problem connecting to server and lobby chat

[andy_5995]

I thought it would be good to start a thread on this to keep track of any progress made on the issue, and for other users who may experience the same problem.

Player Kitten reports that while on her home network, she is unable to connect to an MG game server, and unable to connect to the lobby. She can get to the screen where the servers are listed.

Using the same computer, a Macbook running Mac OS 10.9.5, and the same installation of MG, she is able to connect on a different network.

Her home network uses Verizon as an ISP.

Through troubleshooting with her on IRC (she is *very* easy to work with!), I've determined the problem is either Verizon blocking outgoing ports (but found no information in search engines to verify this), or the router on her home network. Presently, she is not sure if she can gain access to the router to check for blocked outgoing ports.

A third possible reason may be that the firewall on her computer is set up to use different zones.

I have very little experience in configuring a firewall to use zones, but I know that zones can allow different types of access when the computer is connected to one network, but on another network the firewall rules may be different.

I suggest anyone who has experienced a similar problem reply to this forum post or contact the MG team : https://megaglest.org/contact

[andy_5995]

I forget to mention: another test I did with Kitten was running the MG server on port 8080 and 5900. I set up the port-forwarding on my router the same way I do when I run on port 61357. I also made the appropriate change to my firewall (iptables).

She had the same result trying to connect to my server on both those ports.

I tried to think of a way to test for *outbound* blocked ports but came up blank at the time.

I was trying to think of a tool similar to Shields Up!, but I eventually found this: http://portquiz.net:8080/

I sent her the link and she couldn't connect to that page. This verifies outbound port 8080 is blocked on her home network, and suggests that 61357 is also likely blocked.

Any other ports we could try? I tried running MG on port 80, but it just couldn't bind

[titi]

what is this thread good for ? You want to tell us that you cannot play MG online if you are in a network that blocks everything? Well that's right and there are no plans to work around it.

[andy_5995]

titi, I posted it here to see if anyone else thought there was another reason, something I'd missed, to "double-check" my troubleshooting. My intention was to be helpful, not to annoy you by posting a useless thread.

And I thought by posting this thread, it had the potential to help other people who may have similar issues in the future.

Any "work-around" I had meant to ask about was suggestions about other ports I could try running my server on to help Kitten connect.

I haven't seen her around the lobby for a while though, so I don't really know if she plans to play again.

Since I posted, one other possible reason for the blocking that occurred to me was that she might connect through a proxy server on her home network.