At-home LAN gaming

[CelticFrog]

Okay, so maybe I'm just braindead today, but I can't think off the top of my head how to configure this...

I've got a nice little LAN at home. Still can't get the ICS working on it, but that's a different story. What Ranger and I would like to do is play a multiplayer game of, say, Diablo II on the LAN.

What do I need to do to make that happen? Assume that the game is already on both computers, they are connected via the LAN, and we're rarin' to go.

I haven't looked at any specific games' multiplayer setting yet, and I'm sure if I do that some of my questions would be answered, but I'm asking here anyways.

I consider myself fairly computer literate. I can do most anything with my computer, but sometimes I hit hitches when it comes to things I don't have a lot of experience with. Like LANs. I've only recently set ours up, and even then all that I've used it for has been filesharing for my writing. Hell, I haven't even tried sharing the printer yet... like I said before, the only real issue I've had so far with it has been the Internet Connection Sharing, which I'd love but just can't configure.

Help? I'd really love to blast the crap outta J with fireballs.


Ang

 

[shadowphoenix]

I'm a bit fuzzy on your setup but I think this is the answer you're looking for. You need to pick one person to host the game first of all. I haven't done Diablo in awhile but I think for the second person it will either autodetect the other game or you'll have to connect to them by their IP address. Not sure what that is? Click start, run, type cmd and press enter and then type ipconfig and enter. That should give you everything you need. So then one person starts the multiplayer and the second joins in by joining to that address....make sense? That's a BAD explanation but I'm a bit tired. Let me know if that works!

Okay, so maybe I'm just braindead today, but I can't think off the top of my head how to configure this...

I've got a nice little LAN at home. Still can't get the ICS working on it, but that's a different story. What Ranger and I would like to do is play a multiplayer game of, say, Diablo II on the LAN.

What do I need to do to make that happen? Assume that the game is already on both computers, they are connected via the LAN, and we're rarin' to go.

I haven't looked at any specific games' multiplayer setting yet, and I'm sure if I do that some of my questions would be answered, but I'm asking here anyways.

I consider myself fairly computer literate. I can do most anything with my computer, but sometimes I hit hitches when it comes to things I don't have a lot of experience with. Like LANs. I've only recently set ours up, and even then all that I've used it for has been filesharing for my writing. Hell, I haven't even tried sharing the printer yet... like I said before, the only real issue I've had so far with it has been the Internet Connection Sharing, which I'd love but just can't configure.

Help? I'd really love to blast the crap outta J with fireballs.


Ang

 

[VSE]

OK, lets make a few basic assumptions here.

1) The lan works fine in that the two computers can see each other in explorer etc.

2) You are using TCP/IP for the LAN protocol

3) You know diablo a lot better than I do.

Basically to run a multiplayer game of just about anything, one of you will be the server, the other the client.

On the server.
I suggest you make this the best spec of the two machines (ie the one with the fastest CPU/most memory). In the multiplayer menu of the game you should have the option to host a game or maybe to host and play. You may also have the option to choose the protocol (TCP/IP or IPX) to use to host. Choose TCP/IP, wait for the client to join the game and then off you go. It really should be that simple.


(sucking eggs guff that can be skipped if you know how your network is working)
To find out how your network is operating in windoze XP, right click on my network places on the desktop and select properties. Then right click on the Local area connection and select properties again.

The middle box is called "this connection uses the following items". Scroll down and you should see Internet Protocol (TCP/IP.)

The server PC needs to highlight this, select properties and note down what the IP Address is. The client will need this adress to join the game. (if you have a DHCP router or other non relevent gubbins, you might see "obtain an IP address automatically" checked and nothing in the IP address field. In which case, go to Start>> Run>> type CMD and then type ipconfig in the command prompt.

The info you need is the IP Address line)

Once the client is armed with the IP address of the server all you should need to do is select multiplayer, LAN (depending on the game) option then enter the address of the server and join the game.

 

[Wulf7]

Hmm.. tis been a long time since I played Diablo2 multiplayer.. I can't honestly remember if it has a dedicated "local net" option (I think it still used IPX for that..D1 did). If it doesnt just use direct IP or direct TCP or whatever. The computers IP should be listed in one of those game menus IIRC. Definately have the most powerful comp host the game. Despite its non fancy graphics D2 eats memory alive in multiplayer games. Anything over 4 people needs a minimum of 384mb ram.

If you guys play online a lot I'd recommed getting a router or a switch to share your internet. Its a lot easier to deal with than ICS in windows.

 

[alricflaim]

As long as both of your computers are on the same subnet (my wife and I had trouble when they weren't) all you have to do is go to other multiplayer, TCP/IP game, and one of you selects host a game. Make note of the hosts IP address, and when the other computer joins the game, just type in the ip address of the host when it's asked for, and you should be good to go.

 

[CelticFrog]

Okay -- spiffy.

Haven't tried any of this yet, but some good suggestions and I'm a little more confident.

Firstly, we're running XP home on both computers. Both run at approximately the same capacity, although I think the desktop has more memory... 512. Although that's just cause I can't remember what the laptop has. It'll just be two players until we can get other people to join in.

The desktop is the 'main' computer on the LAN simply because it's the one that never moves and if we want to add another, it'll be easy enough.

I've got the ethernet hub's IP written down for if we ever get this working.

Router or a switch, eh? And just where would I find one? We don't play online a lot yet, but we're hoping to. And we were also hoping to be able to share lit instead of having to switch places constantly.

Is any of that helpful information? I think I'll work on that a bit tonight, and let you know what I manage.

Ang

 

[OneQuickWit]

The easiest way to get this done is to get a 2nd IP address, so both computers have their own. (I'm assuming your using cable or DSL or similar)

That solves 1million set up problems.

In my area this service is free, some places want to charge $5 / month but I've heard some people argue that down to $0.

If you have it set up this way you just need a simple 4 port hub (not switch). Plug the cable modem's network cable into the 'hub connect' or specially marked slot, and the two computers into other spots. Then your done.

If it doesn't have a specially marked 'uplink' or other different port, you will need to connect the cable modem to the hub with a crossover cable.

Hope that helps!

 

[JoeJesus]

You don't need to do any of that. As long as the network is configured properly on both XP machines--which means run the autosetup option once the router is set up (Control Panel--Network Connections--Set up a home or small office network)--all you have to do is start a game on one machine as host, and then join that game with the other machine. All you have to worry about is the basic setup of XP, which, as I've said, is a snap with the auto option. That's all I had to do when I set up my wireless network in January.

You do have to go through this setup process, however, even if you're already sharing the internet connection okay with the remote machine. I found that the router found the other machine no problem, and shared my DSL line with no added fuss, but I couldn't play games until I went through the full setup process with XP. Very painless, though. Shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.

 

[Wulf7]

Yeah, a router (aka a cable modem/dsl router-check bestbuy or circuitcity or an office store) is a great option as it comes with more protections (a hardware firewall) for your computers but it can be a pain to play games on via the internet (lan gaming would be fairly easy to get working on it).

Since you have a hub already and I'm assuming a cable or dsl modem QuickWit's setup is the best way to go. Its what I use (I pay comcast $5 extra for the 4 more IPs). Makes it easy when a few friends come over for gaming and we want to have net access without having to deal with NAT or DMZ settings etc..


(an aside: XP's net setup is usually good, tho as someone who knows a bit of what I need to setup, XP's setup wizards has been a royal PITA for networking settings for me. )

 

[CelticFrog]

One large, pain in the ass, unfixable right now problem here:

Dialup.

 

[Weird Harold]

Hell, I haven't even tried sharing the printer yet... like I said before, the only real issue I've had so far with it has been the Internet Connection Sharing, which I'd love but just can't configure.


One large, pain in the ass, unfixable right now problem here:

Dialup.

The dial-up service explains your problem with shared internet service -- and a possible problem with printer sharing.

From earlier comments, your network is a laptop and a desktop connected with an Ethernet hub, correct?

To get your shared internet connection, all you have to do is set the DUN configuration to dial automatically and remember the password on the desktop. On the laptop, set the DUN configuration for your dialup service as NOT the default and to dial only when specifically requested. (Assuming that the laptop occasionly will be away from the network and need to connect on it's own. If that's not the case, you can remove the dialup connection DUN from the laptop completely.)

Sharing the printer is even simpler -- just configure the default printer on the laptop as the shared network printer.

The only limitation is that the desktop has to be turned on for the laptop to have an internet connection or access to the default printer.

For your gaming problem, I'd check the help menu for specifics of setting up a LAN game, but I suspect that the name you assigned to each computer is really all you need to know.

Start the game in Host mode on the Desktop first.

Start the game on the laptop and select the desktop's network name when asked for the host to connect to -- it should be able to find the Host process on it's own from that point.