Firewall...

[Whyndam]

I tried logging into Eternal City from work, but we are behind a firewall. I am just curious if TEC is like Castle Marrach in the respect that you cannot play it if you are behind a firewall?
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Sean Everette

[Annatar]

I'm not a network guru, but I believe TEC will run through a firewall as long as your firewall doesn't block the Telnet port the game runs on. I could of course be wrong. :)

[Metharus]

I used to try to get on TEC at school, but the java aplet would just stay gray, like it was still loading up. It never did load up, could that be due to a firewall?

[ScottM]

Unless you can get your sysadmin to open the port that TEC (or whichever game) runs on, you won't be able to access it from behind a firewall (assuming the game in question doesn't run on the regular telnet port). TEC runs on port 6730.

[Jolee]

Why is it I can run TEC on Netscape but not IE? I was able to run IE 5.5 yesterday, but last night I could not get the actual game page to load. I couldn't even get the grey screen.

I could get the TEC Banner and the vote buttons, but below that, the white screen with the Windows icon that you see while loading (or trying to load). You know, the square with the red square, circle and triangle. It usually goes away when the image or page finishes loading. However, it just stops there. Once I got a "Cannot find page" error message.

I updated my brower. I run Windows ME. Why could I load, but now I can't? I'm just grateful I have Netscape to fall back on.

Anyone have any ideas?

:mad:

[Govan]

Prolly have java disabled? if you use a program like intermute which kills banners (my roomie does, which is why I never played on netscape), it might be set to disable java.

If you go to tools>internet options - check to see if you have java on, not javascript, but Java :)

that's the only thing I can think of. the little icon placeholder basically means that you don't have the proper thingie to load java..

[TECForever]

Jolee, if you have everything backed up, the last thing you could try is reinstalling Win98.

Otherwise, try installing IE 5.5 off a cd you might have. If you use ISP's like Earthlink, or MSN, they usually have a setup file on the cd for MIE.

I personally ALWAYS recommend reinstalling Win98 for problems that don't seem to have any solutions, because well, reinstalling the OS usually is a solution 9/10.

Also as someone stated before, try going to TOOLS - INTERNET OPTIONS - ADVANCED (tab) - JAVA VM (scroll down to it). Here's the Java Virtual Machine settings. Make sure you have VIT set on, and have the most current version. Doing a Windows Update will either have JVM to download (upgrade with) or it won't. Then reboot, and try again.

[TECForever]

As far as firewalls go, if you have Norton's Internet Security (NIS), you can configure TEC to be allowed on the port that it works with, rather than open the port fully to any connection with any computer. Most firewalls have a way to do that. So ask around about it on their support site for your firewall, or call them up.

[Bruce]

The problem with IE 5.5 is happening to a couple of people, not just Jolee. I'm looking into it, but haven't had much success yet. Installing IE 5.5 with service pack 1 on my Win98 machine worked just fine. :( If you're having these problems, drop me a private message on here, or send mail to support@worlds-apart.com. I've got some of the problems narrowed down and will likely have some test HTML pages to try various fixes on over the next day or two.

- Bruce

[Seidl]

Two things, as the guy doing most of the work on the java client for Marrach.

1) IE 5.5 has really crappy java support. :( Its just the way it is. I know the java marrach client tends to not work on IE 5.5, but I haven't truely investigated it.

2) Firewalls - RSN the Marrach java client will have some support for socks firewalls and netcat. The UI to these features is still non-existant, but they will be there. I'm not sure how different the TEC client is, but I would guess that the code could be ported over. Assuming it works like I think it does that is. :)

-=- Matt

ps. I only kinda skim this board, so if you really really want to send something to me, email me.

[Daniel Cole]

ok so does this game run on the "normal" port which you can use with out having to have it opened? You gave the number but I don't know enough to know if that is the normal port. Also..how bad is the lag on the game? I could run it from home (I may) but only have a 14.4 modem over a phone line work is sooooo much faster.

Thanks in advance!

[Jakester2000]

Maybe I'm just biased, but I had a 14.4 modem back in 1991. You're working, put 10 dollers a week away to the purchase of a 56k modem. Used or new. Or even a 33.6. Anything but a 14.4.. Geez. I can barely remember that. It must be slow grueling hell! :D
I'm not trying to bust your chops or anything. but for a few weeks worth of saving you could relax at home with TEC, drink a beer, have a snack or two.. Without worrying about your boss looking over your shoulder. That way if you ever get fired, you already have the 56k! You can play TEC 24/7!

YAY! WHOO HOO!!

Can anyone tell I've been up all night? :)

[Daniel Cole]

you are of course correct, was going to do it here during the lunch hour. Job is only for the summer then I go back to college, where I know I won't have time. Having to save this summer for the tution for next year. Sigh may still get a better modem however. Is not often PCGamer gives a text based mud such a good review.

[Atama]

ok so does this game run on the "normal" port which you can use with out having to have it opened?

I am what you might call a network guru of sorts. At least I am one of the people responsible for maintaining my corporation's LAN.

When you send data out over the internet, it uses different ports. These are like doors leading to a building, they all go to the same place, they are just different ways of getting in. On a typical computer all ports are open, you can send and receive data on all of them.

A firewall blocks certain ports, basically ALL ports that the administrator or whoever writing the scripts doesn't open. Certain ports are given standard roles, 80 is usually used for HTML (cruising the web), but none are set in stone.

For the game to work with a firewall, it needs to send and receive data from a port that the admin opens. The problem is that this is up to the admin, you can GUESS which ports he has open, but you can't be sure. Stuff like FTP, Telnet, POP3, HTTP, those ports are probably open so people can get their jobs done, so if the TEC client can be configured to use those ports (doubtful) you might be able to get around it. Otherwise, you need to go to the admin and request that a port be opened, and then they'll ask you what it's for. And if he's like me he'll laugh in your face when you tell him you need it to play a game at work.:D

By the way, anything you do on the internet will be prevented if you have a firewall and the port it tries to use is blocked. This includes TEC, Castle Marrach, any MUD, even web surfing and downloading if the ports are blocked.

[Atilian]

*screams* New job.... new firewall.... no TEC... *gags* *chokes*

[Delirium]

It's... it's... Atama! Yay! :p

[Jolee]

Originally posted by Delirium
It's... it's... Atama! Yay! :p

*grunts*

Look at the date of his post. :(

[Delirium]

Ah well. So I'm not too observant. *coughs* ;)