How can I keep a sysadmin on a short path from finding me?

I have a mission that requires me to copy 90 Gqs of data from a server on a LAN. The server is behind a dial-up poxy, and only by a few hops.

The shortest path to the server goes:

MODEM -> LOCK -> MAIN SERVER

The path I have to follow (and I've seen the sysadmin track) is:

MODEM -> HUB -> AUTHENTICATION SERVER -> LOCK -> MAIN SERVER

Even with the network's Monitor and Proxy bypassed, the sysadmin still jumps on the network the minute I even touch the main server. I don't even have to start cracking the password or spoofing his voice authorization - just connecting to the main server is enough to trigger this.

With the short path, and the amount of work still ahead of me, there's not enough time for me to do what I need to get done before the sysadmin reaches me.

Is there some way around this that I'm not realizing? This is a storyline mission, so I imagine there has to be - unless the random LAN generator just totally screws the player now and then.

Am I out of luck here, or should I be doing something particular to overcome this?

When you're dealing with short LAN paths, one trick is to connect to the server, crack the non-password protections first, and then disconnect (and remove InterNIC logs, as usual). The cracked protections will stay unlocked when you reconnect, meaning you only have to crack the password, and then copy files.

You can save additional time by opening both the password cracker, the file copier, and the memory view before reconnecting, and also bump up the CPU usage for the cracker so it can work faster (do the same with the file copier when the cracker is done). This should allow you to get at least one of the files in time, and from there, repeat until you have everything you need.

On rare occasions, this might still not be enough. If that happens, then there is unfortunately little you can do about it, except possibly upgrading your gateway to the 10Gq/s modem - which might also require downgrading your gateway overall, since IIRC, only the file server gateway can use it, but in my experience it hasn't been much of an issue.

Once you get connected to the main server, start mashing the back button. Then move yourself as far away from your connection point as possible. DO NOT CONNECT TO ANYTHING ELSE. Connecting to anything else will break your connection to the main server. The admin will then proceed to follow that path. Then, you can close the LAN view, and you'll still be connected to the main server. Download/destroy/whatever it is you need to do, and check occasionally on the LAN view. If he's close, mash back again, pick another path, and close LAN view once more to continue working the server.

Becomes so much easier when you do that.

You will likely have to do several trips to pull all the information you need, both because of limited time and limited memory. Do you need to use any tools that are CPU-bound to infiltrate the server? If you do, upgrading your CPU could help, and upgrading your modem will help download the data faster.

You could also try working on your own speed: have the necessary tools ready to go and click like the wind in order not to waste any seconds idling.

Stealing data from a mainframe is one of the most annoying mission types, but I've never seen a mission that was downright impossible.