Connecting to a Remote Server
Making a connection between a client on one person’s laptop and a server on another person’s laptop can be complicated by two factors.
The server laptop may not have its own individual IP address, but instead be sharing an IP address with all other devices on the same WiFi or local network. This is very common on home networks or public networks like coffee shops. If you have this problem, try connecting the server laptop to the MIT VPN, which will give your laptop its own IP address on the MIT network.
The server laptop may have a firewall that blocks connections to unknown ports or to unapproved applications. If you have this problem, try to find the settings for your firewall, and allow incoming connections on the port that your server is using, and allow Java to receive network connections.