I'm having trouble connecting to KGS, and I can't figure out why. At home, I have no problem connecting, but I take the very same laptop to work (work = Queen's University Belfast, in case anyone happens to know anything specific to this place), and I keep getting "goserver.gokgs.com is refusing connections." This morning, I literally walked five minutes from the library here, where I couldn't connect, to my apartment & then was able to connect; so I figure it can't be something specific to my machine.

The best I can figure is that the QUB wifi network is somehow, for some reason, blocking connections to KGS. Is that a thing wifi networks do? Is there a way to get around it? Any ideas at all? I want to play go at work! How else can I avoid being productive?

They are probably blocking the port that KGS uses to connect. Not much to do about it directly. I suppose you could try a web-based server, either correspondence or real-time, like nova or DGS.

Argh! But thanks.



Thanks, yeah, I'm on Nova & DGS already. I love Nova plenty, but it really still seems like more of a correspondence server, & I'm looking for real-time games.

You could try an SSH tunnel or maybe an HTTP tunnel?

No idea about HTTP tunnelling, but SSH tunnelling works fine (just tested it).
Of course, running an openly accessible SSH server on your local machine comes with certain security risks. But since you're playing on KGS, you probably don't care about risks.



Have you checked IGS, Tygem and WBaduk?

Thanks! I'll give those a try. What kind of security risks does KGS carry with it? It's not that I don't care about risks, it's more that I'm ignorant.




No, for two reasons:

(1) I'm partly looking for specific real-time games: I've joined the Irish Go Association's ladder, and KGS is where they have their non-OTB matches. My guess is most of the players won't be on IGS, Tygem or WBaduk.

(2) I'm unimaginative, bad with computers, and don't read Korean. Those are all bad reasons, though, so I'll give the other servers a shot. I just hope they aren't also blocked.

Having attended QUB myself, I'm fairly sure you're blocked by a standard university anti-fun firewall, but you can contact them to check for sure.

_________________
North Lecale

Side note: I assume you've joined both the IGA and BGA?

Yup! Joined both just in time for the Belfast Open a couple weekends ago. Were you there, by any chance?

Maybe I'm thinking of another conversation I had with someone. *cough* But aren't you working on a research project or study relating to go or go servers, such that you need access to KGS for academic or work-related reasons?

Nope, I'm afraid Belfast is an expensive trip for me from Cork. The Cork tournament's next, failing that I may meet you at the Congress in the Spring.

Fair enough. I'll be missing out on Cork for the same reason. See you in Dublin, I hope--still have to persuade my wife....