Getting around firewalls using proxies
 

The firewall at my brothers office blocks webmail. It also blocks access to proxy servers. Any ideas that I can pass along to him?

Unless it blocks or filters *all* access (WebSense for example), you might try tunnelling out via ssh. This assumes you've got a reachable host somewhere outside the firewall that is running sshd and has port forwarding enabled.

I use this setup myself, and forward all traffic (pop, smtp, IM, web proxy) through the ssh tunnel. I run the ssh daemon on a non-standard port, and have had very good luck getting out through firewalls that block common ports.

My advice to him; don't mess with it.

The last thing in life you want to be fired over is some over-efficient IT manager complaining to HR that you "hacked" something.

If it is blocked, then it isn't blocked for nothing.

Why not ask your smtp server source to write to the other company to accept emails from your smtp server. I had this very occurence cleared up a few months ago: I use no-ip smtp. My brother's company, (really) blocked no-ip. I wrote no-ip. They wrote the other company and within a week, my bro and I were communicating.

Try the free version of logmein.com.

He runs it on his machine at home and connects to it from the office. It's a 50/50 shot if they block it or not, it's not as well known as gotomypc or some of the others, so it's not blocked anywhere near as much.

You might think so, but alas, it is not always true...

This, on the other hand, is very good advice.

You could try a basic web proxy like http://www.teradazzle.com/proxy/ which is not blocked by websense in my office. Its doesn't get them all right away.