On 9 Mar 2005 10:54:01 -0800, wrote:
OK this is 99 and 44/100% OT, but you guys know everything.

If we don't, we'll make something up.

The place I work has an IT department straight out of a
Dilbert cartoon. For a department of 15, we have been allowed
1 (!) internet computer, located in the far corner of our area.

Sounds...inconvenient.

Major nusiance. We use this alot, and would like to set up
a clandestine sub-network off of our department computer, to
get web access to our desks. We asked repeatedly via offical
channels and where refused, with no explaniation. Never a group
to avoid from such a challange, I turn to you for help.

I'd suggest getting a reason, even if it's a bad one. Management
tends to frown on (read: fire people for) what I think you're about
to describe...

Our internet connection is a T1, distributed over an internal
network, seperate from the "regular" company network.

I'm having a hard time guessing, then, why they care about
what happens on it.

We originally
tried the obvious, which was to plug a hub into where our web computer
is and distribute from there, but it won't work. I found out that the
system is set up to communicate only with the MAC address of the
specific ethernet card in that computer. It ignores any other network
device that is plugged into it.

You need, fro instance, a Linksys switch, which will allow you to spoof
the MAC address of that hardware.

Now I understand that it is possible to put 2 network cards in 1
computer. Is that true, and would it be possible to do that and
use the second network card to allow "passthrough" (for lack of
a better term) access to the web? What would it take, SW and HW wise?

If I was going to do it (and I still think that the whole "getting fired"
thing is more of an inconvenience than the "getting to tha intarweb"
thing, but that's your call, not mine) I'd use a Linksys, spoof the MAC that
your provider sees now from that one PC. So now, as far as the provider
is concerned, nothing has changed.

Now, on the Linksys, set up a DHCP server so that each of the clients
can fetch an IP address. As long as you're not running webservers or anything
on your systems, you don't have to worry about port forwarding inbound.
Set the clients to get the IP and DNS automatically, and you _should_
have it working.

Again, that having been said, your new networking experience might be
a necessary skill to add to your resume should your employers take this
poorly. Most IT departments that are reasonable will give you either
control _or_ support - if you can get unsupported control, you should be
fine. Some insist on control without giving you support, which seems like
what you've got, in which case this could be touchy.

Dave Hinz