal, this would allow you to backup this story if caught.

Maybe where you are... At my work, they monitor the proxy server constantly, and you'll get a tap on the shoulder from one of the IT guys (seriously) if you're placing too much load on the network for more than a couple of minutes. They're not quite as vigillant at university, but I'm pretty sure they know exactly what's going on, and are generally bright people. You must just go to a particularly poorly staffed institution.

Reply 9

mfaxford

1

It's fairly easy to detect VPNs and other similar technologies based on how they work. VPN's tend to either use obvious protocols (PPTP) or have fairly obvious traffic profiles (SSL based VPN's, tor etc)

The question is more how much the IT people care. If you're not doing anything to affect the network and not doing anything against their terms they might not care that much. If you're obviously trying to hide what you're doing they might start watching you more closely.

If I was watching network traffic I'd start being very interested in what someones doing if I regularly saw long ssl sessions to one host and the uploaded traffic was always higher than the downloaded traffic as that doesn't fit the normal profile for https traffic!

Reply 10

DarylDonnes

8

Original post by somebody else

Maybe where you are... At my work, they monitor the proxy server constantly, and you'll get a tap on the shoulder from one of the IT guys (seriously) if you're placing too much load on the network for more than a couple of minutes. They're not quite as vigillant at university, but I'm pretty sure they know exactly what's going on, and are generally bright people. You must just go to a particularly poorly staffed institution.

You're aware that overloading the network isn't the same as tunnelling through a firewall aren't you? Sure, they monitor load (well, when the computer tells them there is a problem), but they don't monitor what type of data is going through the network.

Which, if you're not aware, was OP's question, which I answered.

Heck, you seem like you don't know much about this kind of thing, you probably don't even know what VPN stands for (don't bother answering that one, I know you're heading for wikipedia now!).

Reply 11

JGR

9

University network admins typically won't care a jot what you get up to, as long as you don't negatively affect other users of the network or cast the university into disrepute by being caught doing something illegal by an external body.
VPNs will almost certainly not be disallowed, so you're not going to given a slap on the wrist for simply using one (within courteous bandwidth limits).

If it's something as simple as browsing sites of a risqué nature, you probably needn't even bother disguising it.

Reply 12

ch0llima

16

University system administrators generally don't like you using VPN services outbound because, quite simply, they can't monitor you while you're using them and you are connecting directly into another untrusted network using their infrastructure. There's also the usual spiel about you downloading infected files etc., old news really.

Original post by JGR

VPNs will almost certainly not be disallowed

That depends. When I was there. the University of St Andrews explicitly banned outside VPN usage as part of their ToS (i.e. it was written down in black and white and not just something people accidentally found didn't work when they tried) and their perimeter firewalls blocked all common VPN protocols and implementations outbound.

Reply 13

johnsonm90

As said above it depends on the policy of your school. But mostly schools do not restrict the usage of VPN connection.So you can connect to a VPN through your school internet connection, but you need to be careful at the same time. They will not be able to see the data you are sending and receiving but they will be able to view the amount of data being sent and received.So if your PC starts sucking a lot of bandwidth or show some abnormal usage signs, network administrator will definitely get hold of you..So better be careful :smile:

Reply 14

miniteen

2

If this is of much help, I bought one called Witopia (the viscosity one) with SSL when going to China. It was only blocked around June 4th (the Tiananmen anniversary). The admins also help you a lot.

Some schools though, when their students go on a year abroad or something, provide their students with VPNs for free.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 15

Notorious123

16

Original post by Amberbamberha

I have various things I need to do online that would be breaking my uni's rules and was wondering how many of you guys use a VPN? Are VPNs very detectable? And would it better if I used a VPN just for my 'forbidden' business and then surf as normal or should I just have it switched on the whole time?

I've been fiddling around with VPN and SSL for a while, You should try both 'Tor' and 'FoxyProxy' - If all else fails, I would definitely get 'Hotshield'

Hotshield use to be used when i was in School, When they had the Beta out way back in 07' and it worked, Even with all the Programmers we had as Technicians and Even with all the 'Ethical White hats' we use to have trying to firewall everything.

Tell me if any of the above work for you, If not - I will try to find out what my 'Comp Uni buddy' is using to bypass everything (I think he created his own)

Hope this helps atleast slightly.