Difficult port routing issue

[james000222]

Greetings! I've been searching for an active forum to ask this question - this one certainly looks like the right place. I think based on a search for netcat in this forum that this is the right section, as well.

My needs are simple: I play an old MS game (Mechwarrior 4 Mercs) in a league (MWL). One of my team-mates just moved to a new location, and does not have permissions on his firewalled router. I run the game server, I just need him to connect as a client. Both platforms are WinXP. He can start the game, see the server list (port 80 - http), but not connect (Direct Play ports - see MS support article here).

I have been trying to find a solution via port redirection. I've played with netcat, cryptcat, nsauditor, and revinetd. I've read all the instructions, I've read the tutorials here on this site (very nice) but they are written for network savvy people...my knowledge base is minimal in this area. Nowhere can I find a specific example of how to do what I need...everything I find about port redirection for some reason references three different computers (?). I can and do tunnel VNC thru PuTTY, and so have a vague idea that it should be similar! AAMOF, I may even be able to use PuTTY, I dunno.

I've gotten nc working between two comps in a basic fashion, read the tutorials here in the tutorials section, read other bits on the web about port redirection. However, getting nc to forward game data from one client to my server, through a non-firewalled port, without disrupting other clients connected to my server, and getting it thru MY firewalled router (I can edit) has escaped me.

Something about binding to the port in front of the service?

In any case, I hope someone here has the know-how to help...thanks!

[phishphreek]

I'm not familiar with that game... but does the game let you specify the server address and the port? If so, just change the client to connect on a port that is allowed outbound on his firewall (80, 443, 25, 110, etc.) Then on your side, redirect that port on your firewall to the correct port on the server. (if you have that ability)

Just be aware that if his firewall is application aware, it could still block it. The firewall might block the traffic if it sees non HTTP traffic going over port 80, etc.

Or, check out FPipe. It may be what you're looking for.
http://www.foundstone.com/us/resourc...desc/fpipe.htm

[junglelions]

Can you post a little more information about your friends setup. You say he has no access to the router, why dosnt he? who's router is it? and are the owners of the router going to be happy with him accescing the net in the way you suggested....im geussing its either a colledge network or a works router...

[james000222]

I'm not familiar with that game... but does the game let you specify the server address and the port?

Nope.

Just be aware that if his firewall is application aware, it could still block it. The firewall might block the traffic if it sees non HTTP traffic going over port 80, etc.

This is why I was looking at cryptcat - encrypted.

I think generating a tunnel is the way to go - He should be able to open an SSH tunnel to my computer, and this will get all the TCP ports through. I can add him to my firewall so he can get through with SSH on 22. But SSH doesn't work with UDP, and one of the ports is UDP.

Considering that, I should be able to do the same thing with cryptcat, using port 22, and using him to act as a client connecting to my listening cryptcat server.

So how would that cc command line look? That's the tricky part...I haven't been able to figure out.

[caveman8fb]

Might look into using stunnel, but it seems like its alot of work just to play a game.

[SirDice]

Hamachi

Works wonders for those pesky games that only allow LAN games to be played too

[james000222]

Thanks, Sir Dice, that looks like the best option available so far. However, I haven't been able to get it to work yet. He is reeeeaaaaaly firewalled.

I know the game works with Hamachi, I found that in their forums. I am working through the more complex configurations for troublesome issues. I think I will switch to the Hamachi Forums for more help...looks like they have an active forum.

Thanks again!

[phishphreek]

What kind of network is this person on? Who is managing this thing? It is a school network? Corporate network? Some net cafe?

[james000222]

It is a university network. He can play other online games (e.g., BF2142) just fine. It's not that the univ doesn't want him to play, it's that MW4 Mercs is ancient by networking standards and does not play well in the modern proxied/NATed/firewalled environment.

I've tried all I can think of with Hamachi, gone through all their forums, troubleshooting steps, readmes, HOW-TOs, etc. It even says in their list of supported games that someone has gotten MW4Mercs to work...and "it was easy". However, my friend swears it's not his PC...he takes this PC home on holiday weekends, and plays from home just fine.

Yes, it is a lot to go through for a game. If this was a new game, and we had a roster of 40 players, it wouldn't matter. However we don't, it's an old game, and we need (yes, I know, "need" is relevant - this is just a game, but it's a fun hobby) every one - and Morph is *good* at the game!

I keep wondering if perhaps he should just go ask his network admin for help....think he would get far? I know I've gotten mine (I work at a univ) to add me to his firewall policy IRT some custom software I need for research.

Edit: Stunnel and PuTTY only tunnel and encrypt TCP, not UDP packets. I need both.

[SirDice]

Odd.. BF2142 uses both TCP and UDP IIRC. So there must be something else blocking things. And I've got a feeling you're thinking way to complicated

One question I believe hasn't been answered though, are YOU behind a router and/or firewall? Do you have a 192.168.0.0/16, 10.0.0.0/8 or 172.16.0.0/12 address?
If so you need to open and forward those game ports correctly to your computer. Is that set up properly?