Re: Email use and internet connection

[dehcpa]

Is it possible to have an email connection, which has to have an internet connection, without having Internet Explorer available on the desktop? What I would really like to do is keep an email connection but disable the availability of the internet for browsing, wasting time, etc.

 

[Andrzejek]

And "without having Internet Explorer" how would you like to "keep an email connection" to Hotmail. Gmail, or any other 'e-mail' on the Internet? Plus, people still can install Google Chrome "for browsing, wasting time, etc."

If you state exactly what you want, I am sure there are some ways to accomplish that.


Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[DrB0b]

As Andy pointed out, there is a multitude of ways to go about this. One thing you will need to include in your reply is, is the email Exchange or are they using a Hotmail like program? If the email is internal, this makes it even easier.

"Silence is golden, duct tape is silver...

 

[58sniper]

If you're trying to keep users from "wasting time", how are you going to do reporting on that?

There are a lot of solutions to keep users on track. You could configure a bogus proxy setting in IE.

You could use a filtering/content inspection solution such as Websense.

You could block ports 80 and 443 at the firewall.

Stop by the new Tek-Tips group at LinkedIn. Come say hi, look for a job, have some fun.

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Pat Richard MVP

http://www.exchangeblogs.com/

 

[goombawaho]

I always preferred putting users in a time out when they did online shopping, fantasy football or adult web sites. You know, the adult equivalent of making them stand in the corner.

But seriously, if you explain the following aspects of your environment, maybe we can help you:
-Mail server involved or just stand-alone clients
-Email client used OR is it a web based email portal
-Setup of your internet connection - any proxy server involved?
-Anything else that might be pertinent.

 

[goombawaho]

While I'm at it, here is the proper way to administer internet use/abuse.

Policy - you are nothing without a policy.
Create a policy about internet usage - what is allowed and what is not allowed. Print it out and have all employees read and sign it. Put it in their H.R. file.

Monitoring - what can you do without data?
Get some software that runs on a proxy server that can record internet activity. Then you can generate reports and see who it online 7.5 hours per day.

If you don't have these, everything else is kind of just adding air to a leaking tire. I hate to be mean, but it's a good idea to find a sacrificial lamb to slaughter (fire) and let it be known (via rumor) that it was based on internet usage, when in fact it might have been just that they were a lousy employee.