NETWORK HELP

[clueless dude]

Hi. I need some help. The company I work for let me use their notebook at work only. I bought myself a personal notebook and I was able to transfer the programs we use on my computer and I was also able to connect wireless at work using a WPA2-Personal connection (or whatever that is). Now, when Im at home, I cant use at all since it wont connect. It does work at my work laptop when I was able to bring it home (no longer) but does not work on mine at home. At work they use Windows XP and at home Windows 7. Does anyone know how to tell how i can COPY the connection from that laptop to this one? I would like to be able to have access to my work network from home and the IT department of course, wont help me since its a private laptop. Any ideas? Apparentely they use something called DNS connection? im just tired of working 14 hours a day, so would be nice to get some stuff done at home.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I have to say, this made me smile. I apologize in advance for the barrage of questions, but there are some things that need addressing before I can even start to assist.

First question, are you a regular employee or the IT dude?

The company I work for let me use their notebook at work only. I bought myself a personal notebook and I was able to transfer the programs we use on my computer and I was also able to connect wireless at work using a WPA2-Personal connection (or whatever that is).

Is there a domain at your office?
Have you joined it with the new laptop?
Is the old laptop joined to a domain?

Now, when Im at home, I cant use at all since it wont connect

Wired or wireless?
What do you mean by "won't connect? "

I assume that you are speaking of your private wireless access in the home. Is this correct?

Does anyone know how to tell how i can COPY the connection from that laptop to this one?

You don't copy connections, you configure them.

I would like to be able to have access to my work network from home and the IT department of course, wont help me since its a private laptop. Any ideas?

If you want a connection from home to your office machine, there are several ways to do it. The "most secure" way to do it is via VPN. This requires that there be a remote access server set up on the network and routed properly via the network switching hardware. I assume that if there is an "IT department," that they would have the information for how this can happen. There is nothing I can do for you if you don't have the proper access to the network.

Apparentely they use something called DNS connection?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System

 

[clueless dude]

Ok. First of all I apologize since I don't understand anything about computers. So lets start from the beggining. The WORK laptop will work anywhere... at work or at home or at a hotel. Now... My PERSONAL laptop will work ONLY AND ONLY at work since a co-worker was able to create a WPA-2 connection. Actually she COPIED... dont ask me how... she had a password Im guessing... Now, she warned me that WOULD NOT work from home / hotel since for that I would need a DNS connection but she didnt have the password. IT group wont help me since its my personal laptop i shouldnt be using anyway. But thats beside the point. Now... my question was (sorry), is it any way that i can COPY the connection from one notebook to the other? I know you can do that on Windows 7 (it copies a connection to a USB stick) but Im not sure if you can do that on Windows XP. Answering your question... Im not IT AT ALL! Just a regular employee. Yes, there is a domain and the old notebook is joined. Mine? I have no idea. When I say that it wont connect (the software that I use is WEB BASED), when I open it says: PAGE NOT FOUND.... But if im at work IT DOES FIND. Im not trying to connect to my computer at work but at the Company Network I guess. Is it a way?

 

[muckshifter]

I would ask your 'employers' if you can work from home, legitimately.

We do not condone hacking work systems nor installing software without the proper licences.

 

[clueless dude]

:-( oh, i didnt know that was considering hacking... never mind then... :-( we are not allowed to take the notebooks home anymore since some co-workers kep LOSING their laptops. So I guess 14 hours at the office its... Thanks anyway guys.

 

[muckshifter]

IT group won't help me since its my personal laptop i shouldnt be using anyway.

If they let you "work from home" they will supply, or should, all the necessary gear, especially any security measures needed, required.

If you already asked them, and they said no, you shouldn't be surprised if we don't help either.

Sorry, wasn't inferring you were trying to hack into your office, mealy stating is what it looks like from an outsider.

 

[clueless dude]

Thanks for your help bud. I saved money for almost 3 months to be able to buy a notebook so I could work from home and spend more time with my family... Thats what happens when you dont understand about computer I guess... I thought that all I had to do was type the adress domain.software.com and would work.I guess not. :-( Thanks and take care.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

IT group wont help me since its my personal laptop i shouldnt be using anyway. But thats beside the point.

As a long time system admin, I don't fix employees private laptops on company time. Unless, of course, they want to compensate me for the time involved. Otherwise it is technically stealing time. If I knew of this behavior and attitude about the security of my network and data (that you appear to vehemently disreguard by insisting to "hack" the network so you can achieve a personal goal), not only would your equipment be banned from the network...there may be a high chance that there would be disciplinary action. This is also beside the point.

Long story short, yes. With computers, anything is possible. The wrong DNS servers will not allow you to surf the internet at all. Can you see the rest of the internet?

Now, she warned me that WOULD NOT work from home / hotel since for that I would need a DNS connection but she didnt have the password.

This makes no sense to me. Unless you are logging into the DNS server, which you're not, you don't need a password.

is it any way that i can COPY the connection from one notebook to the other? I know you can do that on Windows 7 (it copies a connection to a USB stick) but Im not sure if you can do that on Windows XP.

Negative. I don't know what she did, but you don't copy connections. You can copy configurations for connections but it's not like you can cut it and paste it on another machine.

(the software that I use is WEB BASED), hen I open it says: PAGE NOT FOUND.... But if im at work IT DOES FIND.

It's an internal company page that can only be accessed while on the internal network. They don't publish it outside and unless you have a VPN connection, it will never work until they publish it to the internet.

Im not trying to connect to my computer at work but at the Company Network I guess. Is it a way?

Sounds more like a company web page than the network.

If you want to work from home, you will first have to talk to the IT department. They are the ones that control your work and there is nothing that any one of us can do for you. Hacking your network does us no good. There are two things you can do with this. First, call IT and let them know that you wish to be able to have access after hours. There are ways to schedule times to allow connections. If you are outside of those times, you do not connect. If they allow you to connect, they will have the settings for that configuration. Maybe if you buy your guy a beer, you can get on his good side and a remote connection can be made for you.

This is not to discourage you from learning about your machine and the way you can work easier. It is about handling these things in the proper way. This is to encourage you to take the appropriate channels. If you can take your laptop home, then you should be able to work from home. Which laptop you do it on shouldn't matter. Basically, you need to ask the proper questions of your IT guy.

"How do I configure a VPN connection on my personal laptop so that I may work from home?" If the answer is anything but "here you go," then you probably aren't allowed to do it for a good reason.

 

[clueless dude]

Wow, after that comment I rather work 14 hours a day. Cant afford to lose my job. Like I said, I didnt know that was considered hacking... just wanted to spend more time at home. Unfortunately I cant buy a beer to my IT guy, since I work for a Company that employees more than 380.000 employees and the IT group is about 6 hours flight away from me. I called my co-worker and she told me that she had the password to create the WPA-2 connection that allows me to use my personal laptop at work (and yes, the software works and gives me access to the internet). But... the purpose of me buying a notebook was to work at home. If I still have to take to work to make it work, I can use the company one, correct? Once again, thanks for the support. I always found computer stuff complicated and now im more affraid than never I guess. I thought I could somehow copy and paste from one computer to another. Thanks once again. Cheers.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Well, I don't work for your company, so I cannot say what they will and will not do. I can say that if it were the case, there would at least be a talking to. If there is a policy of no personal computers on the wireless, they have it for a reason. Don't take it so personal. It is business, not play time.

Even still, the WPA-2 password won't allow you to get to the website you need from your home. There is a whole networking thing that I could go into, but won't for the sake of time.

But... the purpose of me buying a notebook was to work at home. If I still have to take to work to make it work,

I think you are missing the point. I will spell it out for you in clear terms. YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO THE IT DEPARTMENT. WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR OFFICE, PICK UP THE PHONE AND DIAL THEIR EXTENSION. ASK THE QUESTION I GAVE IN MY LAST POST.

If they have a method for connecting from your home via your personal laptop, they will provide you with the information to create the connection. If they do not want your personal laptop on their network at all (and given the number of people you claim work there, I can't figure that this is an issue), then they will tell you so.

Once again, thanks for the support. I always found computer stuff complicated and now im more affraid than never I guess.

It's not something to be afraid of. As long as you don't put your tongue on the circuitry, there's nothing you can do that will be the end of the world. Your machine probably has a CD that came with it. This reinstalls stuff. Don't keep anything that is important on it and learn from it. If you click something and it breaks, you usually can go back.

TL;DR :: Just go ask your IT department for the VPN connection information and if they have directions on how to set it up. This we can help with if you have the right stuff.