As a kind of proof of concept I setup a Linksys router running the Openwrt firmware as a portable hardware openvpn client to connect to the AlwaysVPN service. I used the router as a wireless client, meaning I did not connect to a wired network to gain internet access. The final test was to connect [...]
Category Archives: Computer software
Openvpn save password without recompiling using bash
If you need a way to launch an openvpn client that uses auth-user-pass without having to recompile openvpn with –enable-password-save you could use a simple shell script.
#!/usr/bin/expect
spawn openvpn –config /etc/openvpn/configforclient.conf
expect “*Username:*”
send “userhere\r”
expect “*Password:*”
send “passhere\r”
interact
Just replace userhere and passhere with your vpn username and password. Saving your login credentials in plain text may be a security [...]
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New OpenVPN GUI
Checkout the OpenVPN Manager project @ http://openvpn.jowisoftware.de/
A new windows GUI that uses the manager interface. This means that you can theoretically use it with split privilages allowing you to use Openvpn from a non admin windows account.
New free VPN service
Have a look at AlwaysVPN.com they’re offering a free ad supported VPN service that uses OpenVPN. It seems to be similar to the proprietary Hotspotshield service which actually also uses OpenVPN at its core.
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Proxy URL response time test script
This is a bash script that uses netcat to connect to a list of URLs and sorts them in order of response time. I used it to check a list of proxy web sites but it can be used for any kind of web site.
I was not able to post the code directly without messing [...]
How to bypass network restrictions on public computers
Here is a list of a few possible solutions on how to bypass firewall rules, which would include unblocking websites at school, college or work.
Use an SSL VPN service that runs on port 80 or 443. This will work if you can install software on the computer you are trying to use.
Use a web proxy [...]
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Pidgin spell check language switcher
If you are looking for an easy way to switch between multiple spell check dictionaries in the Pidgin IM application, have a look at the the Purple Plugin Pack. This plugin pack includes a plugin called Switch Spell which enables you to do just that. To install this on windows download the *win32.zip file that [...]
Long time no type
The asterisk PBX that I have been working on for that past 2 months finally went live about a week ago and everything is going surprisingly well. The asterisk phone system is saving the company a projected $5k a year, not factoring in the cost savings of the actual PBX hardware compared to a commercial [...]
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HowTo: Automatic “IE only” site header
As a temporary measure I had to add a notice to a website, that only rendered correctly in Internet Explorer, stating that the website was only compatible with IE. I didn’t want existing IE users to be bothered with the message, so I needed something that would detect the browser and only display a message [...]
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