hosting lan

[lord ezekiel]

I know there is tons of info on the net but a lot is conflicting so I am asking you guys.

We will be doing a LAN gaming day this weekend and I would like to have a step by step for dummies guide on how to set it up. here is the info

we will be 10 players
we will have 4 d-link wired routers (will plug each router together if I can)
everyone uses xp
no ones knows crap about lan set up
all i know is that everyone has internet connection so i guess that they have a network card

can anyone please tell me exactly how to set this up. i would be extremely greatful. please remember I usually simply connect on the net and play. I dont know anything about setting up lans. Thanks and hoep to have a quick response

[Fabula]

Haven't set up a lan for years. So can't remember well enough to advise too much. But one thing I definitely remember being a problem was power points. Make sure you have enough for all the computers without overloading them! 10 computers with monitors etc all running graphics intensive stuff (games) will add maybe 6kw of load to the location. So be careful.

[jimbouk]

Wel you really don't want to plug 4 routers together, it's going to get messy if you do. You want 1 router to hand out IP addresses for all your machines, and if you need more ports then you should get a switch. If you have a cross-over cable between the router and switch then that'd be the best as well. Cable everyone up and the router should set everyones network up fine.

Last LAN I had I my house was 8 people on windows '98, no router so everyone needed to manually set an IP address, and a job lot of extension cables! Get everyone to bring their own ones. Oh and crts made real estate interesting, flat screens will be so much better.

[Re-Invented]

As stated invest in a 16 port switch as you wont be using it much Allied Telesis 16 Port 10/100TX Unmanaged Switch O - Misco.co.uk something like this will do you fine, just saves all the messing with linking routers up.

Regards
Lee

[peterb]

If you just use a switch all users will need to manually configure an IP address. You could add an ADSL router (with a DHCP server enabled) to hand out IP addresses for you - no need to connect it to a phone line or anything - just the switch. (Trade off between users reconfiguring their IP addresses or you setting up the DHCP server in the router)

[iranu]

Patches, Patches, Patches. Make sure that you or someone else downloads all the latest patches for the games you are going to play. That way it won't take you long to ensure everyone is running the same version. Or send out an email and make the lazy beggars patch their own games.

You will also need someone to run as the server so the highest specc'd machine with the most ram is best used if you don't have a dedicated one.

xp is pretty good for networking but you will run into some trouble with people's configurations/firewalls/etc. These should be straight forward to solve.

[[GSV]Trig]

Have you got a router that gives your machine an IP address? (DHCP)
If so then make sure that its plugged into one of your switches and then as long as the other machines are setup to DHCP then everyone should be able to see eachother and the internet..

Make sure you have enough power cables, stick your name on yours, people wont purposefully steal them but they all look the same.

Get loads of bog roll, its amazing how much 10 people will crap when all your eatting is sweets and junk food.

Check for an extra ring main in the house, had a LAN at mine once, everyone was setup fine until one of the Irish lads (c0w) plugged his monitor in, everything went real quiet real quick

If you have your own game server on the net make sure that the people that have admin access all have the right password, otherwise when some nubber (Hac) tries the wrong password a few times your own server IP Ban's the LAN's IP address.

Get a box of network cable and some ends/tool/tester.
You'll be suprised at how many people dont think about network cables at a LAN party, I used to just make them as they were needed, much easier the first time.

Bin bags, make sure theres at least a few in each room that people will be in.

That'll be enough to get you going for now, part of the fun is the social side of it, make sure u have ashtrays outside (no smoking in my house) otherwise you'll jsut get a pile of fag ends by the front or back doorstep.
Also have a break, we used to have a few guys turn up on Thursday night, out in town for a few drinks, light gaming n messing about on the Friday day, then the majority of people turn up Friday after work, game all night, Saturday day, Saturday night, Sunday lunch at the local pub, back home, n then off people started to go home..