Setting up a router at university

So, I basically need to buy a router for my dorm in order to use WiFi (rather than Ethernet).

I'm wondering if there's any way to configure it so that my university doesn't "see" everything I'm doing.

As in, I've heard about people who have downloaded things that they're not supposed to and the copyright holders sent angry letters to the school or something, and the school went to the students about it. I'd like to avoid anything along those lines, if possible.

I know I ought to get a VPN, and I probably will when I have a job and money.

 

If you're using school provided Internet, all your traffic is still going through their network. Do they allow you to set up your own wifi? At our school that wasn't allowed in the dorms.


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VPN is the only way to go if you want to keep your traffic reasonably private.

 

Yep, I'm using school provided internet.

Ah, just what I feared. Once I get a job, though, I'll be able to get one eventually. Heh heh.

In the meantime, I can always go off-campus to the nearby McDonalds.

 

Why would VPN cost be a problem if you can afford university?

Two things to keep in mind:
Your traffic is always going through someone's computer. With a VPN you're at the mercy of the VPN provider and its ISP.
With a VPN your university's academic literature subscription will be cut off. So you need to setup something that allows you to quickly switch between the two.

 

If you were to directly connect a router/access point type device directly to the school's network it would still be running all your data through the school. Even higher is the chance that they know and detect it. If you were to theoretically create a separate network entirely and broadcast a wi-fi signal, the school may have the capability to detect and jam your signal.

See Meraki Air Marshal for examples of tools that can be used. I've played around with Air Marshal before and my networks alerted me when 1) someone attached an authorized wi-fi access point directly to the network and 2) someone brought/setup a wi-fi hotspot within the vicinity of my network

 

My old school made us register AP on the school network. Each user was also given an account which means everything you do will be monitored. If your school isn't sophisticated, a router with OpenVPN on it will mask your traffic 24/7

 

A router with OpenVPN on it will be very slow though - not enough processing power and no native AES support.

 

As explained above, you're only real choice would be a VPN.

That said, it'd still be a good idea not to attract too much attention to yourself by doing things which (I imagine, given your OP) is against your university's AUP.

 

I am pretty new to this so please excuse me if I'm massively off topic. But if you don't want your university to see what you're doing, would a proxy server help? I just found this article online, seems quite useful. Gives a run down of the basics anyway.

 

You're not Off-topic and a proxy would help but they are not as good as VPN's - not even close. They both give a different IP address of the server you are connected to and not your own but from that point onwards, VPN services leave proxies behind.

VPN advantages:
-Most VPN services encrypt the data that passes through them - precisely what the OP wants. Proxies don't do this and it's the biggest difference between them and VPN services,
-Works out-of-the box with web browsers, as well as anything else that sends data over the internet.
-Connecting through TOR can make it very difficult to track - and while it's still not iron-clad security, it's infinitely better than proxy protection.

VPN downsides:
- Costs more. Some proxy servers are free.
- Will be slightly slower due to encrytion and if all the servers are loaded - in practice this isn't noticeable.
- If the VPN provider keeps logs, they could, in theory, be required to give them up to various agencies. Not all providers keep logs.
- Some oganisations, such as Netflix, have caught onto the IP addresses used by many VPN servers, making it harder to get around location restrictions.
- Facebook and Google both cry if you access an account with a server in a country you have never logged on from before - solved by picking local servers.

Basically, get a VPN.

 

@Clockwise360 No, that won't help - only a VPN. A proxy is outside of the network that the university has control of so using it is an equivalent running through a battlefield under fire to get a bullet-proof vest only to run back while wearing it. All the requests you make are plain to see for the university.

 

Only a VPN will work as everyone has said... A Proxy just means that the IP shown when you log onto a website/forum has changed.. Only a VPN can ensure that your internet activities are masked..