Hallnet Restrictions?

Why are we not allowed to run worldwide accessible services? Especially those of us doing computer science courses?

As for YouTube being slow, that's probably because I have my computer configured through the manual proxy server method (perhaps worth adding the automatic configuration for Macs to the Computing Services' Hallnet website?)

Tsktsk, you're not supposed to double-post.... The Edit button exists for a reason

Sorry about that. It was easier than to quote from 2 posts and my time was restricted.

although things like P2P are banned.

NOOOOO! is there a way around this?

You'd better be careful that the mods don't have to connect them

Besides, it's 8.20pm on a Friday night.. is this not the time that all staff are in the pub?

oh, do the .pac files work with linux?

edit:

and also, why do the Falk-Egg routers not have UPS? we had a power cut earlier and my laptop came up saying that the connection had been interrupted

NOOOOO! is there a way around this?

Pretty cool that the computer services guy comes and helps out on here, major kudos to you.

Pretty cool that the computer services guy comes and helps out on here, major kudos to you.

No DC++ servers on campus please. We used to let this slide but now we are under increasing pressure from copyright holders to be doing something about such things. Anyone found running one will be banned from HallNet.

We do not do anything that detects exactly what is being run on your computer by any sort of voodoo witchcraft
We may occasionally 'portscan' a specific computer to see what services are running on that computer. This is to check for compromises or to see if that computer is runing something it shouldn't. This is explicitly allowed on a closed network and there is are no legal implications of doing so.
By signing our AUP you do not sign away your legal rights to privacy. Samba is 100% right on that. Our AUP cannot supercede your rights in UK and european law. However, what we are doing is not invading your privacy as we are only looking at things your computer is making openly available. To be honest, we haven't 'port scanned' anyone for ages.

We mainly detect users doing things we'd rather they didn't by the traffic coming to and from their computer. Just because you aren't actively using your p2p app doesn't mean its not generating any network traffic. The whole ethos of p2p is that your computer should me making its files available to others. What was interesting this year is the number of users who would swear blind they had removed ares or similar from their computer but were detected still running it. this is dues to the number of malware infested versions of such software doing the rounds that wouldn't actually uninstall. Please be 100% sure of the software you install on your computer folks! This is why we insist such software is removed from computers connected to hallnet and not just 'unused'. Too many users don't know how to disable the software properly.

Hope this clears a few things up?
(sorry for any typos but I'm typing this in a big hurry)

Thankyou.
I must stress that I'm not here in an official capacity. I just saw postings about Hallnet here indexed on Google so I came to have a read. When I saw that there was much rumour and incorrect information about Hallnet and other Computing Services related items I thought it would be best if I posted here to clear things up.
If anyone here ever wants me to clear off so that things can be discussed without my intervention then I shall do so.
I should also mention that official requests for help and problem reporting should go through our normal channels and not through here as I may not read this as often as I'd like.

Please note that HallNet is not be available from The Holt

1. Did you read the expert testimony by the RIAA witness against the US student accused of sharing P2P recently? It makes for an interesting read if you ever get a few moments. Generally, the jist is that the music industry are hanging on to their rights for dear life, and taking a very expensive battering. That's not to say I condone illegal filesharing of any sort of course.

Cinema in Loughborough is quite cheap and if you're going to be going a lot then buy membership for £5 and save £1 on the price each time you go

For music there's Tesco, Woolies or Virgin Megastore. Much faster and more reliable than P2P although you do pay for that luxury

You got a link for that?