Proxy Servers

erasmus · Post by **erasmus** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 11:10 pm

I'm in Uni

YAY

But can't play TU

NOOOOOOES

How can I play TU through a proxy server?

Post by **DeVice** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:46 am

As far i know it's not possible at the moment, because
1) the game use UDP which isn't often "proxied" by proxies.
2) the game use many different ports to communicate to different servers : galaxy, chat server, worlds...

All that is said from someone who haven't looked at the game network code in a while, though. Mit may know more.

Post by **Mit** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 12:06 pm

I've played the game through a proxy before without problem.. but theres nothing specific i can do in code to make it work if your network isnt allowing it - Its basically a question of whether your network admin will allow this sorta thing to happen, and im guessing at a university its not gonna be possible to convince him to change the setup.

Subspace got round proxy problems by providing a program that did the routing for you - but that prog had to be explicitly run on the proxy machine.. again, something i cant imagine a university admin will be willing to arrange for you.

So sorry.. looks like you might be stuck there.

(Unless you can cunningly befriend the network admin guy, buy him loads of beers, sell him your sister and convince him you need the UDP forwarding to further your education)

Technical side-note :]..

2) the game use many different ports to communicate to different servers : galaxy, chat server, worlds...

Nope, the client uses just the 1 UDP socket to do all its outgoing comms (Except for web downloads, which are kept completely separate).

zaroba · Post by **zaroba** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 12:50 pm

what about just coding something into the client where people can input a proxy ip, user, and pass like alot of other internet programs have?

Post by **Mit** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:16 pm

what about just coding something into the client where people can input a proxy ip, user, and pass like alot of other internet programs have?

I like the use of the word 'just"... :]
yeh i can "just" code that. No problem allowing someone to enter that stuff.

No idea what i'd do with the details after the person had entered them tho

I could write something that emails the details back to the person, if you like, or posts the details on a website or something. But as for actually using the details to route communications through their proxy server.. well, i havent got a clue how thats done :] (Obviously the people who wrote subspace didnt know either.)..

so.. i should correct my earlier statement..
"theres nothing specific i can do in code to make it work if your network isnt allowing it "
should read..
"theres nothing i know how to do in code to make it work if your network isnt allowing it"

Post by **DeVice** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:29 pm

There exist some specific ways/protocols to talk to proxies, requesting them "ok mr proxy, I'm an authorized user, now just forward my packets to server at ip xxx on port yyy. And gimme the replys you got back. Please. Hurry !".

But I think there are many, it would take time to investigate what's the best way, learn how it works and code it.

Mit : Ah, nice to learn about the unique port. That's a nice trick

I suppose you couldn't have done that with TCP, 'cos of its "connected" way of working ?

erasmus · Post by **erasmus** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:38 pm

So I can't play The Universal for four years then

Well, barring you fixing the problem, see you in four years

Post by **Fooli** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:08 pm

Mit's idea of befriending the network admin works best for me. Or, something more cunning: find a way of relating your "work" for the game into your course, and get your tutors to demand they open the port on the network, or something. Of course that means you'd have to be studying sociology ("examining the dynamics of online interactions") or art ("Internet content: the new paradigm") or something equally pointless. But it might be worth a go :)
f

zaroba · Post by **zaroba** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:27 pm

anything having to do with how people react in economic situations could be realavent to an economics course

Post by **Mit** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:52 am

Mit : Ah, nice to learn about the unique port. That's a nice trick I suppose you couldn't have done that with TCP, 'cos of its "connected" way of working ?

Aye.. tho thats not the primary reasons for using UDP.. just a pleasant side effect. (The primary reasons being that UDP doesnt have the bloated msg headers that TCP does, and using TCP enforces an in-order guaranteed connection - which isnt always appropriate - writing your own on UDP allows you to implement more flexible guaranteed systems that are more suitable for many game situations). (Although, of course, writing your own means its more likely to break down too :] )

erasmus · Post by **erasmus** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:00 am

zaroba wrote:anything having to do with how people react in economic situations could be realavent to an economics course

So, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Studies doesn't really count under that heading does it?

Fix it Mit, you know the Universal will fall apart without my input.
No?
Oh.
Well, fix it anyway

Post by **DeVice** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:41 am

I'm afraid your university proxy farm combined with their firewall settings will not allow the game out, whatever we could do on our side.

Moreover, you're not even allowed to try to get help from a network admin... unless you make them believe it's academic work

Extract from http://www.inf.aber.ac.uk/stunet/hallsexplain.asp#wtc :

What things can’t I use on the network from my room?

It is important to realise that the University does not attempt to offer the full set of non-academic services that a commercial ISP can offer. The UWA network and the JANET network it is part of are publicly funded for academic use and UWA has neither the network nor staff resources to support widespread non-academic use. An amount of such use is allowed where it DOES NOT 1) inpinge to any great extent on the bandwidth available to academic users; and 2) in any way compromise the security of the network; and 3) involve staff in altering any system settings or requiring them to validate the reliability of software.

Looks like your wouldn't be the first to ask

erasmus · Post by **erasmus** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:54 am

DeVice wrote: Extract from http://www.inf.aber.ac.uk/stunet/hallsexplain.asp#wtc :

...how do you know which uni i am at?

Post by **Mit** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:41 am

ip is logged when you use the forums

Post by **DeVice** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:13 am

Mit wrote:ip is logged when you use the forums

Shhh, we agreed to tell them i'm a wizard in those case

Post by **Mit** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 11:46 am

oh yeh, oops.

sorry.
Device is a wizard who can sense a person's last used IP address just from sniffing their aura.

There. They'll never know now

erasmus · Post by **erasmus** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 2:00 pm

Mit wrote:oh yeh, oops.

sorry.
Device is a wizard who can sense a person's last used IP address just from sniffing their aura.

There. They'll never know now

Ah, so there is a logical explanation then.
I thought it might have been something out-landish and mystical, like, say, that ones IP is logged when they visit the forum.
Silly me, eh?