I’m working remotely for a company, using my personal PC to connect through RDP to the company’s terminal. They recently introduced Cato VPN, which blocks several websites and, more importantly, the p2p service (no illegal content involved; it’s private content I share with friends, mainly large uncompressed videos).
I’d like to know how I can still use p2p and access the blocked sites while the VPN is active. My PC is personal, and accessing those websites doesn’t violate company policies. The issue here is that a few of us are using personal PCs because we’re located outside the US, while the rest of the company uses company laptops. I understand the restrictions on their laptops, but it seems unfair for us to be affected when we’re using our private equipment.
I’ve raised this concern with the company to have the blocks lifted for us, but they stated that this is how it’s implemented and won’t change. They even suggested I could resign if I don’t like it. I’d prefer not to resign, but I do want to bypass the VPN. I have full control of the PC, admin rights, and permission to install any software. Is there a way to do it?
Spend a couple hundred bucks for a cheap laptop. Use that for work. Have your other device for personal. Pain in the ass? Yeah, but worth it to not lose a job, especially if it’s decent and you don’t hate it. Decide if a couple hundred bucks is worth not breaking your IT rules during work hours.
When you’re using the vpn you’re using their devices, networks, and services. So they can restrict whatever they want - yes, even if you’re on your computer doing it.
I’m more interested in how it went from a request to suggesting you resign. Also, see pj’s comment.
Set up a VM and have work install their apps on that, not ideal though.
But you should ask work to issue you equipment.
Otherwise when any VPN is running windows tends to forward traffic only through that if the VPN client forces all routed traffic through depending on the VPN profile applied to your machine at VPN tunnel establishment.
As far as VMs go windows VMs require a license, Linux doesn’t, and Mac cannot be made a VM.
So if work doesn’t support Linux, or you don’t want to cough up 100-200 for a windows legit license assuming your machine can handle a VM and assuming work allows installing their software onto a VM at all, some places check for virtualization.
What OS are you using? I’ve had this in the past and could work around it by modifying the route tables so RDP traffic goes through the VPN but nothing else does. The other approach is to use the VPN inside a virtual machine.
Use TOR browser. It uses it’s own VPN to be untraceable (it was developped by the US Navy to allow people in totalitarian regimes to safely access the internet).
Sounds like you need a NAS device running independently. Or yeah a different device. Not running a server while connected is their right even though it’s not great.
They cannot fire me as I’m not US citizen, the company is in US and in EU regulations are different, I’m supposed to have a personal PC so I can connect to their terminal, that’s in the contract, the contract doesn’t say they they can restrict my PC while working for them, so bypassing the VPN is not a breach of contract and anyway I assume this, the RDP is not working if I’m disconnecting from VPN, so this is not a solution
Bypassing the VPN is not breaking any rules, they even told me they don’t give a f…k what I’m doing on my personal PC as long as I’m completing my tasks, the problem is we are only like 5 guys with this kind of issue in the company and over 500 that are using company laptops, so the restriction was implemented for them.
The suggestion to resign was not from the company heads , it was from my direct lead, I complained about the issue and told me there’s nothing he can do to help me, if I don’t like the situation I’m free to go, I don’t have a very good relation with him. The company had a security breach and implemented strict rules for US workers, I’m outsourcing so this rules doesn’t apply, those even breach my privacy but I don’t wanna go that far, I like the job and is good pay, but those restriction affect me while doing other projects that run in the background. My contract with the company is not for working hours is for tasks, completing n tasks gives me x amount of money and in the background or parallel I was able to do other projects.
NAS is not a solution either, already have, but the VPN is blocking access to NAS as well and also need I need those videos that I share through p2p on the PC and keep downloading them from NAS to PC and vice-versa is not reliable, considering most of them have over 30GB each
You can also get fired in the EU lol
Even if not explicitly stated in the contract I’m sure bypassing a rule enforced by your IT department is ground for termination almost anywhere, it could be here as well depending on the country. There might be a write up required first and then a repeat offense on your side to make it possible, but under certain circumstances you can also get fired in I assume every EU country without notice.
Since it’s a VPN and you’re inside the network I’d be especially careful honestly, if you manage to get any sort of infection that spreads over the network you might be liable if found to actively sabotage the security measures and hold accountable for damages
We are going off topic with this, it doesn’t matter if they can fire me or not, anyway, I’m aware of the risks, the contract is more complex and considering some privacy rules in EU, the company is breaking them, there are some terms in my contract, a contract that is 10 years old, and now they are enforcing some new rules without my consent, with this VPN they are not only restricting my access to certain services, my traffic is also monitored, which is a break of my privacy. I can fight this and most certainly win but they might just close the outsourcing section and cease any collaboration with outside US staff and I don’t want that, I just need to bypass the VPN restrictions.