University: No Online gaming!

[LightspeedJack]

I'm pissed. You want to know why I'm pissed. Well that doesn't matter because your still reading this so I'm going to tell you anyway. I moved into University this week and by all accounts I am enjoying my time here very much, I've made tons of new friends and my course is really interesting. The only problem? The university's firewalls block any games consoles from connecting to the internet.

What. The. Fuck.

I've contacted the ICT helpdesk to ask if they could sort it outso I could connect but they said they're not changing it just for me so they politley told me to go fuck myself. I'm sure that gaming online means more to me than most because aside from just playing it for fun, it is also the first way I can talk to my friends from home, I also write about gaming which is impossible if I do not have access to the online features of my consoles. On top of all this I have already paid for a year's worth of Xbox Live Gold subscription which will all go to waste. There is no reason why they should stop me from enjoying my hobby especially as the internet seed is rediculously fast here.

Does anybody know a way of getting around the firewall or any way I could connect the internet in ome other way? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TL;DR: My university won't let me play online games. This sucks and isthere anything I can do to still game online?

 

[Irridium]

You could just play single-player.

Because modern gaming is totally all about a good single-player experience, and doesn't put it on the back-burner for multiplayer or put out lots of DLC on day 1. Nope, not modern gaming!

Or you could try getting into PC gaming by upgrading whatever you have. Because like single-player gamers, PC gamers totally aren't fucked over most of the time these days! Nope, not at all!

 

[Fayathon]

Best thing I could think of is getting a smartphone with an internet package, tethering it to a laptop and using that laptop as a wireless bridge for your console. It's a convoluted as hell solution and I have no idea how well it would work, but it's the best I've got.

This is why I only do online gaming on my PC, I don't have to pay extra cash for an arbitrary service.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

I'd hate to be the spiritless authority figure in this situation, but I hope you get more out of your university than 'I can't play online games.' Unless you're getting a degree in it (I'm sure there's one out there somewhere.), the internet wasn't provided for you to keep up with your hobbies.

Unless, of course, you pay for that internet connection separately, which, if that's the case, really does suck.

 

[Disaster Button]

Do they block PC gaming also? If not you could try that, and get a refund for Xbox live... if that's even possible.

What university do you go to anyway, is this a standard practice of British Universities?

 

[Paragon Fury]

I'm pissed. You want to know why I'm pissed. Well that doesn't matter because your still reading this so I'm going to tell you anyway. I moved into University this week and by all accounts I am enjoying my time here very much, I've made tons of new friends and my course is really interesting. The only problem? The university's firewalls block any games consoles from connecting to the internet.

What. The. Fuck.

I've contacted the ICT helpdesk to ask if they could sort it outso I could connect but they said they're not changing it just for me so they politley told me to go fuck myself. I'm sure that gaming online means more to me than most because aside from just playing it for fun, it is also the first way I can talk to my friends from home, I also write about gaming which is impossible if I do not have access to the online features of my consoles. On top of all this I have already paid for a year's worth of Xbox Live Gold subscription which will all go to waste. There is no reason why they should stop me from enjoying my hobby especially as the internet seed is rediculously fast here.

Does anybody know a way of getting around the firewall or any way I could connect the internet in ome other way? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TL;DR: My university won't let me play online games. This sucks and isthere anything I can do to still game online?

Let me guess....your university uses Cisco or some other access control that requires system verification before you can get online, right?

 

[LightspeedJack]

Let me guess....your university uses Cisco or some other access control that requires system verification before you can get online, right?

Yeah, something like that. It's not like I'm going to drop out because of this but it's just a needless annoyance. Also I'm studying Journalism, and specifically games Journalism, there are also people who studying Game Design and we are denied a service that would be very beneficial to our work.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Get your own internet service.

Not easy if you live in student housing.

 

[jakko12345]

Don't know if it'll work for you, but i tricked my ISP at uni into thinking my Xbox was my laptop via changing the Xbox's alternate MAC address... Actually i'll just give you this

http://www.unofficialguidetolive.co.uk/faqs/103-how-to-connect-to-xbox-live-at-uni-or-college

 

[Exterminas]

Let me guess....your university uses Cisco or some other access control that requires system verification before you can get online, right?

Yeah, something like that. It's not like I'm going to drop out because of this but it's just a needless annoyance. Also I'm studying Journalism, and specifically games Journalism, there are also people who studying Game Design and we are denied a service that would be very beneficial to our work.

Round those people up and start a petition.

 

[alinos]

Depends what the IT department at your uni has been doing.

We recently got a new IT crew and completely re-vamped system. basically everything is free reign all the torrent's and games that couldn't be played before work. Even the Direct File sharing sites have had their blocks removed.

Was rather handy and removed some of my issues with D3's always online

 

[Avaholic03]

I assume you're living in a dorm? Well then you're probably getting that free internet. So complaining that they are limiting your access to non-school-related internet is really just whining. You don't really have a case since universities are not obligated to let you play games. Sorry, but you're probably better off anyway. If you want to control your internet, then move out of the dorms.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

If its the uni's broadband then they can do what they want, after all you are their to learn. Buy your own internet or just do without it. Not like your gonna die with out it.

 

[cookyy2k]

Do they block PC gaming also? If not you could try that, and get a refund for Xbox live... if that's even possible.

What university do you go to anyway, is this a standard practice of British Universities?

Yes, British university in hall internet connections are brutally moderated with draconian firewalls. At my old uni you could't pc game or torrent (legal torrents before I get a ban), the problem is the network admins they usually employ are well an truly in the games are bad mindset and you can't convince them of a positive reason for them to allow it. In a way it's understandable though, even if only 1 in 10 have an xbox it'd slaughter bandwidth when you have a uni with 12k students.

 

[bakan]

Isn't it kinda weird to block gaming when you can study journalism and game design there Oo

 

[the.gill123]

I'm not great with firewalls but can't you just connect to Xbox Live via your computer?

 

[Cridhe]

Don't know if it'll work for you, but i tricked my ISP at uni into thinking my Xbox was my laptop via changing the Xbox's alternate MAC address... Actually i'll just give you this

http://www.unofficialguidetolive.co.uk/faqs/103-how-to-connect-to-xbox-live-at-uni-or-college

This guy wins the thread.

 

[Shymer]

Does anybody know a way of getting around the firewall or any way I could connect the internet in ome other way? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well if it is a campus network and they open holes in the firewall, there is a risk. I can understand why they would want to control their security posture. If you successfully bypass it through tunneling, for example, then you are probably breaching your university rules and regs and that may jeopardise your course. I would not advocate that course of action.

You could see if you can get your own private Internet connection - PSTN line and ADSL broadband, mobile/3G, local wi-fi or wimax. Depends on your how controlled access to the campus is. Perhaps start by asking whether you can get a landline into your room?

Perhaps you could make friends with someone who has got an Internet connection and you could piggy-back onto that? Either that or consider moving off campus, renting locally with some buddies in a shared house and everyone chipping in for a connection.

If it is an important part of the course - bring it up in your student forums and agitate with your teachers to create a solution in consultation with the IT team. Get a petition going. Find other students locally who need it and club together to make a case.

Good luck.