Half-Life 2 on ResNet

[Mehmsy]

Thinking about bringing this back with me to uni. Will it (or more importantly, Steam) work on ResNet?

Thanks.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

[Senethro]

Quoting Mehmsy from 14:44, 26th Aug 2006
Thinking about bringing this back with me to uni. Will it (or more importantly, Steam) work on ResNet?

Thanks.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

No, it won't. Make sure you set it to run in offline mode before coming. Same with any other steam game you want to run.

[Mehmsy]

Got it, thanks.

edit: Actually, Guild Wars worked for me last year. Too bad it gets boring so fast.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

[Malcolm]

The Hall residence computers have nothing like the same port restrictions as ResNet, and the CS network doesn't seem to have any whatsoever.

Needless to say, we found a way around the Steam problem last year. We could run updates, at least.

Does anybody know if ITS have blocked 3689 for the upcoming academic year? That's the iTunes sharing port, bound to cause complaints if they have.

[hr]

" ... No-one knows what it's like, to be the bad man, to be the sad man, Behind Blue Eyes ... "

[Fawksie]

Quoting Malcolm from 14:15, 27th Aug 2006
Does anybody know if ITS have blocked 3689 for the upcoming academic year? That's the iTunes sharing port, bound to cause complaints if they have.

For the last couple of months in Regs Annexe iTunes sharing didn't appear to work. Previously it had but only within the subnet.

[Malcolm]

Yeah, iTunes only working on your own subnet is an actual hardcoded restriction by Apple - ITS aren't to blame for once.

Seeing as it worked in New Hall all the way to the bitter end (but it never really worked in AMH), would suggest it isn't a Uni-wide change, but we'll see.

[hr]

" ... No-one knows what it's like, to be the bad man, to be the sad man, Behind Blue Eyes ... "

[Fawksie]

Quoting Malcolm from 15:06, 28th Aug 2006
Yeah, iTunes only working on your own subnet is an actual hardcoded restriction by Apple - ITS aren't to blame for once.

Ooh, didn't know that. I always blamed ITS

[Mehmsy]

iTunes is a piece of crap anyway.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

[A Saint]

There is a way around steam, if you have the dvd you can use GCFScape to take the gcf files from the disc and decrypt them this will also work with counter strike source, however it wont work with episode one.

[Moffat]

Get round network restrictions by getting your own hub and a shitload of cables. Sunil has just got a 24 port hub off eBay so there's bound to be a good bit of networking happening on Regs B Floor soon!

[Fawksie]

And then, as you know, you fall foul of this:

"The provision of services, whether for profit or otherwise, is not normally permitted and may only be undertaken with the prior written consent of the Director of IT Services."

which applies to the provision of any network service in any University building, whether nor not it is interconnected with the University network. Same reason you can't connect a wireless AP or switch to Resnet or even set up an ad-hoc wireless network.

[orudge]

Quoting Fawksie from 14:51, 29th Oct 2006
which applies to the provision of any network service in any University building, whether nor not it is interconnected with the University network.

Any network service, even not those connected to the university network? Hm, that seems a bit extreme. So I couldn't connect two computers with a crossover cable because it'd be "provision of services"? :/

[hr]

http://www.owenrudge.net/
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37103734

[Fawksie]

I'm pretty sure they don't like any other networks in their buildings, even if they're not connected to the University network. I've asked for clarification of the exact definition of "provision of services". Seems to me that if you connect two of your own computers together you're not "providing services" to anyone other than yourself. But I'm nearly sure people have got told off for hanging switches off their Resnet connections and using them to feed their own computers in their own room, and that's not "providing services" under my definition.

The relevant paragraphs of the Conditions for Use of Computers are

"For students of the University, University Use is that use arising solely and wholly from the courses of study they are following at the University, or necessitated solely and wholly by the pursuit of the research topic for which they are registered."

which means that they are at liberty to terminate or require you to pay for your Resnet service if you use it for anything other than academic purposes;

and:

"Computer Users must take reasonable precautions to prevent accidental or deliberate interference with the integrity and functioning of the University's computer systems. The Director of IT Services or his representative may take any reasonable steps to remedy such interference."

under which they can deem your network hardware to be a potential risk to their system and order its disconnection.

The ITS Policies and Procedures are, deliberately or otherwise, written in such a vague fashion that they cover every possible eventuality, and boil down to "We're always right, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Someone was supposed to be working on a unified policy document, but as yet it hasn't materialised.

[Moffat]

I don't think anyone cares that much to be brutally honest. I have a old Apple LocalTalk network going on in my room in hall, yet IT Services probably wouldn't even know what it was. And then there's the Econet network I had going last year!

[hr]

You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

[Renegadeandy]

Yeah - please stop being so bloody rule abidding - its experimentation and it actually teaches us stuff - they have to have those rules as people need rules.

Stop with the rule talk - we all no they are there etc! Yeah - i got steam to connect last year in New Hall - updated etc signed in, and was fairly close to online gaming - --- then summer arrived lol.

[Malcolm]

If your homebrew network isn't connected to any ITS systems...

a) How are they going to know?
b) Why should they care?
c) What right do they have to tell you you can't use a crossover cable to connect to your friends to play games?

As long as you just connect your machines to each other via a router etc., and don't connect said router or any of the machines to Resnet, you're fine if you're just having a private LAN gaming session in someone's room, surely?

What next? They'll be banning you connecting someone else's digital camera to your machine if their machine's buggered, because that "provides a service" to that person.

Ultra-ambiguous if you ask me.

[hr]

"Moskau, Moskau,
Wirf die Gläser auf die Wand
Russland ist ein schönes Land
o-ho ho ho ho ho, hey!"

[Fawksie]

Who said I was rule-abiding? I'm just pointing out that the ITS rules say they're allowed to bugger you six ways from Sunday if they feel like it, and it's that which concerns me. It evidently doesn't suit them to have unambiguous rules, but why are they allowed to have these catch-all policies?

Makes little difference to me anyway, I'm in private accommodation this year. If I ever go back into halls there'll probably just be port 80 left

[Roulette]

Quoting Renegadeandy from 21:49, 29th Oct 2006
Yeah - please stop being so bloody rule abidding

Umm...guys, to put it plainly, fuck off.

As a committee we must be seen to not be encouraging rule breaking otherwise it could protentially make things more difficult for us. And, seeing as how, as a committee, we want to continue to do our best for you guys, I'd like to suggest you shut your faces and let us get on with it, please?

[hr]

If you're the "1337 M4574!!!111", then I'm the Weirdo in the corner playing air guitar to her iPod.
Lame, but cooler than you.

[Malcolm]

Quoting Fawksie from 22:22, 29th Oct 2006
If I ever go back into halls there'll probably just be port 80 left

Only if you ask nicely [img]littleicons/cross.gif[/img]

You're lucky if they don't close port 80 one day if the traditional ITS philosophy continues. Web browsing will soon be seen as non-permissible, I'll bet.

[hr]

"Moskau, Moskau,
Wirf die Gläser auf die Wand
Russland ist ein schönes Land
o-ho ho ho ho ho, hey!"

[orudge]

Quoting Renegadeandy from 21:49, 29th Oct 2006
Stop with the rule talk - we all no they are there etc! Yeah - i got steam to connect last year in New Hall - updated etc signed in, and was fairly close to online gaming - --- then summer arrived lol.

Well, all I can say is beware, ResNet seems to be a lot more closely monitored this year. Various things have already been tightened up, and I imagine things won't stop there.

[hr]

http://www.owenrudge.net/
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37103734