MovedGoalPosts
16-10-2003, 12:19
Ntl are quite clear in their terms and conditions that many of their phone and internet services are for residential use only. In these days of technology allowing and encouraging increasing mobility and homeworking, is it reasonable for ntl to imply that residential use excludes homeworkers, or are ntl even more restrictive than that?
We know that VPN internet connections are outlawed (at least that is the strict interpretation of the AUP, even if Bill Goodland some time ago said that wasn't quite the intention, it just wasn't supported, but as ntl can tell you to stop it, it seems banned). The majority of those who would use VPN are probably homeworkers connecting to their office servers. Now we see the blocking of port 135 to deal with a virus, on the face of it a legitimate idea, apart from affecting anyone who might use Exchange server software (mostly business users within office based LANs I admit, but you get the point).
I'm not trying to get a debate on whether these specific technologies should or should not be permitted. I'm sure other threads are capable of that.
Where does the residential use line get drawn? I have a day off work. Can I then use my residential internet to send an email to the office, or can I even make and recieve an urgent phone call to a client. Strictly speaking that is a business use, so I would have breached my residential contract. I am at home in the evening. I want to send a report in so ready for next day, can I do it? Can I even browse the internet, looking up matters for some research into a training course I would like to be sent on? I receive emails sent to me by my professional institution inviting me to check their website. That has to do with my work, so is that wrong? Ultimately if you even phone in sick, that is being done in connection with your work, so it could be wrong.
I'm sure that I have even seen adverts or promotionals in the past from ntl promoting Broadband for homeworkers, so are homeworkers acceptable if you work for somebody else, but not if you operate your own business from home?
Or am I just being paranoid?
We know that VPN internet connections are outlawed (at least that is the strict interpretation of the AUP, even if Bill Goodland some time ago said that wasn't quite the intention, it just wasn't supported, but as ntl can tell you to stop it, it seems banned). The majority of those who would use VPN are probably homeworkers connecting to their office servers. Now we see the blocking of port 135 to deal with a virus, on the face of it a legitimate idea, apart from affecting anyone who might use Exchange server software (mostly business users within office based LANs I admit, but you get the point).
I'm not trying to get a debate on whether these specific technologies should or should not be permitted. I'm sure other threads are capable of that.
Where does the residential use line get drawn? I have a day off work. Can I then use my residential internet to send an email to the office, or can I even make and recieve an urgent phone call to a client. Strictly speaking that is a business use, so I would have breached my residential contract. I am at home in the evening. I want to send a report in so ready for next day, can I do it? Can I even browse the internet, looking up matters for some research into a training course I would like to be sent on? I receive emails sent to me by my professional institution inviting me to check their website. That has to do with my work, so is that wrong? Ultimately if you even phone in sick, that is being done in connection with your work, so it could be wrong.
I'm sure that I have even seen adverts or promotionals in the past from ntl promoting Broadband for homeworkers, so are homeworkers acceptable if you work for somebody else, but not if you operate your own business from home?
Or am I just being paranoid?