Computer question: Is it possible to change the port an app uses to access the intern

Factual Questions
1

Here’s the deal: I can no longer play my favorite internet game (Everquest) suddenly (IE: since a few days ago)… I have tried every fix that I can think of, with no luck. I have uninstalled the game, and reinstalled it, I have updated drivers, reinstalled Win98, etc. No go!

In Win98SE, is it possible to change the port that a game uses to access the net? If so, how can I do it?

I ask because I am beginning to suspect that my university’s LAN Admin has blocked access to the port that EQ uses to access the net. If they have, is there any way around this block? Or am I screwed?

Thanks for any tips!

The upside? More time to surf the SDMB!!:wink:

2

Easy anser is " busted and No"

Long answer is… If you can find a patch that enables this AND the EQ server has that port number open then yes. I’d get a lottery ticket after that

3

Port numbers are a server-side thing. If the Everquest server is listening on port 1234 then your client will be attempting to connect to 1234. If you change your client to connect to 4321 you won’t get anywhere because nobody is listening.

4

access the intern

and here I thought her were at work

5

There are actually 2 ports that are used to connect computers over the net.

The server (EQ in this case) listens on a fixed port for incoming connection.
Your computer picks a port basically at random to use for outgoing connections.

If your LAN admin has block traffic going to EQ servers or data on the ports that EQ uses, your only option is to find a proxy server outside your LAN so that you can bounce data off it.

6

Thanks, guys! I’m hoping to find out today if the LAN Admin. has blocked access…

XPav, can you give me any tips on finding a proxy server to use? How do I go about that?

7

Hmmm… just found out from the university LAN admin that the ports used by EQ are not blocked… I’m out of ideas!

8

Have you installed any firewall software? If so, disable it. Try some other computers on the LAN (to test, not to play EQ on for 24 hrs straight).

If there is an error message, what is it?

9

XPav, the error message I get simply says “cannot connect to the EQ server” or something like that. Nothing that actually gives a clue as to what is happening.

When I was talking to the LAN Administrator earlier, he asked me to try the game on another computer. I ran over to my buddy’s room (we live in a dorm), and installed it on his computer… could not connect from his computer either. It seems to me that it must be a problem with the LAN here (either here in the dorm or with the LAN as a whole).

Anyhow, a guy is coming out to my place the day after tomorrow, and will likely either a) show me what a fool I am, and what I’m doing wrong, or b) won’t be able to figure it out either!:wink:

I’m such a cynic!

(oh, and by the way, I am using a firewall, but it is configured to let EQ through… but just in case, I have tried EQ with the firewall disabled as well…)