Hi guys and girls..

I'm trying to get around the proxy at my work so I can install BOINC/R@H on all my machines there (work for an ISP, there is 6 machines I use daily + 4 on my test bench)...

Now the company I work for can get a bit over zealous with what their employees can and cant do on their machines.. eg. the screen saver is locked to the company screen saver, and if head to desktop/display properties the screen saver tab is literally non existant! This doesnt really bother me, R@H can run in the background on these machines, its only the ones I have at home that I want to show off the pretty pictures on :P

The OS is a special build, apparently made specifically for our company... everest results below, looks like normal XP to me but I can tell you, its similar (in look/login etc) to NT

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Code Name Whistler
OS Language English (United States)
OS Kernel Type Multiprocessor Free (32-bit)
OS Version 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2

My problem is the auto proxy config script (http://wpad.*removed*.com.au/proxy.pac).. It seems I cant get R@H to work using this. (Firefox - Tools>options>advanced>network>connection/settings>"auto proxy config url" | IE - Tools>options>connections>lan settings>"use auto confix script" etc)... BOINC Manager - Advanced>options> ???

I did some digging, tried privoxy and tor, however our overzealous resident IT people got very cranky with me, this resulted in a very unhappy conversation with my boss (and subsequently with me).

Any ideas how to get it working?

Thanks,
Ed.

Hi guys and girls..

I'm trying to get around the proxy at my work so I can install BOINC/R@H on all my machines there (work for an ISP, there is 6 machines I use daily + 4 on my test bench)...

Now the company I work for can get a bit over zealous with what their employees can and cant do on their machines.. eg. the screen saver is locked to the company screen saver, and if head to desktop/display properties the screen saver tab is literally non existant! This doesnt really bother me, R@H can run in the background on these machines, its only the ones I have at home that I want to show off the pretty pictures on :P

The OS is a special build, apparently made specifically for our company... everest results below, looks like normal XP to me but I can tell you, its similar (in look/login etc) to NT

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Code Name Whistler
OS Language English (United States)
OS Kernel Type Multiprocessor Free (32-bit)
OS Version 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2

My problem is the auto proxy config script (http://wpad.*removed*.com.au/proxy.pac).. It seems I cant get R@H to work using this. (Firefox - Tools>options>advanced>network>connection/settings>"auto proxy config url" | IE - Tools>options>connections>lan settings>"use auto confix script" etc)... BOINC Manager - Advanced>options> ???

I did some digging, tried privoxy and tor, however our overzealous resident IT people got very cranky with me, this resulted in a very unhappy conversation with my boss (and subsequently with me).

Any ideas how to get it working?
Thanks, Ed.

Ask the IT folks nicely? We have over 1200 computers just in my Department alone at work and our IT folks will NOT even consider running Boinc. Some places just don't see the possibilities! Maybe yours would consider doing it after hours, mine said no to that too but you never know. Hacking could result in loss of job, a VERY bad thing!!! With a boot disk or a bootable USB drive we could ALL be running Boinc at work, but probably be looking for a job as soon as they found out!

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IT folks are dead against it.. Don't want a bar of it...

My boss is very happy for me to do it AS LONG AS he doesnt have to hear from the IT folk, So I'm safe job wise... He actually thinks its a good/cool use of resourse :)

Perhaps I am missing your point... But what I get from your statement is that when you successfully got around the network restrictions, your IT folks got upset. And so now you are asking... ?? for other new and different ways to get around the network restrictions? ...which will provide you with another new and different way to upset your IT folks?

mikey's solution of using a memory stick, and taking it home for all network access would be one approach that would not put any traffic on the network for your IT folks to be upset about. Just flag it to suspend network connections before you detach it from your machine at home. That way each time it starts at work, the flag is set not to use the network.

Just keep in mind that this may still constitute a security violation or misuse of company resources. And the first rule is "Run Rosetta@home only on authorized computers"

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

IT folks are dead against it.. Don't want a bar of it...

My boss is very happy for me to do it AS LONG AS he doesnt have to hear from the IT folk, So I'm safe job wise... He actually thinks its a good/cool use of resourse :)

One thing that drives IT folks CRAZY is AOL. I know, I know, AOL!!! BUT the problem with AOL is that once you are at their home page, the local IT folks cannot track where you go as long as you stay within AOL. Sex sites, blogs, all transparent to the IT folks. UNLESS they are using a program to record what you are doing, and yes ALL IT folks have access to those kinds of programs!!! Most do not use them, but word gets around QUICKLY and soon they all know the new tricks. If you could figure out how to make Boinc connect ONLY thru AOL, accounts are free if you only want web access, then your IT folks could not track you using their normal stuff.
Sneaker net, the USB stick thing Mod.Sense was talking about, used to be used all the time under Seti but I thought it was not allowed anymore because each unit was assigned to a pc and if a different pc returned that unit, which as I am typing I realize would not happen in your case, the unit might not get credit. If you loaded Boinc on a pc at home, then transferred, and deleted from the pc, those workunits to a USB stick, loaded those same units onto your work computer, crunched them, then loaded the results back onto the USB disk and then uploaded them onto your home pc for retun to the project, it might work. ALOT of work on your part though!!!

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mikey, we're talking about having the entire BOINC installation on the stick. So it would all remain in tact with host ID and WUs and BOINC programs all in one place. But you are right, I forgot that the PC at home would have to be the same characteristics as the one at work, or BOINC would get confused about the changing hardware. ...which is why people often end up copying specific tasks around as you described. It isn't easy, but I believe it can be done without errors resulting.

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Rosetta Moderator: Mod.Sense

mikey, we're talking about having the entire BOINC installation on the stick. So it would all remain in tact with host ID and WUs and BOINC programs all in one place. But you are right, I forgot that the PC at home would have to be the same characteristics as the one at work, or BOINC would get confused about the changing hardware. ...which is why people often end up copying specific tasks around as you described. It isn't easy, but I believe it can be done without errors resulting.

Over on Einstein a Mod gave a detailed explanation about installing Boinc on a non networked pc and making it work.
http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/forum_thread.php?id=7147

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