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donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

[Rant] Work locked down laptop

It seems I can only use my work laptop with a wired internet connection. That is annoying because I am on call every two weeks yet I still want to go to the cottage. My internet access there is tethering to my iPhone. This works with my own laptop (which I cannot use for work) but not with my work one because of the locked down access I have.

This means I cannot go to the cottage when on call. My wife is going to be SEVERELY pissed off.

I_H8_Spam
join:2004-03-10
St Catharines, ON

I_H8_Spam

Member

What about a usb wifi adapter?

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by I_H8_Spam:

What about a usb wifi adapter?

I do not have one to try, but I doubt I have permissions to add it. I do not have permissions to open the network connections.

I_H8_Spam
join:2004-03-10
St Catharines, ON

I_H8_Spam

Member

Hmm, maybe using a crossover cable you could use the home laptop as an AP for the wired only. I'm sure Windowz will have some function for that.

ICS in Windows looks like it can do just that.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to donoreo

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to donoreo
said by donoreo:

It seems I can only use my work laptop with a wired internet connection. That is annoying because I am on call every two weeks yet I still want to go to the cottage. My internet access there is tethering to my iPhone. This works with my own laptop (which I cannot use for work) but not with my work one because of the locked down access I have.

This means I cannot go to the cottage when on call. My wife is going to be SEVERELY pissed off.

No you wouldn't, if you can't change from being locked out on WiFi, you won't be able to add hardware.

Man that's serious archaic, what reason (or did they) provide for locking down the laptops like that. I'm anal about security, but I wouldn't buy a laptop for a user then lock out the WiFi.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt to donoreo

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to donoreo
A WiFi to Ethernet bridge should work... You would establish a wifi connection from the bridge to your iPhone (the bridge has a web interface) and from then on it should pass the data thru the ethernet port.

»canadacomputers.com/inde ··· 056_1057

BTW, the iPhone can also tether via bluetooth. If your laptop has Bluetooth, maybe it's not locked down and you could do that. I've done it with my Windows7 laptop, though it's only limited to 1mbps max.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to elwoodblues

Premium Member

to elwoodblues
said by elwoodblues:

said by donoreo:

It seems I can only use my work laptop with a wired internet connection. That is annoying because I am on call every two weeks yet I still want to go to the cottage. My internet access there is tethering to my iPhone. This works with my own laptop (which I cannot use for work) but not with my work one because of the locked down access I have.

This means I cannot go to the cottage when on call. My wife is going to be SEVERELY pissed off.

No you wouldn't, if you can't change from being locked out on WiFi, you won't be able to add hardware.

Man that's serious archaic, what reason (or did they) provide for locking down the laptops like that. I'm anal about security, but I wouldn't buy a laptop for a user then lock out the WiFi.

"That's the way we do it".
highwire2007
join:2008-05-17
Nepean, ON

1 recommendation

highwire2007 to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
If you can afford a cottage, why not your own laptop? It sucks having to carry two laptops around, but if all you want to do with it at the cottage is surfing and watching a couple of movies on it, an el-cheapo one would work just fine.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to I_H8_Spam

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to I_H8_Spam
said by I_H8_Spam:

Hmm, maybe using a crossover cable you could use the home laptop as an AP for the wired only. I'm sure Windowz will have some function for that.

I see where you are going, no wireless is disabled so that's a no go, you could share a connection (wired) via another PC/Laptop, using a crossover might work, but only if he can get an IP from the 2nd computer.

urbanriot
Premium Member
join:2004-10-18
Canada

urbanriot to donoreo

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to donoreo
I can see why, from an administrative standpoint, if you work at a location where the highest level of security was required. I once advised a client with similar, legitimate requirements to remove the wireless NIC's in all their laptops.

If it's not disabled, you could always reset the local administrator account and re-enable wireless?

HiVolt's suggestion is probably the simplest.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to HiVolt

Premium Member

to HiVolt
said by HiVolt:

A WiFi to Ethernet bridge should work... You would establish a wifi connection from the bridge to your iPhone (the bridge has a web interface) and from then on it should pass the data thru the ethernet port.

»canadacomputers.com/inde ··· 056_1057

BTW, the iPhone can also tether via bluetooth. If your laptop has Bluetooth, maybe it's not locked down and you could do that. I've done it with my Windows7 laptop, though it's only limited to 1mbps max.

I would rather not spend $100. Bluetooth is disabled.

I_H8_Spam
join:2004-03-10
St Catharines, ON

I_H8_Spam to elwoodblues

Member

to elwoodblues
said by highwire2007:

If you can afford a cottage, why not your own laptop? It sucks having to carry two laptops around, but if all you want to do with it at the cottage is surfing and watching a couple of movies on it, an el-cheapo one would work just fine.

said by elwoodblues:

I see where you are going, no wireless is disabled so that's a no go, you could share a connection (wired) via another PC/Laptop, using a crossover might work, but only if he can get an IP from the 2nd computer.

OP has 2 laptops, 1 personal and 1 work.

The personal can connect to the iphone, then using ICS can provide access to the ethernet jack; crossover cable to the work laptop and you have internet for the cost of a crossover.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by I_H8_Spam:

said by highwire2007:

If you can afford a cottage, why not your own laptop? It sucks having to carry two laptops around, but if all you want to do with it at the cottage is surfing and watching a couple of movies on it, an el-cheapo one would work just fine.

said by elwoodblues:

I see where you are going, no wireless is disabled so that's a no go, you could share a connection (wired) via another PC/Laptop, using a crossover might work, but only if he can get an IP from the 2nd computer.

OP has 2 laptops, 1 personal and 1 work.

The personal can connect to the iphone, then using ICS can provide access to the ethernet jack; crossover cable to the work laptop and you have internet for the cost of a crossover.

He's one of those "Linux People" LOL, but I don't know if something similar exists in Linux.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by elwoodblues:

said by I_H8_Spam:

said by highwire2007:

If you can afford a cottage, why not your own laptop? It sucks having to carry two laptops around, but if all you want to do with it at the cottage is surfing and watching a couple of movies on it, an el-cheapo one would work just fine.

said by elwoodblues:

I see where you are going, no wireless is disabled so that's a no go, you could share a connection (wired) via another PC/Laptop, using a crossover might work, but only if he can get an IP from the 2nd computer.

OP has 2 laptops, 1 personal and 1 work.

The personal can connect to the iphone, then using ICS can provide access to the ethernet jack; crossover cable to the work laptop and you have internet for the cost of a crossover.

He's one of those "Linux People" LOL, but I don't know if something similar exists in Linux.

My personal laptop has Windows 7 on it at the moment. I know how to do this in my sleep on Linux, would have to Google for Windows

twizlar
I dont think so.
Premium Member
join:2003-12-24
Brantford, ON

twizlar to donoreo

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to donoreo
Either have them remove the restrictions to tether, or reset the administrator password and do it yourself.
Gami00
join:2010-03-11
Mississauga, ON

Gami00 to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
are you sure your wifi is turned off?

a lot of companies now enforce one network connection only rule.. (it's a bios setting, that can be changed if you still have access to it).

if you unplug your wired connection, does your Wifi turn back on, so you can use it?

capdjq
Be Kind, Be Calm & Be Safe
Premium Member
join:2000-11-01
Vancouver

capdjq to donoreo

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to donoreo
I was thinking the same. If I had a weekend cottage I'd sure as heck have a back up laptop or maybe two.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to Gami00

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to Gami00
said by Gami00:

are you sure your wifi is turned off?

a lot of companies now enforce one network connection only rule.. (it's a bios setting, that can be changed if you still have access to it).

if you unplug your wired connection, does your Wifi turn back on, so you can use it?

Tried that. It is not off, I just have no access to it. It gives a different message when off. My phone can see SSID's but the laptop does not.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt to donoreo

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to donoreo
said by donoreo:

I would rather not spend $100. Bluetooth is disabled.

$100 or a severily pissed off wife?

You pick...

if you happen to have an old router that can take DD-WRT or Tomato firmware, you can turn that into a bridge...

Tenar
join:2008-01-02
Midland, ON

Tenar to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
awe...

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· TOfl9F2w


Just use a cross over cable to bridge a connection.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

Aren't you are little old for Spongebob

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone to donoreo

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to donoreo
said by donoreo:

I would rather not spend $100. Bluetooth is disabled.

A Valet M10 is $20 at Canada Computers. Load DD-WRT on it. Boom instant 802.11n wireless bridge.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

1 edit

donoreo

Premium Member

[duplicate post]
donoreo

1 edit

donoreo to Gone

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to Gone
[duplicate post]
donoreo

donoreo to Gone

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to Gone
said by Gone:

said by donoreo:

I would rather not spend $100. Bluetooth is disabled.

A Valet M10 is $20 at Canada Computers. Load DD-WRT on it. Boom instant wireless bridge.

May be the way to go. One thing I am not sure of, is if the VPN will even be reliable. I was going to test it this weekend and see. If the VPN is no good then the whole thing is academic.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt

Premium Member

Not sure what carrier you're with, but I think Rogers blocks VPN on the standard data plans, I think you have to purchase an addon to unlock it...

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone to donoreo

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to donoreo
If VPN works on your wired network, it'll work with the wireless bridge. You're literally bridging the connection with wifi, all of the router functions on the device are more or less disabled.

I use an old WRT54GL for our debit card machine in a part of the store that doesn't have an Ethernet drop, it works just as well as if it were wired in. I may be picking up another M10 (I use one as our main router here, great little devices for the price) for the little alcove of an office we have so that I can get the DSL modem, router and VoIP ATAs out of here and into the wiring closet before I get someone to do a permanent Ethernet drop.

Edit - didn't see the part about tethering via wifi for VPN access. No idea if that will work.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to HiVolt

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said by HiVolt:

Not sure what carrier you're with, but I think Rogers blocks VPN on the standard data plans, I think you have to purchase an addon to unlock it...

Seriously? I cannot check, the My Rogers page "cannot be found" right now.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to HiVolt

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to HiVolt
said by HiVolt:

Not sure what carrier you're with, but I think Rogers blocks VPN on the standard data plans, I think you have to purchase an addon to unlock it...

They do, 10 bucks a month more for VPN.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by elwoodblues:

said by HiVolt:

Not sure what carrier you're with, but I think Rogers blocks VPN on the standard data plans, I think you have to purchase an addon to unlock it...

They do, 10 bucks a month more for VPN.

This is to pass a VPN over the connection, even if not initiated on the device? I got into the My Rogers, I do not see that as an option.