First you’d better check your LAN is working for everyone, go to the Network Neighborhoods icon that should appear on your desktop, make sure you see all the computers. They will be distinguished by their names that you entered in the Identification tab, be patient though, as Windows can take its time showing all the computers present on the network. If something is wrong and one or more computers do not appear on the network, check their cables and reboot them, if they are still not visible on the Network Neighborhoods go over their settings in the Network.

Now if everything is okay, launch a game like Half-Life to check that you can play on the LAN, click on Multiplayer then LAN game, now one of the computers should Create a game for others to join, make sure the fastest machine gets this responsibility for obvious reasons. Once the game is created others should see it, and then join it by double clicking or clicking Join after selecting it.

The concept is the same for practically all games, most will have an option to create LAN games but some will present a choice, just remember the protocols you installed, i.e. TCP/IP and IPX/SPX.

This concludes our article looking at how to set-up multiplayer LAN games. Now you’ll play with your friends, and close enemies (your choice really) look them in the eye as you aim between his eyes in Unreal Tournament, smirk as you capture flag after flag in Quake 3, and laugh manically as you desolate the Counter Strike team’s attempt to stop you bombing the targets in de_dust all with no lag what so ever, avoiding feeble excuses such as “my ping is bad” and “it lags like shit”!! Remember to have games to play (and or MODS)! Food! And beverages :D

by Fred "Doomie" Agzamov

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