Bypass locked server to play FFXI

[ONILINK]

Not sure where to put this thread so I thought FAQ was the best choice....
Alright, I want to play FFXI while I'm at school but the server (or whatever I'm using to connect online from school is) won't allow access to connect to playonline on my laptop.
I thought a web proxyish way would work but I have no clue how or where to start.
If anybody knows how I could bypass the server so I can play, please share.
*Don't bother saying "your in school, you shouldnt be playing." I'm going for Game Design so this is perfectly acceptable.
** Yeah your right Dak, I didn't realize that until now.

[DakAttack]

If anything, the term backdoor should only be used when referring to back doors or certain sexual positions.

[KingOfZeal]

First, you wouldn't be bypassing their server necessarily, you'd be bypassing their router or firewall. The 2 (or 3) terms are NOT interchangeable.

I want to say that FFXI is uPnP compliant, though I cann't know for absolute sure without doing a little bit of digging. If it is, though, then the router the campus uses isn't uPnP, or it's disabled.

As far as how to actually get it to work, I haven't a clue, beyond telling you to talk to the campus techs -- I've never been much for networking over a network (IE proxies and the like). I'm more of a local LAN network person... I just felt the need to point out those couple things.

[LoneGamer]

You would have to convince the network staff that it's OK for them to open the ports PlayOnline and FFXI operate on. Generally, going to an academic institute's network staff and saying "Please open these ports so I can play online games" is not going to get you anywhere. My post-secondary institute, technically, forbids all non-academic Internet use by policy, but it's not really enforced unless you're torrent whoring.

[InuTrunks]

See lone, the reason they block all ports is because of that. If they open them, anyone (with an IQ above 30) can just set thier torrent program for what ever port FFXI is set to (and yes, FFXI/PoL can use uPnP).

[LoneGamer]

My university actually has all ports open once you've authenticated. Strangely enough.

[KingOfZeal]

I think mine does too, come to think of it. I think I remember hopping on between classes to play a little TetraMaster. I was VERY bored...

Except, it's an open network: there's no authentication, except when you go to view your own personal information (grades and such), but that's all done through an external website anyway.

I love technical colleges :P


Also, when I did say above to talk to the network admin, I didn't mean to actually talk to them unless you felt it was absolutely necessary, for the same reason you pointed out: asking the admin to open ports so you can play a game isn't the smartest thing to do, I think.