Please Help!

Ballerina

any help with this would be MUCH appreciated-Someone robbed a laptop containing the notes,the books,glasses,usb key, birth cert (random) and everything else in a bag there yesterday in Quinn in UCD.:mad: If anyone hears anything or saw anything suspicious in Quinn on Wednesday please let me know cause the poor guy is basically repeating the year otherwise!!:( even if someone could just drop it in to a desk in quinn if they have it,some stupid fool has to have robbed this and the stuff in the bag are pretty much worthless to them,even 2000 photos are missed.That laptop had EVERYTHING!!!:( please please help if you can,thanks

humbert

I'm sorry to hear that, and angered. I'd a laptop charger robbed a while ago but obviously that's nothing by comparison. It makes me wonder how many of our fellow students would be willing to do something like that.

Are there cameras in that building by any chance? It would help a lot if there were cameras in areas where people are using laptops. I know that's not going to be possible everywhere, and before people say you shouldn't leave your stuff unattended, it's not feasible to pack up all your stuff every time you want to go to the toilet or go searching for a book.

Well I wish him the best of luck

besty

Sorry to hear this!

It makes you wonder, if someone came into Quinn at peak times and did a quick lap, they could make an absolute killing! Seriously, I know personal common sense will tell you not to leave your stuff unattended but cameras wouldn't be too much to ask for!

Red Alert

Oh dear! Nobody deserves that to happen to them!

It does though show the importance of making a good backup strategy - and sticking to it. I back up to the server under my stairs at home, my netsoc a/c and one of the servers in my department - the peace of mind is worth the hassle. All i have to do every day is click an icon on the desktop before i go home.

The_Minister

If there aren't cameras in the laptop areas then there really should be. It's crazy that several thousand euro worth of equipment would be left lying around.
/drafts emergency motion to council...




...(not)

EDIT: I've never done a back-up in my life, I keep procrastinating.

Red Alert

I wonder could computing services put a tracer on its mac address - we've a 'managed network' as it's called so they could possibly do it.

Ballerina

supposedly the only camera in quinn is at the entrance and only shows every five seconds.although he is allowed look at it,the desk advised him that that there would be no point as you can only see the back of their head and anyway theres no way of knowing if its his bag or not.

what about the tracing thing,might that work do you think?how does it work?

Red Alert

there's an allowed list of MAC addresses (like serial numbers). every network card has one. if this laptop was registered on the wired network its MAC address would be in computing services' database, registered to its owner.

now when you plug into the network, your computer does what's called a DHCP request, this allows it to set itself up on the network. it does this by telling the central server what its MAC address is. and the central server most likely logs that. that combined with some other jazz might even tell you what port number it's plugged into, in what building. talk to CS about it - i'm sure they might be able to help.

humbert

it's a good idea, don't think it would work on the wireless though. finding out the mac address at this stage may not be easy?

The_Minister

humbert wrote:

it's a good idea, don't think it would work on the wireless though. finding out the mac address at this stage may not be easy?

This may be a dumb suggestion, but why not get him to supply the last three places that he used wireless, and the rough times? CS must keep logs, and it wouldn't be too hard to find the number that matched all three locations and times.

Ballerina

would mean that the person who took it would have to use the laptop on campus thought yea?would they be that stupid?


(im completely awful with computers so i could well be wrong..):o

humbert

@TM, maybe, dunno if the routers would record dates and whether CS would be that helpful(seriously doubt it).

Yea, they'd have to use it on campus. I don't know if they would. All laptops of the same brand look alike so if they wiped his stuff on it you couldn't tell.

Ballerina

yea thats true,ugh i wish there was cameras all over quinn,its ridiculous,thanks for the help lads keep it coming if possible,the poor guy

jimi_t

Red Alert wrote:

there's an allowed list of MAC addresses (like serial numbers). every network card has one. if this laptop was registered on the wired network its MAC address would be in computing services' database, registered to its owner.

now when you plug into the network, your computer does what's called a DHCP request, this allows it to set itself up on the network. it does this by telling the central server what its MAC address is. and the central server most likely logs that. that combined with some other jazz might even tell you what port number it's plugged into, in what building. talk to CS about it - i'm sure they might be able to help.

An excellent idea, but my suspicions tell me that its probably on eBay.co.uk at the moment.

If he knew the serial number though, he could probably report it... dunno how effective that is. It'll definitely be on the literature that came with the laptop.

Ballerina

but wouldnt they need his password to even get onto his laptop?and if they cant get onto it it wont show up on the system?

dirtydress

This is the second incident I've heard of this lately (anyone seen the signs around arts about a laptop stolen containing 3 final year essays?). Is it worse this time of year or something? I really can't believe people would be so horrible as to steal a laptop.

I really hope your mate finds it or someone hands it back, I can't imagine how awful it must be. It wont help for notes but if he has insurance it might soften the blow a little?

humbert

Ballerina wrote:

but wouldnt they need his password to even get onto his laptop?and if they cant get onto it it wont show up on the system?

They would probably wipe everything and reinstall windows(sorry, I know this isn't good news) but the mac address is a number associated with the physical network card and would remain the same. It's what is required for registering with the ucd network but it's only really traceable on the wired network.

Ballerina

dirtydress wrote:

This is the second incident I've heard of this lately (anyone seen the signs around arts about a laptop stolen containing 3 final year essays?).
I really hope your mate finds it or someone hands it back, I can't imagine how awful it must be. It wont help for notes but if he has insurance it might soften the blow a little?

jesus three final year essays,thats awful

yea its horrible for him,really doesnt deserve this,i know theres probably not much point saying this but PLEASE if anyone knows anything about this hand it in somewhere,yea i know the stuff would be wiped but even to get the books back or anything would be a start!.....not much else i can do!

Jonny Arson

It's ridiculously easy to have your laptop nicked in the library

If I was c*nt I could just scoop yer man who has left his desk for an hour next to me his laptop into my bag underneath no probs and leg it.

Yeah there could be more cameras around the place but they'll only do so much. Really be as sensible as possible, back up anything essential and cross your fingers

mloc

I heard about this actually, my sister is good friends with the poor guy.

His laptop serial number should be registered with ILTG as it is a quinn issued laptop. Between that and the MAC address, it should be trackable.

TBH though, I doubt it's a student that did it. Probably some scumbag who jumped off a 10 bus, picked it up in Quinn, and left again. They really should increase CCTV around campus in areas where laptops are being used.

humbert

That's actually one of the best thing about the library scanner things. There are students that will rob you given the chance but it's much riskier for them than some thief who's got nothing to lose and just calls out to UCD looking for an opportunity.

Cos88

Yeah I doubt it was a student to be honest. Well, I hope it wasn't anyway.

One of my best friends had his laptop stolen from the locker he was using in Crunch Fitness just before Christmas. Door was broken in. Lucky for him we're only in 1st year and he could claim on the insurance.

Chakar

Yeah I know the guy too. He's very active in the SU.

cast_iron

Cos88 wrote:

One of my best friends had his laptop stolen from the locker he was using in Crunch Fitness just before Christmas. Door was broken in.

There was a guy who had his porsche stolen whilst using the UCD gym last year. They broke into the locker and nicked the keys. Gardai arrived and informed the owner it was probably half way across the Irish Sea by that stage.

Red Alert

I never leave my keys in the lockers in crunch for that very reason - don't have a porsche tho!

It would be interesting if CCTV was combined with an opt-in RFID system so that you could buy a tag for your laptop which would register as you entered or left any building.

mloc

I've had my wallet stolen from crunch before too. I don't use those lockers any more, and if I have to, I use the ones upstairs with CCTV on them, not the ones in the locker room.

Jonny Arson

cast_iron wrote:

There was a guy who had his porsche stolen whilst using the UCD gym last year. They broke into the locker and nicked the keys. Gardai arrived and informed the owner it was probably half way across the Irish Sea by that stage.

Student driving a Porsche to college? :eek:
Anyway that was bound to happen. Once you're known as the guy who drives a Porsche around college you're only going to become a major target by some c*nts to have your car stolen.

seraphimvc

anyone saw the poster outside the library?

can't remember clearly but it appears that a guy's laptop was stolen while he put it in his locker!:eek: 3 essays for his finals in the laptop...poor guy...i believed he is an Art student...

seriously though,stealing in UCD is quite a seriously issue.
my pen drive and gloves were stolen last year...:(

cast_iron

Jonny Arson wrote:

Student driving a Porsche to college? :eek:

He wasn't a student, but a public member of the gym.
And now that I think back, he had €5k cash and a couple of laptops in the boot also. Sounded very dodgy altogether.

:|

seraphimvc wrote:

seriously though,stealing in UCD is quite a seriously issue.
my pen drive and gloves were stolen last year...:(

My sister's mp3 player was stolen from the library as well, horrible to know it had to be a student

Tá Mé Gaeilge

i know exactly how this poor guy feels

Ballerina

how might that be i wonder???:rolleyes:

Stabshauptmann

UCD will deny any responsibility, however, thats not the end of things.

Two people in my class have had their laptops stolen from their Quinn lockers (slightly different I know). UCD denyied any responsibility but forked out after the two guys engaged a solicitor.

Though that not be of any help, the laptop is most likely covered under your home insurance,( I know that doesnt make sense to everyone, but it is) though decide yourself if its worth making a claim.

Terrible hard luck to people that it happens to, I often leave my laptop unattended for hours in the library, but not even for mins in the Quinn school. I know everyone asks the person beside them to keep and eye on it while they go to the jacks etc, but thats bloody stupid since you know yourself that you dont keep that close an eye on it for other ppl unless you know them.

Though its too late now, and I know it turns your stomach, the best thing to do is offer a reward for annonymous return (especially if there is data of importance like essays on it).

Tá Mé Gaeilge

Nah I think house insurance says if it is unattended at the time then it cant be insured. its like inviting people into your house to rob stuff.

Also i think the person involved did have everything backed up but to a USB which was in the bag.

Ballerina

i wonder why they didnt have it backed up somewhere else too...like under their stairs like clever people

Stepherunie

Ballerina wrote:

i wonder why they didn't have it backed up somewhere else too...like under their stairs like clever people

I think it takes a scare to get most people to back up - my hard drive nearly conked out on me one time - it was making the whirring noise of death - it was enough to make me back up monthly (yeah I know not great but if it's anything truly important i always have it stored on my gmail account to).

Really bad luck on that happening though. It always happens to someone around exam time. When I was doing my LC someone stole one girls Irish notes which she'd slaved over, doesn't matter how much stuff people offer you it's just not your own work.

Stabshauptmann

Tá M&#233 wrote: »

Nah I think house insurance says if it is unattended at the time then it cant be insured. its like inviting people into your house to rob stuff.

Also i think the person involved did have everything backed up but to a USB which was in the bag.

Dont be scared off. If your a commerce student you should know better by now .

Ins is there to cover things being stolen, the contract would give you the impression that unless its handcuffed to you at the time it was stolen its not covered, but thats not the case. I wouldnt even be discouraged with the first letter you get saying you're not covered.

skyhighflyer

Preaching to the choir man. I had my laptop stolen last year when I left in unattended for about four minutes in Roebuck one evening. Never did get it back. Might as well forget about it and learn from the experience, i.e there's robbing cnuts everywhere so keep a close eye on your gear.