firewall blocking database access

[nbw]

The tech guy at my school just (finally) installed a firewall. Now the students can no longer access the statewide databases (infotrac, wilson, gale, britannica)from school.

The state system was always set up so that the kids had direct IP access from campus, but had to logon remotely at home with a public library card. Our tech guy doesn't want to allow access on campus through the firewall. He says it would expose us to infiltration.

It's been over 2 months. I need to know what questions to ask and what possibilities to suggest. Everyone else in the state has solved this problem, but somehow we can't.

Thanks - I'm in a learning curve and don't want to get lost!

 

[jrbarnett]

Why not ask the techs at the other schools how they do it and pass this information onto your school tech. If possible, put them in direct contact with each other.

John

 

[nbw]

Thanks John, but I've already tried that. Our tech guy is stubborn and doesn't believe that it will work. I even sent him the company contact the local high school used.

I need to understand the process more myself so I can get others involved in the process (go around him?!!?). I don't know why he's so worried about opening a port, when it has worked for everyone else.

Is it really that dangerous to allow direct on campus access to databases?

 

[jrbarnett]

Are these web based applications such as hotmail or yahoo mail, where there is a facility to do service, or is it an application on your premises that connects to a remote data store?

John

 

[nbw]

These are subscription databases such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, InfoTrac Magazine index, or Wilson Biographies index.
Before the firewall, we sent the service provider our IP address, which they then logged into their system. Any student accessing one of these databases from school would automatically be given access based on the IP address recognition.
Now with the firewall, the IP is not recognized and the kids must put in a public library barcode number. To say the least, most kids don't carry their library cards around with them, so doing research at school has become very complicated.


Thanks - Nancy

 

[jrbarnett]

If the IP works as a proxy server (ie it forwards requests out and screens ones in) it should simply be a matter of changing the IP used for authentication to the external facing server rather than the individual PC's IP's.

John

 

[rdroske]

It sounds like more of a proxy server type issue that a firewall one since you are still able to access the site but the site is now seeing a different IP address.

Probably what has happened is that previously each machine had it's own public IP address that the service provider was seeing.

Now all of the machines are probably going out as one IP address and the firewall is doing some proxy serving to direct traffic back to the individual machines.

Ask your tech what this new IP address is and get the service provider to recognize the new one.

If he won't tell you (or you don't want to ask) get on one of the machines and go to this site

http://www.whatismyip.com/

Actually get on more that one and go to that site to verify that it shows the same IP for all machines.

 

[nbw]

Great. I'll give it a try tomorrow!

 

[nbw]

It was the new IP! Thanks so much. One phone call and the main databases were up and running in a half hour! Two more phone calls and an e-mail and the rest will be fixed tomorrow. - Nancy