George Fox University | Offices and Services | Institutional Technology | Employee Network FAQ

Employee Network FAQ

Network protections

• Is the Internet filtered?
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• Are there firewalls in place? What do they do?
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Using the network

• Can I host my own services (web pages, etc.)?
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• Can I set up my own wireless network?
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• Can I set up my own local network (i.e. with a hub or router)?
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• Can I use FTP?
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• Can I set up local filesharing?

Is the Internet Filtered?

We use network hardware and online services to filter inappropriate websites. This combination allows us to receive and apply website ratings automatically to our hardware, while giving us the ability to manually block or exempt specific websites from the filtering service.

If during the pursuit of academic or business activity you encounter a filter block, you may contact the IT Service Desk and request that the website be exempted from the filtering service. You may also visit the CAI Lab, where web filtering is monitored but not blocked.

Web filter activity is regularly monitored and when appropriate, data is compiled and forwarded to the Director of Human Resources or the Director of Student Life for review and further action.

Are there firewalls in place? What do they do?

Yes, there are a number of firewalls in places. Firewalls monitor traffic and block certain types of traffic to maintain the safety and security of the network. We use firewalls to isolate certain sections of the network (for example, the student residences are isolated from the administrative network). We also use firewalls to block common virus and hacker traffic.



This has a number affects on your use of the network. For example, the firewalls will prevent you from hosting services from your computer to the Internet such as a personal web page or an FTP site. The firewalls also prevent you from sharing files across networks (such as from your office to the Bruin Den or the Library). You can, however, store your document on your network drive and access it from many of the other networks (not yet including the non-administrative wireless networks such as the Bruin Den or Library).

Can I host my own services?

No, but also yes. The firewalls (see above) and other safety controls prevent your computer from being seen from the Internet. Any hosted web pages, ftp sites, and so on from a personal computer will only be accessible from other computers on your local network (usually just the other offices).

There are servers available for you to host academic-related content. You can host web content using FoxTALE or the academic.georgefox.edu server. For help with any of these options contact the Service Desk. There are also a multitude of commercial online hosting services available to you for hosting web content and/or files.



Network services, such as DHCP or DNS, are not to be enabled on employee computers connected to the network. Doing so may result in loss of your network connection.

Can I set up a wireless network?

Not without specific authorization from IT. Wireless networks are notorious for messing up network traffic, and so they are banned unless they are authorized directly by IT. Some very well-meaning people have brought their entire building's network down because of a single setting on their wireless access pointâ?¦

Can I set up my own local network (i.e. using a hub or router)?

Yes, if it is a simple matter of connecting two or more computers through a hub.



No, if it involves a router that is not compliant with GFU network protocols. Specifically, no router or computer is to run network services (such as DHCP or DNS). If you don't know what this means, you should not be setting up a local networkâ?¦

Can I use FTP?

Yes. Note that you will need to use passive mode (available within the configuration of most FTP programs) to get past the firewalls to the Internet.



You will not be able to host an FTP site that is visible from any computer beyond the local network.

Can I setup local filesharing?

Yes. You need to consider all of the following:

• By turning on filesharing you are opening up your computer to attack. Several viruses, and anyone else on the network, may be able to get onto your computer and cause damage or alter/delete your files. Before turning on filesharing make sure you set security on your files and folders, and only share a few folders rather than your whole computer.
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• Filesharing does not go past the firewalls, so you will only be sharing with your local network (such as the administrative network). To access your files from other campus locations us the network drive.
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