The company I work for filters out the hotmail website, any ideas how I can get access to my inbox at work?

Before or after they sack you?

I know people it's happened to, so don't. Unless you get express permission from your boss AND IT dept

If you have access to the Internet you should have acces to the Hotmail website, Internet and accessing website both use the port 80. Unless your office's server has been set up for specifically not letting go on the website, there should be no problem.

Also using port 80, you can use WebMessenger :) nothing to install as it is web based and perfect for Uni or at Work.

If your company's IT systems do not allow you to access the hotmail website, then it is probably a firewall of some kind filtering out the URL. The best thing i can suggest is that you either try accessing it via a link from another site. The other think i seem to recall a website where you could run a java based browsing application from the website and the firewall would only see the URL of the Java file thereby passing through it undetecable. I think it was called "Safeweb" or something like that. Otherwise find a friend in the IT department.

Originally posted by jony_p
If your company's IT systems do not allow you to access the hotmail website, then it is probably a firewall of some kind filtering out the URL.


Doesn't take a firewall to block websites...

If it's a windows network, it's simply a case of adding a line to the hosts file along the lines of:


127.0.0.1 hotmail.com
127.0.0.1 www.hotmail.com


This will stop you accessing hotmail.com ;-)

If it's Linux ,then it's simply a case of adding the relevant domain to the hosts.deny file.


Using this method anybody can block any website from being viewed from a client. I have many spyware/adware/sleaze related sites blocked in our LAN server's hosts file (with ZAP locking the hosts file to stop it being altered without my specific intervention)!

Originally posted by Strix
Before or after they sack you?
I think this is the best answer so far. If they've blocked it it's because they don't want you to be going on hotmail during working hours. It's the same as you locking your front door when you leave for work, you do it for a reason and don't ewant people ignoring it.

Originally posted by sccsux
Doesn't take a firewall to block websites...



Actually a firewall CAN stop you accessing websites because i have personally configured one, and seen many in action over my years in IT.

The hosts file, in my experience just gives you Page Cannot Be Displayed if set to 127.0.0.1, because i spent many hours trying to figure it out in the office one day until my helpful boss cam along and went "Oh Jonathan, i think youll find its the hosts file...".

Not saying your wrong, ive just never seen it before.....

How do i get simely people in my messages?? :-)

Originally posted by jony_p
Actually a firewall CAN stop you accessing websites because i have personally configured one, and seen many in action over my years in IT.

I know. I was merely stating that there are other ways of blocking websites, other than using FW settings. ;-)


Originally posted by jony_p
The hosts file, in my experience just gives you Page Cannot Be Displayed if set to 127.0.0.1, because i spent many hours trying to figure it out in the office one day until my helpful boss cam along and went "Oh Jonathan, i think youll find its the hosts file...".

This only happens if the network isn't configured properly.

127.0.0.1 points to the local server, which can be set to point to an internal IP address running an http server (most LANs feature some sort of HTTP proxy/server capabilities - in which you can edit the relevant messages).

Easy... ;-)

Originally posted by jony_p
How do i get simely people in my messages?? :-)


Don't use the quote buttons?? ;-)


Actually, it is a little strange how the smilies are not shown when you quote another user, whereas is you make a simple post, you get a list on the left that is "clickable"??

Originally posted by sccsux
Don't use the quote buttons?? ;-)


Actually, it is a little strange how the smilies are not shown when you quote another user, whereas is you make a simple post, you get a list on the left that is "clickable"??

:loopy: :clap: :heyhey: :huh:

Works fine for me! I just hit quote and there they were.

Originally posted by cgksheff
:loopy: :clap: :heyhey: :huh:

Works fine for me! I just hit quote and there they were.

Strange.

This:

http://line1.co.uk/images/hmmmm.jpg


is what I get when quoting...??

So...

I'm halfway through typing this, when I work out why I couldn't view the "clickable smilies"!!!!

You need to enable them in your profile!:rolleyes:

http://line1.co.uk/images/mybad.jpg


(All images are "family safe")!!

You can get any decent mail client to pop the hotmail account.

POP3: pop3hot.com
SMTP: mx01.hotmail.com

At your own risk.

Although if someones gone to the trouble of blocking http access to Hotmail I can't see them being too happy you setting up mail clients for personal accounts.

I just know that some companies I do work for would go spare over something like this, mainly because I'd tell them to.

You can veiw blocked pages by viewing the net through a site like this:

http://free2.surffreedom.com/

Although this particular one doesnt let you go on Hotmail cos of some Java related gubbins. The page never fully loads.

I think if you pay, they provide you with a service that lets you veiw all types of pages. This free version isnt totally reliable.

You shouldn't be browsing the net at work anyway, you're supposed to be WORKING.

Surely there can't be any emails there or sites that are so urgent to visit that you can't wait till you get home, this forum for example would still be here to post at after 5PM.

Get yourself a yahoo email account or gmail or whatever.

Set up a filter in hotmail to forward/copy everything to your new account.

Sorted.

Nomme

Originally posted by Rich
...... this forum for example would still be here to post at after 5PM.


But not all threads/posts.... ;-)

Originally posted by Rich
You shouldn't be browsing the net at work anyway, you're supposed to be WORKING.


Exactly. I personally would never sit and plan my evenings TV viewing using the WAP tv guide on my phone, or sneak off into the toilets and play on my gameboy with the sound turned off during work hours, no sir, not me. Honest. :hihi: