back to article Would you like to know why I get a lot of action at night?

I've been up all night, doing the business like hammer and tongs, going at it again and again. I can be relentless when I'm on the job – a man of action and drama. Of course, there are things I'd rather be doing than trying to get all my work prepared the night before I set off on a business trip. For example, going to bed …

  1. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Pint

    Spaced!

    Has there ever been a better series?

    For completeness, Tyres at a pedestrian crossing.

    1. Warm Braw

      Re: Spaced!

      Entirely congruent to the article, if I follow that link I get:

      This video contains content from Channel 4, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: Spaced!

        That's silly. If it's available of All 4 why block it on UK YouTube?

        1. AndrueC Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: Spaced!

          It's licensing. It doesn't have to make sense. It only has to make money. Or at least look like it might make money. Someday. According to the marketing department anyway.

        2. d3vy

          Re: Spaced!

          "That's silly. If it's available of All 4 why block it on UK YouTube?"

          4od shows adverts which gives c4 revenue.

          YouTube shows adverts which gives alphabet revenue.

          Quite simple really.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Spaced!

        This video contains content from Channel 4, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds

        Weirdly, it works OK in Belgium. I presume that'll change post Brexit :)

        1. creepy gecko

          Re: Spaced!

          Just watched the Spaced clip via a VPN server in the Netherlands without any problem. Odd.

      3. Antron Argaiv Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: Spaced!

        Played fine in the USA this morning.

        Thanks, Trump!

        /s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s/s

    2. Triggerfish

      Re: Spaced!

      That whole scence with the rave was a scarily accurate depiction of the average raving students night out in Manc in the 90's.

    3. MrT

      Re: Spaced!

      Great series. I got the collector's edition DVD box set about a decade ago, and had a giggle at the Homage-o-meter subtitle track - the second set of subtitles pop up with all the film references, as they play out, that are made in the episodes...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        UDP VPN

        try a few VPNs. Most support UDP. VPNs are cheap as chips these days, and in the new Riech, it's a finger up to Herr May anyway which is a good enough reason to always use one imho.

        I can personally recommend nordVPN - comes with apps for mobile and mac, etc and allows you to easily pick server based on speed or geo, and also does fancy shit that lets you access netflix USA if that's your thang.

        I've found most restricted internet have no problem with it - probably because most of the arseholes setting up the rules don't even know what UDP is...not tried with virgin, but worked on recent national express bus, and I've used in various witherspoons and airports all with complete success.

        Frankly if it's open wifi (and all these hotspots are) you'd be mental to not use a VPN anyhoo as all your shit is being broadcast out to all and sundry unless you have total confidence it's all being sent over HTTPS.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: UDP VPN

          Please don't use the word 'anyhoo'.

        2. jjcoolaus

          Re: UDP VPN

          I've found several open wifi hotspots in airports but also in corporate environments that block UDP VPNs

          TCP VPNs on the other hand, usually do work fine. I've never come across a network block I couldn't get around, however, note that the lack of speed can be a real issue in some situations. For downloading small files though, it's fine.

          The "client VPN" referred to in the article is probably using dead technology like IPSEC or L2TP or PPTP

          That's easily blocked. Microsoft's SSTP and OpenVPN are designed to work over ports that usually open like 443 and 80. It's very difficult, even for China, Syria, and the UAE, to block these.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: the tissue distribution

    I have always wanted to do this with proper in-ear earphones, to hand out to morons that insist on using the older-style Apple freebies that just sit outside the ear canal, allowing everyone else to hear the tss tss tss tss of their music at insane volumes. I hate those people.

    1. Franco

      Re: the tissue distribution

      Better that than listening to the same "music" blasting from a clapped out Ford Fiesta with a pimped out stereo system worth 5 times more than the car, although this may be a purely local problem.

      Returning to the topic at hand, I have more than once been mocked for doing exactly what Dabbsy did in advance of meetings only to be proved right at the meeting: either no access to SkyDrive/OneDrive on free WiFi or being told that there's no Guest WiFi at the client or that we can't connect our devices to their network.

      1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: the tissue distribution

        Better that than listening to the same "music" blasting from a clapped out Ford Fiesta with a pimped out stereo system worth 5 times more than the car, although this may be a purely local problem.

        It isn't. There are times when I wonder how easy it would be to build a powerful focussed-EMP device. Just for experimentation honest. And definately *not* so that I can enjoy the look of suprise on the pimpled face of da yoof when the torrent of drivel cunningly masquerading as music that they are inflicting on the ears of everyone nearby suddenly stops[1]..

        Honest.

        [1] Although my real preference would be to replace it with *actual* music. Preferrably in a set of time-signatures that would cause their brains to melt.

        1. Kiwi

          Re: the tissue distribution

          Although my real preference would be to replace it with *actual* music.

          Friend of mine used to supply equipment for some seriously large gigs. Suffice to say his neighbours each only once tried to play stuff at piss-the-locals-off volumes. Only once.

        2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

          Re: the tissue distribution

          " There are times when I wonder how easy it would be to build a powerful focussed-EMP device. Just for experimentation honest."

          I've often thought a piece of burning paper tossed in through the open window would be enough.

          1. Kiwi
            Boffin

            Re: the tissue distribution

            " There are times when I wonder how easy it would be to build a powerful focussed-EMP device. Just for experimentation honest."

            I've often thought a piece of burning paper tossed in through the open window would be enough.

            The EMP gives larger deniability though. Just don't use it too often.. Although Dr Who fans would know to beam microwaves at a small spot in the roadway so it heats up a little, and pop out and dig into it a little each night so the pothole oddly grows larger as each day passes...

            I think EMP would have issues with the metal shell surrounding most cars, but it could be fun to try, just for the educational purposes of building such a device and triggering it.. I have a, er, very close friend shall we say, who, well.. He wants to donate his car to the cause, so we can see what effects such a device would have. He even wants to do it in a manner where he will be completely surprised when it happens. Just so you know it's him and it's OK to fire an EMP device at his car, he drives around with horrible noises blaring from his stereo. Just bear in mind that the EMP may have some temporary ill effects on his cognitive skills and he may actually forget how willing he is for this to be done, and that he knows me at all... ;)

      2. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: the tissue distribution

        "either no access to SkyDrive/OneDrive on free WiFi or being told that there's no Guest WiFi"

        I kind of assumed that conslutants would ask the obvious question about this kind of thing.

        At current $orkplace this kind of thing gets asked about a couple of times per week by people about to visit.

        1. spiny norman

          Re: the tissue distribution

          How many questions do you need to ask, though? Having once arrived for a demo to find the power was supplied through round-pinned 3-pin sockets. And, having played with a band, you'd be amazed at the number of pub landlords who look shocked when you ask for access to electricity.

      3. W4YBO

        Re: the tissue distribution

        "...Fiesta with a pimped out stereo system worth 5 times more than the car..."

        Karma is best friends with Tinnitus...

      4. Kiwi

        Re: the tissue distribution

        Better that than listening to the same "music" blasting from a clapped out Ford Fiesta with a pimped out stereo system worth 5 times more than the car, although this may be a purely local problem.

        Where I live/visit, I've noticed this is a reducing problem, perhaps in part because it has been pointed out to some of these people just how embarrasing it must be to know someone with a vehicle that rattles so much when their system is at high volume that it just sounds so crappy for those outside, and rather idiotic.

        Maybe the coppers as also issuing more fines for disturbing the peace, or RIAA et al lobbing sueballs for "unauthorized public performance".

        And just maybe, around my area, some more sinister doings afoot... Oblig XKCD.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Thanks...

    ... thanks for letting the cat out the bag, now youtubes blocked on the phone and google drives also been blacklisted to hell... hey use our free wifi where you can get 10% of the internet... thanks virgin.

    SSH proxy proxy anyone?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Thanks...

      I'd be surprised if SSH is available. I believe there are systems to proxy network traffic tunnelled over HTTPS though.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Thanks...

        I believe there are systems to proxy network traffic tunnelled over HTTPS though.

        Oh yes :). Thanks for reminding me, I need to set one op on a server abroad to bypass my local ISP's filter and logging.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Thanks...

          I was thinking more like: http://www.nocrew.org/software/httptunnel.html

          ( although probably something with less of a 90's vibe )

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Thanks...

            I almost always prefer Three mobile data to WiFi, it's often faster and I get 12GB/mo for 20 quid, PAYG. But if I do have to use WiFi, I use a VPN on TCP 443. If that is blocked then I consider myself to have no WiFi and I read a book.

            1. Mage Silver badge

              Re: Thanks...

              Or setup a VPN that uses port 80?

            2. Morrisinc

              Re: Thanks...

              Find that the Three signal does not get into the virgin train carriages that well - EE is ok for a signal. that my experience from the midland to euston.

            3. elec-dan

              Re: Thanks...

              I've done this - found tethering on Three or EE on the East Coast trains is actually quite alright for working. That is until they replace these old trains with new ones which tend to be much more effective of blocking mobile signals (and digital radio).

        2. Alan Brown Silver badge

          Re: Thanks...

          There are a couple of proxies which will be https webservers or VPN terminals, depending how you poke at them.

          This is "useful" for some sites.

  4. TRT Silver badge

    Oddly enough...

    one good way to test if the crap internet on a Virgin train is due to a signal blackspot or an over-enthusiastic BOFH is to log on to the Virgin merchandise e-store.

  5. TheProf
    Unhappy

    Sorry

    Sorry.

    During the summer months I'm the chap sniffing at the back of the carriage. I'd much rather not be him but for some reason my sinuses fill up with a clear fluid that just cannot be shifted by blowing my nose. Yes I mop up the overspill as best I can but where to dispose of the multitude of soggy tissues?

    I also apologise for the incessant sneezing. You'd think I was doing it just to spoil the peace and quiet of public transport.

    All in all I'm a pretty sorry state during the summer. Banging headache, runny nose, itchy throat, sneezing. But as long as I can share this in some small way with my fellow travellers then I suppose things aren't that bad.

    I do agree with you about those tizzy headphone wearers. Bastards!

    1. Bad Beaver
      Pint

      Re: Sorry

      Antihistamines do exist ;)

      1. Alastair Dodd 1

        Re: Sorry

        and I'd love to give you my histamine system so you can find one that works reliably and doesn't make you feel fecking horrible.

        I now take a cocktail of 3 different Antihistamines usually on bad days which manages to stop my eyes going bright red and making me partially blind, prevents the feeling of wanting to rip my own throat out as it ITCHES SO MUCH and has the bonus of reducing my nose to a minor drip not a gush.

        I have tried loads of branded, unbranded and prescribed antihistamines - I now have to take a prescribed ones for about 8 months of the year to keep my hayfever at bay at least a little. This in the height of the season is supplemented by 2 more types to layer the defences. So I can function, mostly.

        Yeah they exist but like our current political opposition they can be damn ineffectual at actually doing their job.

        1. H in The Hague

          Re: Sorry

          "and I'd love to give you my histamine system so you can find one that works reliably and doesn't make you feel fecking horrible."

          Have you tried a netti pot or sinus rinse bottle?

          http://www.boots.com/neilmed-sinus-rinse-kit-10077009 (no need to buy their refills, ordinary salt does a fine job)

          When I was first introduced to these options they sounded a bit gross, but they really helped me when my hayfever was more serious.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Sorry

            What helped me was acupuncture. I had been through trying various tablets with no success - the best thing I could say about homeopathic remedies was that they had a nicer taste to conventional tablets.

            Anyhoo, I went to one of these hippy health places for an allergy test as I never could say what I was allergic too, and they recommended a couple of sessions of acupuncture. One of the first sessions, I had a needle put in my lower back (no pain) but felt so light headed that I was going to pass out. ("Yeah, I just unblocked an energy channel your water was putting out your fire element" or words to that effect). While I am bit sceptical, my "allergies" has improved a great deal since

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Sorry

              my "allergies" has improved a great deal since

              Just for clarity, I assume you meant to say they have lessened rather than improved, right? :)

              I've tried acupuncture but it didn't work for me. Must be my thick hide..

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Sorry

              If you used the word 'anyhoo' anywhere in my clinic, you'd get the bluntest, dirtiest needle and it wouldn't be in your lower back. Well, it sort of would, but both lower and deeper than you were expecting.

      2. Mage Silver badge

        Re: Sorry

        Antihistimes are not a generally good solution. Nor are decongestants (which actually make it worse). Specialist prescription cortisoids are effective. Like the steroid nasal sprays. Interesting that some are now over the counter. I didn't know that.

    2. Squeensnex
      Go

      Re: Sorry

      I have two words for you: nasal steroids. It may be a few days before they take effect, but they are awesome with no cognitive side effects.

      http://patient.info/health/steroid-nasal-sprays

      They should be available over the counter.

      1. Steve Kerr

        Re: Sorry

        Yup, tablet based ones never worked for me, ever.

        I use Beconase, when it used to be prescription only and the over the counter version now - been using for 28 years now every summer.

        On topic - I hate going into the office on the trains where I always seem to be surrounded by people that seem to be going down wiith the plague. Stay home, you're not a martyr to the cause, all you're doing is spreading misery and decreasing productivity across more people

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sorry

          I use Beconase, when it used to be prescription only and the over the counter version now - been using for 28 years now every summer.

          MMMM... Baconaise.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Sorry

        Also may be safer over the long term than the common antihistamine tablets.

    3. Alistair Dabbs

      Re: Sorry

      I'll be the one sitting next to you, farting repeatedly for three hours with rancid odours. It's a medical thing, though, so that's OK, right? Just like your sniffing.

    4. JulieM Silver badge

      Re: Sorry

      At this point, readers, there usually comes a big long stream of suggestions, well-meaning or otherwise, from people who have the relative luxury of being in a position not actually to have to take so personally the matter which afflicts the original poster; and to whom every bad idea that the original poster has already thought of and rejected for good reason will be blindingly obvious.

      This phenomenon deserves a name.

      1. Kiwi
        Flame

        Re: Sorry

        At this point, readers, there usually comes a big long stream of suggestions, well-meaning or otherwise, from people who have the relative luxury of being in a position not actually to have to take so personally the matter which afflicts the original poster; and to whom every bad idea that the original poster has already thought of and rejected for good reason will be blindingly obvious.

        IME it's the knowitall frequenter of WebMD et al, who has every condition known to man, who knows more from their 5 minutes of study than any specialist with decades of research and actually working with patients behind them. And IME this person moans bitterly all day long about how bad their version of said affliction is, and goes off at other people for not being sensitive to her suffering, despite that the other person is an actual sufferer of the condition and quietly suffers in agony without seeing the need to let co-workers know that today is another bad day. They get an insultingly trivial dose of the condition (if they have it at all) and bitch constantly, while those who really do have it can't get a word in edgewise past all the "I demand that you pity me" crap.

        If this is not you then I apologize profusely!

        [More relevant to your post - many people who post such suggestions actually have or know someone who has said condition or something similar, and what is suggested has brought them relief - I know this from having my own life-long painful illness and having advice from people about what they've found does and doesn't work. Not all such comments are bad and your speil may actually mean someone is discouraged from suggesting something that could help someone else out, so you've potentially actually contributed to someone's suffering]

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Sorry

        This phenomenon deserves a name.

        It already has one: caring. You're in the middle of people who solve problems for a living. Granted, they're not very good at taking into account that the subject in question probably already has gone through all of the suggestions, but at least they try to help which I consider as very positive.

        Oh, and by the way, I used to have the same problem in my youth but it wasn't confined to "just" hay fever (in quotes because hay fever is nothing to be .. no, wait, let me rephrase that, it's seriously not fun to suffer from) - I had allergies to pets, dust (mites), tax collectors - it was quite a list.. I had the benefit of a long subcutaneous desensitisation programme (this takes a few years) but I've been given to understand that this is rarely done nowadays due to cost concerns. And the tax collector allergy remains.

        Personally I hope people find solutions for it because I've been there and it sucks.

      3. Seajay#

        Re: Sorry

        This phenomenon deserves a name

        Eric Berne in Games people play calls this "Why Don't You - Yes But"

  6. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    Always take the data you'll need with you, and then some... Cloud is unreliable when you're on the road, and external HDs are cheap.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Yes, this.

      This why I try to avoid cloud services as much as possible and get pissed off by the so-called free WiFi. If it works at all, it's almost always artificially limited in some way such as port blocking, speed limiting or even limited by time from log-on and you get kicked off after an hour.

      There seems to be a massive disconnect between device and app providers who see WiFi as a massive selling point, and the actual WiFi providers who see it as something they must begrudgingly provide in the most crippled and least-cost way possible. (not to mention the complex sign-up procedures they all seem to require asking for all your personal data)

  7. Colin Bull 1
    Windows

    State of the art

    You youngsters are spoiled rotten. In my day the revolution was the IBM luggable. With a 20MB NEC drive and a quadram Apple ][e emulation card you could demo anything anywhere.

    1. Potemkine Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: State of the art

      You were lucky to have a 20MB NEC drive! We had to remember the code byte by byte and retype it on the destination computer

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: State of the art

        Typing? Hah! Luxury! We had to make holes in punchcards by hand.

        Still, that was still preferable over the job of having to manually read them one by one.

        (etc) :)

        1. wayne 8

          Re: State of the art

          Toggling the instructions on front panel rocker switches on a PDP-8.

          1. BebopWeBop

            Re: State of the art

            Pay - hard wiring the lot - with a wire wrap gun

        2. Martin Summers Silver badge

          Re: State of the art

          You've heard of a tablet computer right? Well much much much way back in my day...

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: State of the art

            What a shame you don't know the trick to get the old El Reg icons to show up. That gravestone/stone tablet one would have been a nice touch to end this thread with :-)

        3. Tikimon
          Trollface

          Re: State of the art

          Oh, we used to dream of having punchcards! We had to carve heiroglyphics on stone tablets.

          But we were 'appier in those days.

          1. Streaker

            Re: State of the art

            Pffft Youngsters

            In my day I had to test 2400 bps (V22bis) modems to test if they would run over international PSTN. (and sometimes they didn't)

            For Leased Lines Codex 9600 was the de-facto standard (prior to V29 being adopted) all wire wrapped. Then BT sold the Ralcal-Milgo Modem 30B. The beige abortion

            $Deity I miss those days

        4. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

          Re: State of the art

          "We had to make holes in punchcards by hand."

          You mean you didn't have to cut the cards out by hand?

    2. Pliny the Whiner

      Re: State of the art

      "You youngsters are spoiled rotten. In my day the revolution was the IBM luggable. With a 20MB NEC drive and a quadram Apple ][e emulation card you could demo anything anywhere."

      "Luggable" was one of those eye-of-the-beholder concepts. If you think of a fucking wrecking ball as "luggable," then the portable IBMs and Compaqs of the day were, indeed, capable of being lugged from one place to another. I sometimes wonder how many people were killed by those things.

      1. Solmyr ibn Wali Barad

        Re: State of the art

        "I sometimes wonder how many people were killed by those things."

        Or got an ogre strength for their efforts. 'Things that don't kill you...' and all that.

      2. spiny norman

        Re: State of the art

        Early 1990s I worked with a project manager who acquired a Compaq luggable. We went to Paris to give a demo, he decided the office was easy walking distance from the hotel, but I got to lug the beast. When we arrived, me feeling like I could drink the entire Paris water supply dry, they said "You vud like ze cafe, non?" Yeah, of course I would. And they came with the tiniest cup of thick oily black liquid I have ever seen.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Train wi-fi reminds me of the time many years ago when such things were being mooted. We set up a demonstration on a train parked at a platform - specially driven in just for us to play with for the day. We even had it moved a little bit - boys' toys.

    The wi-fi link went from the train to a repeater that was fixed to a wall by duct tape - with the actual internet connection using a directional aerial in an office window several storeys above us. One of us stood guard over the repeater - which we had borrowed from a specialist supplier - just in case someone passing decided to nick it.

    The outcome was that it was feasible for wi-fi to work while the train was in a station - but it would need a lot of line-side cell infrastructure to support a continuous connection. It was therefore only being considered for localised advertisements/information on a carriage screen. The prevalence of passenger laptops with wi-fi was yet to come. The only power socket in the carriage was intended for the cleaners - and was not available for passengers to use.

    A low throughput 433MHz national network was also demonstrated for en route ticket sales to get credit card verification.

    The display screen was a huge plasma job the salesman had borrowed from somewhere. After the demo we gave him a hand to move it up a flight of stairs. Wouldn't have let him do that if we had seen in a crystal ball that he would drop down dead with a heart attack not long afterwards.

    1. Martin Summers Silver badge

      I've said it before and I'll say it again. Leaky co-ax next to the track. Or am I missing something?

      1. Martin Summers Silver badge

        Well apparently one thumb down says I am. Really helpful. I actually genuinely wanted to know why they couldn't use that approach along a track.

      2. W4YBO

        I don't know why you got a downvote, because you're exactly right. The technical term for it is "slotted line antenna", and it's essentially a length of coaxial cable with a slot or windows cut through the outer conductor. It's usually used to provide RF service in tunnels.

        1. Martin Summers Silver badge

          A down vote is absolutely fine if someone disagrees with your point. However on a technical point it would be nice to know why someone thinks you're wrong. It is good to learn. Thank you for affirming that it wouldn't be the worst of ideas. I know they do this in the channel tunnel and realise it's a bit different in the open but I'd have thought no worse than having base stations all along the track. I suppose there are frequency planning considerations with mobile operators doing that but who is to say the train operators have to use mobile frequencies for their WiFi service backhaul.

  9. Potemkine Silver badge

    And.... action!

    These articles are so cool, I can't wait for the (adult rated) TV show ^^

  10. Anonymous Custard
    Headmaster

    Just don't tell anyone, right?

    Just don't tell anyone, right?

    Umm, we don't need to now...

    That said it seems to be spreading - National Express have now started something irritatingly similar (especially as they say in their blurb to download their app before you travel or via 3G/4G and then use it to connect...).

    Not that the wifi speed or accessibility is any better than those on the train. Personally I just use either the 128GB SD card in my tablet or the 4TB hard drive in my laptop bag.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good old Blighty

    It's not all bad; I was surprised - just last year - to a) find myself in a first class carriage on the Shinkansen/Bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and b) not to be able to get wifi or even a power socket therein. Even our commuter trains up here in Scotland have both of them now.

    I guess I'm also even more surprised to see a discussion involving trains not descend into my southern neighbours having a gripe-fest about Southern Trains :-)

    1. Robert Sneddon

      Shinkansens

      No WiFi, free or paid-for in shinkansens but there are power sockets. They're at every seat row in some trains down near the floor or just at the front and back of the carriage in other trains.

  12. Unicornpiss

    Circumventor

    This works very well for accessing things within a restricted environment:

    http://www.peacefire.org/

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Circumventor

      Not from this office :-)

      Access denied to "www.peacefire.org/" according to:

      - XXX Code of Business and Ethics and Conduct and

      - Monitoring the usage of systems and services

      This page is categorized as: "proxy-avoidance-and-anonymizers"

  13. Yugguy

    Awoogah!

    That is all.

  14. ecarlseen

    Oh really?

    An alleged IT person who doesn't have their own VPN server?!??

  15. Matt Fowler

    PiVPN for easy DIY-VPN

    As I recall, the last time I used Virgin East Coast, I was able to get in to an OpenVPN running at home on a Raspberry Pi, just on the default port. (I also don't think they block the port for SSH.)

    But they certainly do block some hostnames involved in many commercial VPN-for-anonymity providers (including proxy.sh for damn sure).

    http://pivpn.io has a lovely script for easy hand-holding install and setup of OpenVPN on the Raspbian distro. They say to pipe it straight from curl into bash, but it's probably a far better idea to download it with wget, eyeball it for nasties (it looks ok given my very limited skillz) and then run it.

    This is also damn handy for accessing any at-home resources you don't wish to expose via port-forwarding. Which, IMHO, should be absolutely everything - apart from your OpenVPN service, of course.

  16. chuckufarley Silver badge

    @Alistair Dabbs -- Repurposing Known Ports

    In the past I have set up a Linux (Mint) VM with sshd configured with X11 forwarding enabled and listening for connections on port 443. After all, no network admin in their right mind would block HTTPS, right? Also since port 443 is encrypted traffic anyway no one will look to closely at another connection even if it's using much stronger encryption (say at least a 4096 bit RSA2 keypair with a strong passphrase).

    When I was unable to access what I wanted I would simply ssh (via bash or PuTTY) into my VM and fire up x11vnc telling it to tunnel the connection to port 5901 on my local machine. On the local host I then launched my VNC viewer and told it to connect to localhost:5901 and I had access to my VM desktop and (more importantly) my home network connection. I could then download what I wanted to the VM and then transfer it to my local machine via sftp or scp.

    I hope that helps on future trips.

    EDIT: Oh yeah, and don't forget to forward port 443 to the ip address of the VM on your home router.

  17. mhenriday
    WTF?

    Nasty people on public transport

    «I prepare for this by always carrying extra packets of tissues in my backpack, distributing them freely among the disgusting dipshit bastards I meet on public transport like a nasally obsessed Mother Theresa.» But dear Mr Dabbs, why don't you simply take the Rolls, instead ?...

    Henri

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