College will not let me play online games.. can anyone help or tell me why.

[SNiPeRX]

They said they have a packet blocker or something like that because of bandwith being taken up.
We can still play on our network but I cannot connect to online internet games. This is driving me insane. Kazaa wouldnt even work, until i used socks chain to connect to a socks5 address. Does anyone know a work around or anything I could do so I can play online games??? THANKS

 

[bigalt]

the short answer is, you're stuck.

most likely what happened is that the network admins only allow traffic on legit ports, like the ones that ftp and http use, and games won't usually run on those.

two ways i can think of that you could get around it would be
1) make friends with one of said admins, try to get him to open up your computer and promise you won't be downloading/uploading anything of great volume or illegal nature.

2) set up a computer outside that you'll basically bounce your packets off of (a proxy), like if your parents have a broadband connection at home. it'll be really slow, but should work.

 

[groovin]

bigalt said it... proxy, but itll be slow...

careful about what you try though... lots of colleges are cracking down and revoking students internet privledges if caught...

makes me glad i went to college when i did a few years ago.... we had a full T1 in our dorm and pure unadulterated access to the internet.

 

[nsafreak]

They probably don't have a packet blocker, that would be silly. What they have more likely than not is a packet shaper. What it will do is allow certain types of packets to be transmitted across and out the network and will not allow certain packets in or out of the network. So you can set kazaa or whatever game you want to play on whatever port until you're blue in the face and it still won't work because it'll know its not a packet type that's allowed. Basically you're screwed royally as a proxy won't help your situation at all. Best bet is to try to make friends with an admin and hope they open the game ports. They're more likely to open those up than kazaa because they generate a lot less traffic.

 

[wjsulliv]

Very possible the connection to the outside world (firewall on the router to the www) is blocking those ports.

As such you can play the games on the inside of the firewall but not through the firewall.

 

[djNickb]

Reminds me of the time I was helping down at the university's help desk and I got a call from a kid asking how to get around the firewall so he could host a ftp server. I said sure, I just need your name, campus phone number, and MAC address. The fool actually gave em to me and I forwarded that info on to the admins lol. Almost as good as the kid that wanted me to help him install his pirated copy of Windows XP on his laptop at the help desk. I ask the kid where his cd-key is and he's like "oh I need to get online for a second" he then proceeds to head to a warez site and download a file with a serial in it. I promptly told the kid to beat it before I report him. Some people lol ......................

 

[n0cmonkey]

Dear Abuse@citadel.edu,
Please help gaborj1@citadel.edu understand your policies on Internet usage. As you can see by his post on Anandtech (located here), he is currently circumventing your measures to keep your networks clean. Please use blunt instruments to explain why your policies are the way they are. Thanks, and have a great day!

Anyways, write a paper. Write a professional paper. I know it's tough to do when you have 4 years of playing games, drinking horrible beer, participating in recreational drugs, and screwing anything that walks. But I think you can manage to find the time. Address the paper to the IT staff and possibly the dean.

What you will want include in the paper is:

• How allowing Kazaa and networked games increases the GPA of the student populace.

• How allowing Kazaa and networked games decreases activity over the internet connection, and allows more students to use the internet work studious purposes.

• How allowing Kazaa and networked games increases the security of the network and the general student populace (in relations to online security threats).

• How allowing Kazaa and networked games actually decreases IT costs.

• How allowing Kazaa and networked games can put the College or University in a better legal standing with important U.S. agencies as the RIAA, the MPAA, and the FBI piracy and fraud divisions.

If you can adequately explain these simple points, the administration would be stupid to not turn on access to those valuable resources.

Or you could get your own internet connection instead of risking your education. Or you could study. :Q

EDIT: forgot to close my last bullet.

 

[JackMDS]

In my college if you are accepted to Graduate School for Online Gaming they give you Hi-Speed Internet line for Free.

However taken into consideration the lucrative Job market in On-Line Gaming, it is easier to get into Med. School than to be accepted for a Doctorate in On Line Gaming. (Med. School ?sucks? they only give you free Cadavers.)

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
In my college if you are accepted to Graduate School for Online Gaming they give you Hi-Speed Internet line for Free.

However taken into consideration the lucrative Job market in On-Line Gaming, it is easier to get into Med. School than to be accepted for a Doctorate in On Line Gaming.(Med. School ?sucks? they only give you free Cadavers.)

mmmm cadavers.