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Currently, the game is only available to people connecting with Japanese IP address, thus this page guides new users how to bypass this restriction.

Currently there are three (3) options known to connect to the game - they are arranged from the most recommended to the least recommended. Try going from the most recommended option to the least recommended option before asking questions.

Option 1: Editing DMM Cookie's Region Flag

Update
DMM recently updated their site and may have changed the use of this method. For more information, please read here (Bypassing the DMM Error Area by Nanamin) and here (DMM Cookies: August 2015 by Dragonjet) for relevant information, or switch to other methods (mentioned in other sections) for now. If you have issues, please refer to Tutorial: Troubleshooting before asking questions.

Usage

  1. Log into DMM.com
  2. Open the inspect element bar (Usually F12)
    • Copy-paste the 2-line code below into the Console
    • Execute by pressing Enter key or Ctrl + Enter for IE
  3. Then use address bar to go directly to the KanColle Play page here
document.cookie = "cklg=ja;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame/";
document.cookie = "ckcy=1;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame/";

Using Cookies to browse DMM

  • If you want to browse DMM NetGame section, and not just play KanColle, you will need to additionally input the following cookie code on every page to make sure you avoid error area. If you're feeling lazy, on Chrome you can use any of the following tools:
document.cookie = "cklg=welcome;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/";
document.cookie = "cklg=welcome;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame/";
document.cookie = "cklg=welcome;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame_s/";
document.cookie = "ckcy=1;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/";
document.cookie = "ckcy=1;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame/";
document.cookie = "ckcy=1;expires=Sun, 09 Feb 2019 09:00:09 GMT;domain=.dmm.com;path=/netgame_s/";
  • If you're doing it manually, and still get error area even with this, make sure the page has been fully loaded before entering the code, just seeing the page is not fine. DMM is so persistent that they sometimes revert the code while it is still loading (some assets getting loaded that has response headers with the reverting cookies). So make sure the page is fully loaded, with your browser's tab bar not having the rotating load icon, enter the 6-line code, and quickly click the link you wanna go to.
    • This is one reason why browsing DMM is not advised via manual cookie anymore and is labor-intensive.
  • Here are some DMM pages where you do not need to enter the 6-line code
  • dmm.com
  • /netgame/
  • /netgame/social/-/gadgets/=/app_id=000000/
  • point.dmm.com
  • /netgame/social/application/-/list/
  • /netgame/game/-/list/
  • /netgame/social/friend/-/search/
  • /netgame/social/friend/-/request_list/

Advantages

  • Works for any OS or browser
  • You do not need to download or install any third-party software if only playing kancolle
  • You will have access until you specifically clear your browser cookies
  • It is fast, since you'll be using your direct internet connection

Disadvantages

  • Does not work for some users due to numerous reasons, for instance:
    • People who are using some ISP, like kbro from Taiwan or Shanghai Telecom from Shanghai, China are not able to overcome the DMM restriction even after applying those code, the reason behind it is unknown. (Probably some blacklist exist.)
  • For those who are using ISPs like China Unicom, China Telecom or China Tietong, due to their limited international bandwidth available for regular users, using this method could be slower than proxy connection according to several reports.

How it works

Region cookies 101
  • You use the browser's dev tools console to write cookies on your computer. Nothing has been transmitted to the server at this point.
  • Once you refresh DMM, it will now check for the cookies. Your browser includes these cookies as a part of the HTTP header on your refresh.
  • DMM will now see the new region flag on the cookies, (which they do not know you faked since it was given by your browser) and grant you access.
  • Choose your netgame and play

Incorporation

  • On some third-party tools, the process can be simplified as follow:
    1. Log-in to www.dmm.com via those tools.
    2. Switch the language of the site from English to Japanese (日本語) at the top of the site.
    3. Click the "Apply/Set (Region) Cookie" button in those tools.

Option 2: VPN Gate Client

Usage

Windows

  1. Head over to VPN Gate, an "Academic Experiment Project" by the University of Tsukuba.
  2. Download, install and run the client.
  3. Select a Japanese server in "VPN Gate Public VPN Relay Servers"

Mac / UNIX-based

  • Chance are there is L2TP VPN interface that has been pre-installed in your kernel (especially if you are not running your own custom kernel). You can directly set it up without needed to download any clients nor using similar software to let you execute Windows-only clients. However, in case your network is blocking the usage of L2TP, you will still need to download VPN clients to let you use VPN with different protocols.

Linux

  • See this user blog entry for more information.
  • If you have difficulties getting SoftEther VPN for linux to work properly you can revert to connecting to SoftEther VPN servers via L2TP method. Just make sure that the server you are connecting to also supports L2TP method.

Advantages

  • Does not require the need to use region cookies as mentioned in the foremost option towards the top.
  • Shows your IP address conveniently as Japanese IP address or whichever IP address that you chose.
  • May help with some common troubleshooting issues for instance when you get catbombed/errors which maybe is the result of poor internet connectivity.

Disadvantages

  • It is complex to setup and may require networking knowledge to make the most of it.
    • Troubleshooting when connecting via VPN may become more complex and harder to diagnose.
  • It is susceptible to Man in the middle attack (MitM attack) as compromised host can render your visits to various sites be intercepted.
  • It is NOT recommended to be used especially when you are handling sensitive data such as when entering your card details - see former point about MitM attack.

Option 3: Creating an L2TP or STTP VPN connection (Windows 8)

Method

This method works for Windows 7 as well, but the wording of the settings might be different.

  1. Go to VPN Gate, and find a Japanese server that supports either "L2TP/IPsec" or "MS-STTP" connections.
  2. Copy the server's address (eg. vg2036075803.opengw.net). For STTP-supporting servers, copy the address plus the port number, shown in the MS-STTP column.
  3. "Set up a new connection or network" in Network and Sharing Center.
  4. "Connect to a workplace"
  5. "Use my Internet connection (VPN)"
  6. Paste the address (plus the port, for STTP), name the VPN connection as you wish and click on "Create".
  7. (L2TP users skip to step 8 for now) The VPN connection should appear in "Network Connections" (or the sidebar that appears when you click on the network icon in the taskbar). When asked for User name and Password, input "vpn" for both.
  8. For L2TP users, you must find the network connection that was just created, and going to its "Properties" by right clicking on the just-created connection in "Network Connections". Go to the "Security" tab, select L2TP/IPsec as the "Type of VPN" and then click on "Advanced settings". Select "Use preshared key for authentication" and then input "vpn". Apply the settings. Connect to the VPN as per step 7.

This method is for users of Mac and UNIX-based systems:

  1. Open Network Preferences.
  2. Click add connection, then select VPN (L2TP)
  3. Go to VPN Gate, and find a Japanese server that supports either "L2TP/IPsec" connections.
  4. Copy the server's address (eg. vg2036075803.opengw.net)
  5. Paste the address to the "Server Address", and type vpn as the "Account Name".
  6. Click "Authentication Setting", then type vpn for both available textboxes. You need not to change anything else.
  7. Click "Advanced", and tick Send all traffic over VPN Connection.
  8. Click OK, then Apply, then test the connection using "Connect" button.
  9. If the VPN fails, try to add the IP address to the "Server Address" instead of the full server name.
    If this one fails too, you can try turning off your whole internet connection for 1-2 minutes before trying to connect to the VPN again. This issue sometimes happen when you suddenly disconnected from the VPN due to bad connection or incomplete request.

Advantages

Like option 2: VPN Gate Client the same advantages and disadvantages are correlated.

  • Does not require the need to use region cookies as mentioned in the foremost option towards the top.
  • Shows your IP address conveniently as Japanese IP address or whichever IP address that you chose.
  • May help with some common troubleshooting issues for instance when you get catbombed/errors which maybe is the result of poor internet connectivity.

Disadvantages

Like option 2: VPN Gate Client the same advantages and disadvantages are correlated.

  • It is complex to setup and may require networking knowledge to make the most of it.
    • Troubleshooting when connecting via VPN may become more complex and harder to diagnose.
  • It is susceptible to Man in the middle attack (MitM attack) as compromised host can render your visits to various sites be intercepted.
  • It is NOT recommended to be used especially when you are handling sensitive data such as when entering your card details - see former point about MitM attack.

Option 4: Hotspot Shield

Usable by those who want to use vpn but can't use vpn gate. See User_blog:User_blog:Mpj4/Tutorial:_Proxy_Connection_via_HSS

API Links

API Links frequent expiration
As of the 9th October 2015 update, API Links now expire some time after acquiring it. See API Links: October 2015 by dragonjet for more details about this change.

Introduction

Getting an API Link requires you to be able to view the game first, thus you will need one of the three options on this article to initially connect to the game.

  • An API Link is a web address pointing directly to your KanColle account.
  • If you acquire this, you can visit it as a quick way to login.
  • Since it is a direct link, it bypasses DMM, thus bypasses country restrictions as well.
  • It is safe and is being used by the majority of the foreign community at this point.
Security Considerations for API Links
The API link bypasses login and opens your account directly. Be very careful not to let others see your link (e.g. when streaming, posting screenshots of the game, leaving the computer idle, or when other might see your browsing history). Anyone who gets a hold of your API Link has full access of your game session, and are not limited to scrapping or sinking of your ships! See here

Get via Network Logs

This is probably the easiest way to get an API link without third-party tools.

Api link via network
  1. Open your browser DevTools by pressing F12.
  2. Open the game
  3. Go to the Network tab
  4. Filter/Search for: Maind2
  5. There will be only one result. Right-click that, and [Copy link address]

Note: Terminologies for Chrome, there are counterparts for Firefox and other browsers


Get via Manual Search

Tutorial-ObtainAPI

Tutorial on how to obtain the API link. Click to view full size.

  1. Open the game
  2. Ctrl+Shift+I (F12) to inspect element of the page or use "Show resources list" using Adblock, search for api_token or mainD2.swf
    • Example: http://125.6.189.7/kcs/mainD2.swf?api_token=xxx&api_starttime=xxx
    • Note: the API link unique for each server and session.
  3. Copy the API link
  4. Turn off your proxy/VPN and open the link in your browser.
    • If it doesn't work, you probably copied the wrong or incomplete API link.
  5. If you somehow find that your search function in the developer console is not working properly (in either Chrome or Firefox), you can also manually search for the API link by navigating the script in this order:
    • html > body > div#w > div#main-ntg > div#page > div#area-game > iframe#game_frame > html > body > div#flashWrap > embed#externalswf
  6. You can refer this tutorial video here on how to manually grab API Link on Chrome.


Important Notes

  • You will need to get a new API link (refresh API link) by repeating one of the processes above, each month to reset the extra operation maps boss gauges.
  • It is also good practice to refresh your API link every in-game update (after maintenance).


Further Reading

  • Looking at the diagram under the Region Cookies section, we can see that DMM is connected to the developer's server through Embedded Flash with API Links.
    • DMM (which is not the developer) only shows you the game by embedding a flash object on their webpage. In this case, DMM is called the "publisher"/"part-producer".
    • This flash object points to Kadokawa's (these are the developers) KanColle servers.
    • The link to this flash object is the API Link.
  • Once DMM's country restriction has been bypassed, DMM will embed a flash object, as explained, through the API Link - which in turn becomes visible to us.
  • This link that DMM used to show us the game can be reused. You can save it on a file, or have it stickied on your computer, only to open it again, without the help of DMM this time around, thus avoiding country restrictions indefinitely.
  • If Region Cookies are used, API Links seem to be useless since its original purpose, avoiding country restriction, has already been resolved. However, some still prefer API Links because you do not need to load the DMM webpage, saving you some network load.

Tip

To avoid having to clear your browser cache everytime you want to connect to the game, you can use another chrome alike web browser (i.e. CoolNovo, Chromium, Comodo Dragon, SRWare Iron, RockMelt, etc.).
Use this browser only for KanColle and don't forget to connect to a Japanese proxy before opening it.
Like this, you won't have to wait for the downloading of the game's data everytime you need to connect to the game.


In case you don't understand those text descriptions for any aforementioned steps, someone made a video OverView/Tutorial on the Provided Options (Mainly Option 1):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EU9Oklro90


There are some online kancolle login tools like ooi2 exist on internet that help users login to the game by using their server. The login process include transferring login data, i.e. login email and password (transmit in encrypted fashion), via tools providers' server to DMM's server. Thus it is recommended to use these tools only if you fully trust those platform (in case you are using codes made available by third parties to build your own login platform, that mean fully know what those codes are doing). Note that changing DMM account's ownership does not require anything other than login name + password.

Troubleshooting

See main article: Tutorial: Troubleshooting

  • Have you cleared your cache? Try doing everything again in Incognito.
  • Have you tried logging out of DMM, cleared your cookies, log back into DMM and redid your region cookies?
  • Have you tried logging in again on DMM to play there or tried getting a new API link?
  • Have you tried checking other sites, especially Japanese sites? Maybe the problem comes from your internet connection.
  • Were you using viewers? Try logging in normally on browser.
  • Were you banned? Login on DMM and see a black error message (refer to the gallery - last image)
    • Banned accounts see the cat error on API link, and black message on DMM. Refer to the gallery on the right for more information.
  • Is you computer clock correct? Have you tried switching to Japanese timezone?
    • Many reports stemming from error screen are related to the clock set in your computer. Make sure to synchronize your time with a time server or manually force a synchronization.
    • The use of Japanese timezone is not a mandatory factor, however it may be able to help resolve your issues. The use of Japanese timezone is generally more strict at the registration/server selection screen or around game maintenance (i.e. moments before and after the game maintenance).

Mobile Gameplay

PSA-Mobile-new

Using flash player for phone and tablet operating systems to play Kancolle is highly discouraged (as it would lead to increase in server load). Attempting to play using phones and tablets might result in ban. Please do note that support for using software that are not officially supported to play the game is limited.

Commenting Reminders for NEW Threads

Before posting your question make sure that you have read this page first, understood and are able to ask smart questions. Please do not post a new thread without being able to provide a detailed and verifiable issue.

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