Reply to: Working abroad

[d000hg]

While they surely CAN find this out unless you go the VPN route (seems a good option) that relies on someone bothering to LOOK. I can't think it'd ever cross my mind to look up the IP used for logins, emails, to check what country you are in!
I suppose it's feasible they might have systems to flag this but to me that seems very unlikely... or am I naive?

Have you actually got in writing that you have to be at a certain location? If you aren't needed at the remote location and told to WFH, do they stipulate anything about where that is? They might be surprised, and accuse you of going off on holiday, but does your contract say you cannot be in the US?

[Zigenare]

People are trying to help.

What happens if the clients laptop is stolen out there and they ask for a police reference? What happens if its damaged and they offer to repair it? What happens if the ssd goes and they need to reinstall the VPN/software etc?

Be upfront man.

What happens if the work is covered by ITAR?

Orange jumpsuits all round mefinks...

[woohoo]

Ok, that’s not what I asked.
Can anyone give answer to my question?

People are trying to help.

What happens if the clients laptop is stolen out there and they ask for a police reference? What happens if its damaged and they offer to repair it? What happens if the ssd goes and they need to reinstall the VPN/software etc?

Be upfront man.

[Hobosapien]

OP, do let us know how you get on. At least one of us is bound to learn something.

Such as how you tried to pre-empt being able to work from abroad incognito but found the solution failed and couldn't be tested up front without actually being abroad.

If you need accurate technical advice, see if anyone else at client has done similar with same kit and how they managed it. Otherwise it's all a best guess and you are likely to come a cropper when putting your plan into action.

[WTFH]

Ok, that’s not what I asked.
Can anyone give answer to my question?

What answer are you looking for?

We're trying to help you by finding out more information.

Any chance they’ll find out where I’m working from?

It's possible.

I’m assuming the work laptop has spyware, runs daily analytics from what I’ve been told.

It's not spyware. The company may have tracking software on the laptop, but it's their laptop and so they are not spying.

Can I get away with working abroad?

Possibly, would need more information, but you don't want us to ask you questions such as:
1, How long you will be away for?
2. Do you have admin rights on the laptop to install software on it?
3. Are you prepared to hop on a flight at short notice to attend a meeting?

Your bigger issue would be: if you are going away and decide not to tell the client, then they find out when they need you to do something urgently and you are unavailable to do it, then you could well be kicked out of the contract. It is extremely unprofessional to run away without advising your customers that you are doing so, even if you plan to keep on working for them while away.

[nopermielifeforme]

Ok, that’s not what I asked.
Can anyone give answer to my question?

[woohoo]

FFS, man up and tell the client you'll be out of the country due to prior commitments. If they value you they'll accept a compromise.

Only other option is to cancel the trip abroad until you can fit it in with client's demands.

Stop pissing about trying to obfuscate your location as you'll be rumbled and end up being walked. For one I wouldn't be relying on in flight wifi to secure an unbroken VPN connection over several hours. Wouldn't surprise me if the client VPN setting disallow access from a foreign IP if they are that sensitive about it. i.e. There is no way you can be sure any of these half-assed schemes will work and when you try to put them into action you'll have no recourse with the client.

Sometime there is no option but to be honest with the client at risk of the contract. That's the world you're playing in.

I agree, be up front.

[Hobosapien]

FFS, man up and tell the client you'll be out of the country due to prior commitments. If they value you they'll accept a compromise.

Only other option is to cancel the trip abroad until you can fit it in with client's demands.

Stop pissing about trying to obfuscate your location as you'll be rumbled and end up being walked. For one I wouldn't be relying on in flight wifi to secure an unbroken VPN connection over several hours. Wouldn't surprise me if the client VPN setting disallow access from a foreign IP if they are that sensitive about it. i.e. There is no way you can be sure any of these half-assed schemes will work and when you try to put them into action you'll have no recourse with the client.

Sometime there is no option but to be honest with the client at risk of the contract. That's the world you're playing in.

[nopermielifeforme]

Thanks for your responses.

I have to connect to the client vpn via the laptop they’ve provided. No access via home computer. There’s a lot of security this the reason for no home access.
I like working for the client, great gig, so no ultimatum or walking away, as mentioned it’s an emergency and trying to keep all parties happy.
I’ll use roaming and connect my laptop to my phone, but one slight concern; I’m flying out during the day, I’ll be up in the air for 9 hours or so. Ill need to be available via email and was thinking of paying for the inflight WiFi - again I’ll need to connect to the company vpn.
1) connecting to the airline WiFi will that flag my location?
2) Any back up suggestions, in case I get f’d by my mobile operator out there and need to connect to the internet?

[Old Greg]

Will anyone phone you and hear a foreign ring tone?

[woohoo]

I agree with the above. I know contractors that have used 'Log Me In' to access their home PC from client when working away during the week. No need to use a 'dodgy' VPN provider to pretend you're in the UK if you're home PC is in the UK and always on. There are probably other similar tools that load something onto your PC to allow remote connection through home router without messing about with firewall settings by using HTTP for connectivity.

You can then use the client's VPN to connect from home PC, presuming it will work without cutting off the remote access.

Famous last words, but this is how a couple of devs worked from home and they required access to various resources via a vpn from their office pc.

[Hobosapien]

Sounds like you need to use a VPN with your client.

So, I would remote desktop from the USA to your home PC. Then, connect from your home PC to the client via the VPN. It's gonna be slower than normal but I've known developers to work this way.

Personally, I would be upfront and tell them. Walk if you have to.

I agree with the above. I know contractors that have used 'Log Me In' to access their home PC from client when working away during the week. No need to use a 'dodgy' VPN provider to pretend you're in the UK if you're home PC is in the UK and always on. There are probably other similar tools that load something onto your PC to allow remote connection through home router without messing about with firewall settings by using HTTP for connectivity.

You can then use the client's VPN to connect from home PC, presuming it will work without cutting off the remote access.

[woohoo]

Without revealing too much information, the majority of VPNs you can find on a search engine are not legitimate and are in fact run by criminal entities via shell companies.
They'll be monitoring your traffic and can potentially perform replay attacks.

A Japanese University run vpngate.net - it's an open alliance to provide free VPNs via their software. It's opensource.

If you're just heading abroad for a short time then there are a lot of UK VPNs on it, as well as other countries, should you wish to connect via another country.

Interesting...but it sounds like the op has to connect to his client via a vpn. If he is in the US can he connect to a U.K. vpn then connect to the client via the clients vpn?

I could be wrong but that’s how I read the op post and why I suggested connecting to home pc and then connect to client using their vpn.

[rogerfederer]

Without revealing too much information, the majority of VPNs you can find on a search engine are not legitimate and are in fact run by criminal entities via shell companies.
They'll be monitoring your traffic and can potentially perform replay attacks.

A Japanese University run vpngate.net - it's an open alliance to provide free VPNs via their software. It's opensource.

If you're just heading abroad for a short time then there are a lot of UK VPNs on it, as well as other countries, should you wish to connect via another country.

[woohoo]

Sounds like you need to use a VPN with your client.

So, I would remote desktop from the USA to your home PC. Then, connect from your home PC to the client via the VPN. It's gonna be slower than normal but I've known developers to work this way.

Personally, I would be upfront and tell them. Walk if you have to.