KWSN Orbiting Fortress

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Well, today after about 2 hours of tinkering, I got remote management and (near) real-time monitoring (BoincView) setup and working with a system that's several thousand miles (and countries) away. It actually went together pretty easily, but is rather involved on the client side (need someone with at least a bit of a clue).

I ended up using DynDNS (free dynamic DNS service) to assign a static host name to both systems that is resolvable, both for the ability to locate each other as well as sort of a low-key authentication. Since the BOINC manager allows you to specify a DNS name in the remote hosts configuration, I used that to lock it down to just the system that resolves my DNS name, and likewise setup BoincView to connect based on the other users DNS name.

I sent him the .cfg files directly to be dropped into the BOINC directory, and that came back up no problem. Had to configure his firewall to pass traffic on one port, and boom came online.

Unfortunately, the current version (and next beta) of BoincView don't work with WCG (at least not for me, always says the account doesn't exist or password is wrong), so I had to sign up for a new malaria control account lol.
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mohrorless · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:44 am Post subject:

The kNIghts shall rule!
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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

I isolated the WCG bug, and how to work around it. I've notified the BoincView author to see what he thinks. But, for future reference should anyone else have this problem, if BoincView reports that your WCG account doesn't exist or password is invalid, try using all lower case for your name regardless what it actually is. Like my user name is KWSN - JerWA and that wouldn't work in BoincView, despite working just fine on the WCG site. Using kwsn - jerwa, however, worked in BoincView. Go figure.

That said, the machine in Australia is happily crunching a Malaria work unit, and sending me updates every 60 seconds. Pretty keen stuff.
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mohrorless · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:08 am Post subject:

Shrub on!

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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

The updated farm:

And from before: (It's interesting the changes in info and benchmarks over client versions, I think all of these were on 5.4.11)

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Lloyd M. · Prince Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 521

Very cool. Glad you got all that going.

I may hit you up for advice if I ever want to try something similar. #ni-2

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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Lloyd,

Yeah, it actually came together easier than I thought it would. It was really a practice run for my borging the network in Texas. I learned some things, and am confident the next one will go smoother. Should be able to do the whole thing in about 15 minutes now.

It also helped me figure out something that should have been evident from the beginning. At first I thought I was going to have to setup a VPN from Texas to me, because there will be multiple machines behind a single IP. Then I realized I could use dynamic DNS to name each host. THEN it dawned on me I didn't even need to do that, I could use a single host name to represent the network, and individual ports for each system (since BOINC Manager & BoincView let you define that). So I could set it to be something like texasboinc.kicks-ass.net (they have funny domain names on Dyn DNS hehe) and then set each host to a successively higher port. 31416 for the first, 417, 418, 419, 420 etc for the rest. Will require some tweaking on the inside though, to statically assign IPs to the internal machines so that forwarding rules will always go to the same host.

Should be fun though. And when it's all done, I'll be like The Godfather watching over my (not so) little empire.

Edit: Fixing broken image links.
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Lloyd M. · Prince Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 521

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Well, still no luck taking over Texas, but I HAVE been busy!

Since I last posted, I've borged 2 more machines. One in Canada and one in Alaska. w00!

I am, right this second, trying to borg a second machine in Australia. I'm international and stuff!

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alpha_fruit · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:53 am Post subject:

Are you a hacker, hacking into all the worldly PC'S

Please don't hack mine, you would be in a world of hurt. #ni-1

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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Another update, the 2nd Australia system is online.

My sig is updated as well. This image is a photoshop job though. As I add machines it gets harder and harder to catch them all online at once. Since I have 2 systems offline at the moment (the other Australian system ironically enough, which is normal, and one of my Core2s which will be back up today), I just photoshopped the new line in and edited the totals.

And no, I'm no hacker. I'm a network security specialist, my job is to keep the hax0rz out! These are just my friends, who I've infected with the BOINC bug. They're all wrapped up in my competition with Al Dente, and more fired up than me to over take him hehe. In fact, several of them are planning new systems to step up the contest. If they all follow through with their plans, Al will be the one scrambling to borg more machines.
#ni-1

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mohrorless · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

alpha_fruit · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 8:19 am Post subject:

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

You're next Mr. Mohr.

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Rig #10 added to the farm.

It's another Athlon 64 3000+, though of a different core than the other one. This system is in Canada hehe.

As mentioned in another thread, I have some more potential systems on the hook and I'm trying to reel them in. At least one more in Aussyland, with 2 or 3 possible systems there, another system and possibly 2 in Canada, and I've finally starting working on getting my Texas network back up. I've got most of the groundwork done there, and should have the first system back in the farm within the next few days. We'll see how fast I can get the other 6 systems there online.
#ni-1

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mohrorless · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

How long before you are discovered and all the credit from those machines is tossed?
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JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

What do you mean "discovered"? All of these machines are with consent, and require rather involved setup from the user. There's definitely no way to hide it or to do it without their consent, as it involves setting up a dynamic dns account, a dynamic dns updater, opening ports in the firewall/router, opening ports in software firewalls, installing BOINC, and then putting 2 files into BOINCs directory to enable remote management. A "stealthy" solution it is not. I only wish I had a way to do it w/o involving the user, then I could just ask and do it myself. I'm sure it would be way faster and easier than guiding people through the process hehe.
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Lloyd M. · Prince Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 521

Sir Cracked of the Mind · Guest

All sounds a bit complicated to me, why not just get them to open an account on their machine in your name?

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Because that would require giving them my password, and would not allow me to manage their BOINC. Managing is as important as the password issue. It's not like I can just buzz on up to Canada, or Alaska, or Australia where these systems are located any time they need to switch projects.
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