Websense filtering out WLUW internet radio...

September 7, 2005 8:26 AM

Skirting the mean cop that is Websense filtering! I just want to listen to WLUW in my office! Is there an easy way?

We've got Websense at our office (a big hospital in Chicago) and I tend to see the blockpage a lot... you know, lunchtime porn surfing and whatnot... normally I don't mind but I really want to listen to some WLUW. KEXP is alright but has been a bit hit-or-miss recently. Trouble is, for some reason WLUW is being blocked by Websense! WTF?
I tried pinging the site and then hitting it by IP - no dice, Websense still catches it.
So, I figure I've got three options - can someone suggest more? Perhaps easier ones?
- Go home at lunch, turn on Shoutcast, tune in to WLUW, then just hit my broadcast from work.
- Talk to the IS people and ask them to remove WLUW from the Websense props file
- Buy a small radio and tune in the old-fashioned way (oh wait, that won't work as WLUW doesn't come in well anywhere south of Belmont...)

*sigh

posted by TiggleTaggleTiger to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

If that site is completely innocuous you may try to contact websense about it. The sites are not necessarily added by humans. They're added by site crawlers and spiders and the like.

However, I'm not quite sure websense will talk to you without a serial/contract/registration number. So you may have to go to your IS dept anyway. Just a thought.

See this link for a little more detail about websense blocking things that probably don't need to be blocked
posted by poppo at 8:49 AM on September 7, 2005

Bummer. I'd be sunk if they started blocking KEXP. Just so you know, our Websense also blocks WLUW (which I'd never heard of, so thanks for the heads up). Contact your IT dept, if they dont' have a policy against streaming, which they may, then they might be able to unblock just the stream address, if it is static. Good luck.
posted by tayknight at 8:55 AM on September 7, 2005

It may be that your IT department CHOSE to have streaming audio blocked, since it's a bandwidth eater. You should probably consult them first, as you may be jepoardizing your employment by skirting the filters.
posted by cosmicbandito at 8:57 AM on September 7, 2005

Response by poster: cb - I'd think the same thing but I stream radio from one source or another all day most days. Plus, I spend half of my day downloading giant mp3/cbr/movie files. They'd have fired me a long time ago if bandwidth choking was a huge concern for them.

I just wanted to avoid talking to IS if at all possible... proverbial tarpit of slow action and no response.
posted by TiggleTaggleTiger at 9:16 AM on September 7, 2005

You could try an anonymous proxy server maybe? I have suggested that to a couple of friends whose work blocked certain websites. I can't say for sure if it will beat websense for streaming audio, but might be worth a try. Try triumph. You can use metafilter and bugmenot for a login.
posted by Richat at 9:51 AM on September 7, 2005

It may be that your IT department CHOSE to have streaming audio blocked, since it's a bandwidth eater.

I'm with this one. Best find out what IT's policy about streaming audio is, or read your employee handbook before pursuing something that'll get you in hot water.
posted by angry modem at 10:21 AM on September 7, 2005

I have no idea what radio station you're talking about but may I recommend a great local radio station here in Tampa that might serve as an alternative?

WMNF Community Radio.
posted by willmize at 10:27 AM on September 7, 2005

If that site is completely innocuous you may try to contact websense about it. The sites are not necessarily added by humans. They're added by site crawlers and spiders and the like.

Websense doesn't "block". Websense categorizes. It's the IT department that chooses to block, say, sites categorized as "Entertainment". They are not going to change their category for something unless the site itself objects, most likely, as the IT department can easily override or drop the Websense filter if it prefers.

lunchtime porn surfing

Ah, Tiggle lives dangerously ....
posted by dhartung at 8:29 PM on September 7, 2005

Maybe someone can clarify the actual technology at work here, but I've heard there are ways to circumvent Websense by creating a "secure tunnel" to another machine outside the network, usually at home, and using that connection to surf the net at will. Supposedly the corporate network staff can't see it but I'm skeptical.
posted by friarjohn at 8:59 PM on September 7, 2005