My browser crashed and I lost my very detailed reply
![Cry :'(](https://www.diasfora.co.uk/Smileys/default/cry.gif)
In brief, from what I recall:
My old university opened their ports after 7pm to allow residents to connect their consoles and bittorrents some internet access.
Before they did that, I used to use a SSH tunnel to get my kicks. I got a warning for that.
Usenet always seemed to work, but it will cost money. From what I've heard, the speed and content you get is worth the money.
At university, I used to use DC++. It works really well within the LAN - someone sets up a hub, everyone connects to it using DC++ (or whatever other client they want), and you get LAN speeds. I got 1MB/s (yay!).
If the university got a copyright infringement notice, the computer people would disconnect that computer/room from the network. To get their connection back, they'd have to prove the file does not exist on their PC any more.
I don't know if London universities are as lenient. Your best option is to wait and see. Maybe make friends with the computer science guys. Especially that quiet spotty fat one with the thick glasses and filthy t-shirt, they're always a lot of fun
![Cheesy :D](https://www.diasfora.co.uk/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif)
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