Frequently Asked Questions (READ THIS BEFORE POSTING!)

[Desolate]

I'm posting this to hopefully cut down on the repetitiveness in the technical support thread. Below are some common issues and frequently asked questions people have regarding the simulator. If you can't find a remedy here, then you may post here.

Q: Where can I download the latest version?
A: The latest version provided by the Pokemon Online team can be found at their website, although, if you are an avid VGC player, you may want to consider downloading Smogon's modification of PO for VGC players here.

Q: Where can I post to find information on Smogon's server, its tiers, etc.?
A: You may post here.

Q: Help! I'm banned! What do I do?
A: Make a thread in this forum, but don't forget to read the rules and regulations FIRST!

Q: Where can I report a bug or suggest a feature?
A: Bug fix reports go here and suggestions go here - both of which are on the official Pokemon Online forums.

Q: I keep getting the message "Your client version (1.0.53) doesn't match with the server's (1.0.53S)."?
A: If you do not actively play VGC, you can ignore this, however, if you do play VGC often, you may want to consider downloading Smogon's custom version of PO modified for VGC, found here.

Q: I need help with Shoddy Battle/Pokemon Laboratory! Can I post here?
A: No, both of those simulators are deprecated and are not supported by Smogon anymore.

Q: I don't see the Smogon server in the list of servers! Where is it?
A: Most likely, Smogon's main server is down and you don't need to do anything but wait for it to come back online; you may choose to frequently look back in this forum for updates from a developer or moderator.

Q: I keep getting disconnected before I see the list of users! Am I banned?
A: No, you're not banned, however, someone likely already has registered the username you are trying to connect with, so you must choose another username, reconnect, and register that username, which brings the question of registration:

Q: How do I register my username?
A: Once successfully connected to the server, click the "Register" button below the field where you type and provide a password, but be wary, you must provide this password every time you connect to the server to verify that no one takes your account, so make this password secure and able to remember.

Q: I keep getting random Pokemon! What do I do?
A: First, if you haven't already, build a team using the TeamBuilder (File, Open TeamBuilder), making sure to give them all moves. Next, load the team (File, Load team). If you still continue to get random Pokemon, try changing your tier (Tiers, <your desired gen>, <your desired tier>).

Q: I can't see any servers in the list! What's happening?
A: Either the registry is offline at the moment, which there's nothing you can do about, or your firewall is blocking PO. In the latter case, you must enable PO to pass through your firewall in both directions (in/out) on port 5080 using TCP. If that made no sense to you, click here.

Q: My school or business blocks port 5080. Can I still connect to Smogon's PO server?
Absolutely! Simply change the port (the part of the server address in the "Advanced Connection" field after the ":") from 5080 to 8080, and hit "Advanced Connect."