is someone bypassing the router restrictions/firewall

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › is someone bypassing the router restrictions/firewall

Gerrygirl

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Topic # 95527 6-Jan-2012 22:36

So you all know, Im less than a novice in these matters, Im the level below Novice, which ive dubed Numpty!

Im the homeowner, broadband payer, and adminisrator on the wireless rouer. The reason why I asked the question in the Subject Line, is because its very odd how one of my housemates/partner admitted to another about a "live sex show" site he was looking at (he didnt know I heard this), and I know for a fact that that site has been blocked, or at least the site he referring to had blocked aspects, so those blocked aspects would show up as blocked on the router event logs for this persons IP address ID on the router!!! (but they show nothing)

Also Ive read a bit about Port Forwarding (but dont really understand it), can this be used as a method to bypass restrictions or get onto my computer somehow to find passwords or something? And if he has how can I tell? Where do I looked for anything suspicious on the router or my PC. A friend of mine had a little poke around his laptop and found hidden files which indicates he has been searching for "administrator passwords" etc so he is actively doing things to try and either get onto my computer via the router, OR bypassing the blocks somehow, as when he is online, he NEVER seems to show up in the event logs on the router!! Im asking for help to outwit this sneeky critter please. Thank you

freitasm

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Reply # 565566 6-Jan-2012 22:39

Not port forward. More likely this person used a proxy or VPN service.

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hashbrown

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Reply # 565587 6-Jan-2012 23:13

Gerrygirl: A friend of mine had a little poke around his laptop...

So he did something a bit dodgy and you did something a bit illegal.

kyhwana2

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Reply # 565600 7-Jan-2012 00:09

If you know what you're doing, there's plenty of ways around filtering.
If they're good it's pretty much impossible to block anything.

Gerrygirl

14 posts

Geek

Reply # 565603 7-Jan-2012 00:17

freitasm: Not port forward. More likely this person used a proxy or VPN service.

Thank you for your intelligent and relevant answer, unlike hashbrowns..... so please explain if you can (as Im very nieve in these matters) unlike the person in my house fwho is obviously VERY dodgy and getting up to no good.... how can I tell or find out if these methods are being implimented? Thank you very much for your very kind reply

Gerrygirl

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Geek

Reply # 565604 7-Jan-2012 00:23

kyhwana2: If you know what you're doing, there's plenty of ways around filtering.
If they're good it's pretty much impossible to block anything.

Hi Kyhwana2. This friend I mentioned in my initial email, has offered to bring around his old but quality router to use instead of the free one I have from Telecom. His suggestion is that he will set it up like an internet cafe, a bit like an intranet, where I can see ALL activity via the router, from each member of the house, he said something along the lines of, my computer will be set up as a server or something, and each computer in the house HAS to go through my computer first to access the router.... that way I control not only what sites are accessable and can see all activity so can very carefully select which sites to block. Im not sure how this works but Im hoping it will give me some more control BEING THE BILL PAYER and making it fair for everyone in the house in terms of gig allocation.

kyhwana2

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Reply # 565605 7-Jan-2012 00:27

Gerrygirl:
kyhwana2: If you know what you're doing, there's plenty of ways around filtering.
If they're good it's pretty much impossible to block anything.

Hi Kyhwana2. This friend I mentioned in my initial email, has offered to bring around his old but quality router to use instead of the free one I have from Telecom. His suggestion is that he will set it up like an internet cafe, a bit like an intranet, where I can see ALL activity via the router, from each member of the house, he said something along the lines of, my computer will be set up as a server or something, and each computer in the house HAS to go through my computer first to access the router.... that way I control not only what sites are accessable and can see all activity so can very carefully select which sites to block. Im not sure how this works but Im hoping it will give me some more control BEING THE BILL PAYER and making it fair for everyone in the house in terms of gig allocation.

Yep, that sounds like a good idea.. even if they're using a VPN or any other way to get around any filtering, you'll be able to see who's using how much data.

(Trying to filter stuff is pointless and unless they're <18 (sometimes even if they are), I don't see how you or anyone else has a right to filter anything)

tigercorp

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Reply # 565618 7-Jan-2012 01:52

Assuming this is a continuation of your first thread - http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=50&TopicId=94928 - then your only real options are to:

- set up quotas for everyone in the house who access the internet.
So out of the 30GB plan you're on, you could for example allocate 7GB to each boarder and keep 9GB for yourself. If they use their allocation then no more internet for them and it doesn't affect anyone else.
The downside to this approach is that it will cost you another router and take some configuration. See this blog from a geekzone member who does exactly the same thing.

- change ISPs to a provider that can give you unlimited broadband.
The obvious benefit is that you won't have to worry anymore about how much data everyone uses. And it should only cost you a further $15-20 per month.
The biggest problem I see with changing to an unlimited broadband provider/plan is that you'll increase the risk that your boarders will begin to download via torrents which as the account holder puts YOU and YOUR internet account at risk of fines and disconnection.

If I were in your shoes I'd be looking at the quota management option.

Gerrygirl

14 posts

Geek

Reply # 565625 7-Jan-2012 03:18

tigercorp: Assuming this is a continuation of your first thread - http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=50&TopicId=94928 - then your only real options are to:

- set up quotas for everyone in the house who access the internet.
So out of the 30GB plan you're on, you could for example allocate 7GB to each boarder and keep 9GB for yourself. If they use their allocation then no more internet for them and it doesn't affect anyone else.
The downside to this approach is that it will cost you another router and take some configuration. See this blog from a geekzone member who does exactly the same thing.

- change ISPs to a provider that can give you unlimited broadband.
The obvious benefit is that you won't have to worry anymore about how much data everyone uses. ?And it should only cost you a further $15-20 per month.
The biggest problem I see with changing to an unlimited broadband provider/plan is that you'll increase the risk that your boarders will begin to download via torrents which as the account holder puts YOU and YOUR internet account at risk of fines and disconnection.

If I were in your shoes I'd be looking at the quota management option.

tigercorp

Hi there tigercorp, thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my message I appreciate it very much. I will forward you an email I sent to another member so you can perceive the bigger picture. I didnt want to make all the facts public on the message board, as it may not be appropriate but you may think differently, if you do then please let me know Thanks again

freitasm

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Reply # 565638 7-Jan-2012 08:01

Nothing much to expand here, except that if all traffic goes through your PC as suggested by your friend then you will have to keep it on all the time - extra maintenance, extra power and make sure it's actually on without interfering with your own stuff.

The best idea is to follow tigercorp's suggestion.

Gerrygirl: Thank you for your intelligent and relevant answer, unlike hashbrowns. [snip] so please explain if you can (as Im very nieve in these matters) unlike the person in my house fwho is obviously VERY dodgy and getting up to no good...

Well, pardon but hashbrown is right. I will explain:

The person in your house might have done something you do not see as right. But unless you explicitly list as a condition of the boarding that Internet access should not be used to access sex-related content then he's done nothing illegal. Dodgy? Possibly for someone's standards, but hardly illegal (unless it's child pornography or other cases).

In any way, if there's no such condition in the boarding, than no one - not the government, not the police, not the ISP or the host, can really do anything in the way of censorship.

You can as a host implement usage quotas, and even implement technical solutions for this (like a different router as suggest).

More important than worrying about pornography is worrying about illegal download of content such as music, movies, TV shows. Because these can be monitored by the copyright's holder and you might receive a notification. And after three notifications your ISP will have to disconnect your Internet. And saying "my guests have done it" won't save your connection.

Now for the "looking around his laptop", hashbrown is correct. Your guest has done nothing illegal. You may not agree with his usage of the Internet, but it's not illegal. However, looking on his laptop without his authorisation *is illegal* in this country.

IANAL (actually means I Am Not A Lawyer) but your options are really:

1.Get a new router as discussed, running a firmware that allows you to implement quotas
2.Configure it to use standard Internet protocols and block other traffic
3.Configure it so that each user has a quota and Internet traffic simply stops when the quota is reached or you change the settings
4.Talk to your boarders about file sharing and the penalties involved to the account owner (YOU) if your account is sent three notices.

Remember, looking at porn will not have your Internet connection terminated, but illegal download of copyrighted material will.

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