[WEB4LIB] RE: data ports for public use

[Keith Higgs]

This is one of the reasons why our network is configured to allow access
only to "registered" devices. You can't register your device if you
don't have a current, valid network account.

D. Keith Higgs <mailto:dkh2 at po.cwru.edu>
 Case Western Reserve University, Webmaster - University Library
 Additional Information at http://www.cwru.edu/UL/
"Follow the white rabbit."


> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib at webjunction.org 
> [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Bosman, Don
> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 03:31 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: data ports for public use
> 
> 
> Yes, but! Accountability should be considered. 
> 
> Consider the potential for abuse. What if J. D. Spammer comes 
> into your building, connects to your network utilizing NAT to 
> hide behind your IP and sends thousands of emails out, a few 
> scores at a time. What if they threaten or harass someone 
> while hiding behind your IP range? This is also a potential 
> problem for wireless nets. 
> 
> We use three distinct networks here. We use different color 
> jacks to identify staff, public, and DHCP ports. Staff ports 
> all use static IPs and authentication. Public terminals 
> connect, via DHCP, to the web through our proxy server. 
> Public terminals are all visible to staff and public traffic. 
> Users can access a tremendous quantity of selected resources 
> and anything we permit via proxy server. Outside of .gov and 
> .mil sites web browsers are very restricted. Yes we do have 
> to keep updating the lock down list. B-) DHCP machines 
> require authentication to a university account. Users are not 
> restricted, but are potentially accountable. Exception 
> requests from visiting faculty, grad students, and the 
> general public are addressed individually. It isn't perfect, 
> but it works for us. 
> 
> 
> Don Bosman
> Information Technologist
> Michigan State University Libraries
> 517-353-8586
> dbosman at mail.lib.msu.edu
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Lin Light [mailto:holight at llcoop.org]
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 1:15 PM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list
> > Subject: [WEB4LIB] data ports for public use
> > 
> > 
> > This is something that we are asked for a lot -- Data ports for the
> > Public to connect to the Internet using their own computers.  1) you
> > don't really want your gateway known to all. 2) you don't 
> want to sign
> > everybody up with some kind of an account or network login.
> > I'm thinking of some kind of DHCP/NATing  running through a 
> > segiment of
> > the router.  Am I close?
> > Lin
> > 
> > 
> > --
> > Lin Light
> > Head of
> > Technical Services/Automation
> > Herrick District Library
> > 300 S. River Ave.
> > Holland, MI 49423
> > llight at llcoop.org
> > Voice-616.355.3727
> > Fax-616.355.1426
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
>