You can check sites like langamelist. com (Check the “Offline LAN” box), or look through Steam curated lists like “LAN Party Games,” but be aware that these lists are never comprehensive. For most games, each player will need their own copy installed on their computer. Try to ensure that everyone has the games you intend to play installed before they come over, so you can get up and running without waiting for people to install things. [1] X Research source Some of the most popular multiplayer PC games still support LAN. Minecraft, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and more have LAN support, though some require an internet connection to function. Note that recent Blizzard games like Diablo 3 and Overwatch do not support LAN.
You’ll need enough Ethernet cables to connect each computer to your switch, as well as a cable to connect your switch to your router. You can ask your guests to bring their own Ethernet cables, but you’ll probably want to have a few spare cables handy. You’ll need surge protectors and extension cables to ensure that you don’t trip circuits. If you don’t have the table space, you’ll need a few folding tables and chairs depending on how many people are coming.
Most houses have separate circuits for different rooms (living room, kitchen, utility room, etc. ). Keep in mind that most circuits have multiple outlets, so just spreading your computers between outlets in the same room won’t help. You’ll want to limit each circuit to about four computers. This means you’ll likely need some heavy-duty extension cables and surge protectors to plug the computers into.
Do not get another router, as this will make things needlessly complex and expensive. A simple switch is all you need to connect many more computers to your existing router. Make sure your new switch uses auto-sensing ports. This will allow you to connect everything with standard Ethernet cables instead of having to buy, or make, a special crossover cable. Most all modern switches have auto-sensing ports. While you can have everyone connect to your wireless network, this is not recommended for most multiplayer games. Once everyone is playing together, you’ll likely notice serious lag.
If you don’t need to have internet access during your LAN party, you can just use a switch and no router. You may want to have internet access, however, so that other players can download any necessary updates or games that they don’t have installed. Routers will also handle assigning everyone a unique IP address, which makes getting connected much easier.
It doesn’t matter which computers go into which ports on the switch. If you’re using multiple switches to connect a lot of computers, don’t connect all the switches to the router. Instead, connect the first switch to the router and the second switch to the first switch.
If you’re using an antivirus program, it may have firewall software built-in. Open the program’s interface and check for an option to disable the firewall. See Turn Off Firewall for details on turning off the firewalls for Windows and Mac computers.
You can download D-LAN for free from www. d-lan. net. After installing it, you’ll be able to see everyone else on the network who has it installed, and you can quickly create and access shared folders. Make sure your guests aren’t transferring files while others are trying to play, as this will drag down the connection speed.
You may want to consider setting up a computer as a dedicated server. This will allow for the best performance, but that computer will be unavailable to play on. The process for setting up a dedicated server varies depending on the game, and not all games support them.
This free program allows you to create private rooms for you and your friends. You can then use these rooms to launch LAN games as if you were all in the same house. There is no limit to the number of payers you can host in your private room.
Follow the prompts in the installer to install the program.
After signing in for the first time, Evolve will download additional files, which may take a few moments.
Click “Install” again in the Windows notification that appears.
Open the Start menu and type “Device Manager” to open the Device Manager. Expand “Network adapters” and double-click “Evolve Virtual Ethernet Adapter. " Click the “Advanced” tab and select “MAC Address. " Enter 0 as the value and close the window. Restart Evolve.
You can also open your friends list, then right-click on your friends and select “Invite to Party. "
For example, in Minecraft you would start a game, open the Pause menu, and then select “Open to LAN. “[4] X Research source
