HOWTO: Play AO if your network admin has blocked all gaming ports

[Yabeyabe]

It took me quite a few hours of reading to figure out how to do it, so I figured that I would post a short howto in case anyone else has had problems getting AO to run on a network where the admins have blocked all of the gaming ports. (Huge thanks to Stick for pointing me in the right direction)

1. Go to your-freedom.net
2. Register (Don't worry, it's free) and download the windows installer *linux users see below
3. Install the program and click through the wizard to find a list of servers near you
4. Download Sockscap 2.40 (or the latest version)
5. Setup Sockscap with the following settings.
6. In Sockscap, click New and add Anarchy.exe and Client.exe
7. Startup freedom's app and connect to a nearby server
8. Startup Client.exe from sockscap, and have fun!

Good luck! And use at your own risk. The network admins probably won't be too happy if they figure out what you're doing, so don't blame me if you get into some trouble.

*Linux users:

It's slightly more complicated for linux users, but I didn't have too much trouble getting it all up and running on Ubuntu 6.10. The only differences for me, was that I had to use the java based installer for freedom, and I used cedega to install Sockscap. You'll also get an error when AO starts up (something about not getting updated dimensions / using chached ones), but everything should still start up like normal. You'll need cedega to be the default program set to open .exe files, because you will start up sockscap in cedega, then start AO by starting the client.exe file in Sockscap)

[minigal]

the problem with this is that your downloading an installer. if yor company is running daily scans on your pc, they may find an .exe that isn't on the "approved/company standards" list and will:

1) delete it
2) put you on watch (same goes for hitting the freedom.net site)

another way to get this is to befriend your local IT support people or network admin. there is always a proxy configuration that is not published and unmonitored (used by admins lol).

or switch to wireless and leech off an unprotected access point

[Stick]

the problem with this is that your downloading an installer. if yor company is running daily scans on your pc, they may find an .exe that isn't on the "approved/company standards" list and will:

1) delete it
2) put you on watch (same goes for hitting the freedom.net site)

another way to get this is to befriend your local IT support people or network admin. there is always a proxy configuration that is not published and unmonitored (used by admins lol).

or switch to wireless and leech off an unprotected access point

no offense, but what you're saying here doesn't relate to this. let me explain. if the company runs that system scan everyday, do you think they will not find the AO installation? mood point.
besides, avon's case is something different.

[IT_Ninja]

Just a note - at work I've ran into a few people who like to use public proxy servers that our filter list has somehow neglected.

All "privledges" that we normally alot to users (so many megs of streaming video/audio per day along with access to personal finance sites among other things) were stripped from them and all of their network activity is heavily monitored.

If your company has a Computer Use Policy, make sure you read it over carefully and know what you're getting into or you'll be put on the IT department's s@#! list

[TheWalrus]

Does it need to be installed?

At my work the scans are being done, but directories "OLD_PC" are not scanned :P It's because og backups in cases of reinstall etc...

So, if given program can be installed, then copied somewhere and ran AND if there's a "safe" directory, it might work. Of course - all traffic is heavily monitored in most cases - but hm... What can they see?

[TheWalrus]

LOL I cannot log in cause I get bluescreen. Stupid Intel onboard graphics

[Reneaa]

Intel onboard graphics

I lol'ed.

[TheWalrus]

pfffff :P

Guess I am the most unlucky mtfk around

[jjones2666]

roflmao @ octo

can imagine the klingon checking for the boss, double clicking client.exe and getting all excited when the login server populates the sever list. the anticipation as he logs in

then

bill gates gives him the big FU

[Vhax]

While it seems to work now, the level of possible abuse is quite high.
Concidering the fact ALL game traffic including login details are routed through that specific site.
If they wanted (not saying they do, but they COULD) they can steal hell of alot of account details for alot of games.
Also, concidering it's quite a taxing service to run, they have to make profit in someway, I wouldn't be supprised if the required application is spyware filled.

[minigal]

no offense, but what you're saying here doesn't relate to this. let me explain. if the company runs that system scan everyday, do you think they will not find the AO installation? mood point.
besides, avon's case is something different.

I'm with vhab, I wouldn't touch it with a 3-meter network cable.

[Stick]

I'm with vhab, I wouldn't touch it with a 3-meter network cable.

that is the risk for routing through a server that you don't own. as for the spyware, usually these companies offer 2 types of services: free (less bandwidth) and paid (more bandwidth). trust me that you don't need advertisment for the bandwidth they give out on the free service. it is OK for IRC or something like that, but don't expect speeds in excess of 4kBps. they make the money from the paid accounts.
like i've said, it is for now the only option if you don't have another comp outside the network. i'll be glad if either you or vhab can give any alternatives to avon on how to make this work in his case.

[FurryMinion]

First off.... as a professional IT Administrator.... my god I would have your accounts banded so damn quick it isn't funny (let's just say thank GOODNESS y'all don't reside on my network).


Even w/ "oh, it's not in the OLD_PC" directory most enterprise level anti-virus programs will scan through it (unless explicitly defined by the admin policies of that software). We actually have most .exe files hashed so you can't rename files to try to escape the software (prohibited software policies in Active Directory work pretty well to prohibit this too).


I think the general purpose of this guide is to allow folks to use AO while on a restricted network AWAY from work (c'mon, you're at work, do what you get paid to do).

But by the way... ProxyCap (by the same dev's of sockscap) does a pretty damn good job just like soxcap and it's easier to use. But you'll need to use a service like HTTP-Tunnel, or some other tunneling software.... Like i said, this is more for public play on networks that typically don't allow gaming, say a free ISP that allows only HTTP/HTTPS traffic (ie-some netcafe's). But then remember your data isn't encrypted... So... you're taking a huge risk with your account info there.... Ask any IT professional how easy it is to get a password from someone using FTP....

[Stick]

First off.... as a professional IT Administrator.... my god I would have your accounts banded so damn quick it isn't funny (let's just say thank GOODNESS y'all don't reside on my network).

if you check the other thread by avon, it clearly states that he didn't want to use this at work. it was angrygoatbaah who started the work use idea.

i agree that it is retarded to do it at work, i'd rather not give up a good pay for playing a few extra hours on a game. frankly, i don't care if someone uses this at work or at home, it is their problem. the point was to offer a solution to by-pass a firewall that blocks the ports used to play AO.
regarding on how secure or insecure this is, i'm still waiting for more secure alternatives from you guys and i'm sure avon would like to hear them as well.

[TheWalrus]

First off.... as a professional IT Administrator.... my god I would have your accounts banded so damn quick it isn't funny (let's just say thank GOODNESS y'all don't reside on my network).

c'mon, you're at work, do what you get paid to do

Eat me. I just spent an hour getting some old witch's computer to work. She constanly kept on giving me ideas how to do it. So I do my job. When there's nothing to do, AO wouldn't hurt :P

[Dummy]

frankly, i don't care if someone uses this at work or at home, it is their problem.

If I understand it correctly, then this thread is about how to bypass a networks security system. I can imagine a lot of network systems that would screw me up big time if unauthorised access happened.

Then it is my problem..

[Stick]

If I understand it correctly, then this thread is about how to bypass a networks security system. I can imagine a lot of network systems that would screw me up big time if unauthorised access happened.

Then it is my problem..

huh?... how it is your problem on how avon is trying to bypass his firewall? are you working for his ISP? if you do work for his ISP go open that port so he can play AO.

[Yabeyabe]

lol to clarify, since there seems to be wild confusion rampant, I don't care what you do with this information or where you use it... I advised people to use their own discretion regarding where and when to use this. Installing it at work probably isn't the best idea...

Spyware? perhaps... although I'm running linux, and I haven't noticed any spyware at all. In fact, there aren't even ads. The way the freedom.net program works, if you want more bandwidth and longer access times, you can pay a very small subscription fee. For me, this was irrelevant, I don't play AO more than 6 hours a day, and the lowest bandwidth connection is plenty fast to play AO.

Security? I really have no idea how secure it is. Seems to me that whatever encryption AO uses to transmit information (if any) is still used in this case, except that you are routing it through one extra server on the way. Perhaps not as secure, but I'm not losing any sleep about it.

Instillation files? I'm pretty sure all of it can be done from a flash usb drive. I use a jar file for freedom (no instillation at all) and the Sockscap program is very small. I haven't tried this of course, but it's just a thought. Besides, if instillation is a real problem, you can't install AO anyways... short of an external usb hd maybe.

As for the freaking out network admins... chill out. I don't know how visible I really am personally, but somehow I doubt that the admins really care enough to watch many thousands of users that carefully. Posts like "zomgs if I were the admin there I'd never let this happen and you'd be banned so quickly blah blah blah" really aren't constructive, and no one really cares?

anyways, hope this helps some other people in similar situations as myself.

[TheWalrus]

Well, admins don't watch jack sht. There are expensive huge software packs that even monitor how much you pee :P But I am not sure anyone would be that sick to analyze MB's worh of logs of packets. Not to mention, wouldn't all the data account for sockscap or the freedom program instead of AO?

[Yabeyabe]

yes, that's what I mean.

I'm not completely ignorant of the subject. I'm a part time network admin *dun dun dunnnnnn*

although, admittedly, on a very basic level. That said, I've worked with tracking data and analyzing user usage.

In my experience, the only time that most network admins really look into something is if it's glaringly obvious that someone is doing something they shouldn't, or if it's completely anonymous, but the user is trafficking in a huge amount of data compared to other users.

neither of which happens in this case.