Can't play LAN games with college roommate
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Thread: Can't play LAN games with college roommate

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    41

    Can't play LAN games with college roommate

    Hello everyone,

    I apologize if this isn't the appropriate forum for my question, but I wasn't sure whether it should have gone under "Networking" or "Internet Software".

    I am a college student living with two roommates in the dorms. I am trying to play Starcraft and Warcraft III LAN games with my one roommate named Matt, but when I create a game and he tries to join it, he can't see the game in the list of games to join. My other roommate is named Adam, and I can play LAN games with him, but Matt and I are interested in playing together. I have been unable to determine why Adam and I can play together, but Matt and I cannot. We are trying to play LAN games together under the following conditions:

    a. Same subnet on the dorm network, same subnet mask, both using DHCP (dorm server)
    b. We can ping each other and join DirectPlay test sessions that each of us creates
    c. We have tried disabling our software firewalls to no avail; he is using ZoneAlarm, I am using Norton Internet Security
    d. Both using Windows XP, but we have disabled XP's built-in firewall on each machine
    e. Same Windows workgroup
    f. Both using the same versions (latest ones) of Starcraft and Warcraft III, which are 1.10 and 1.14b respectively
    h. To the best of my knowledge, my college is not restricting traffic on port 6112, TCP and UDP (the port that Starcraft and Warcraft III use) in any way. I can connect to Battle.net with both games and I can host custom games with Warcraft III, which requires that inbound traffic on port 6112, TCP be allowed.

    Both games use the UDP protocol for LAN games. With both games, you do not put in an IP address to join a game; you have the person you want to play with create a game and then you choose it from a list. If I'm not mistaken, this is because the games use peer-to-peer networking instead of client-server networking. We don't have any games where you put in an IP address to join a game like Diablo II, so we haven't tried testing connectivity with them (although I guess the DirectPlay tests work the same way, so that could be considered a test of that nature).

    EDIT:
    I am assuming that with Starcraft and Warcraft III, if you are on the same subnet as the person you want to play a LAN game with, you should be able to play with them.

    Unfortunately, playing on Battle.net is not an option for us (Matt does not actually own Starcraft and Warcraft III, so he didn't install them with CD-keys that will work on Battle.net), so we have to do LAN games. Matt is using a no-CD crack to play Warcraft III, and I was thinking that maybe the cause of our not being able to play Warcraft III LAN games together is the fact that his game executable has been modified as a result of using the no-CD crack... can anyone confirm for me that playing LAN games with people who are using no-CD cracks works or not?

    Adam and I played some LAN games together under the same aforementioned conditions, and while troubleshooting this problem, Matt and I discovered that Adam and I are using the same Internet gateway. Could our problem have something to do with the fact that Matt and I are not using the same gateway? We also discovered that Adam and I can see each other's computers on the Windows Network Neighborhood, but Matt and I cannot.

    I appreciate any and all advice anyone can give me that might help me start playing LAN games with Matt.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    295
    I think you have to configure the router (open a port) and i dont think you can do that in a school LAN.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    41
    Are you referring to the router(s) on my dorm network that traffic between my computer and computers on the Internet goes through? If you are, I understand that port 6112 must be opened inbound/outbound by my dorm network's administrator, but I don't think that's an issue, as I can connect to Battle.net on port 6112 and I can host Warcraft III custom games (requires that port 6112 inbound be open). However, maybe I should contact the administrator and ask if anything in the dorm network setup might be causing my problem. Thanks for your input.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    295
    so you can host other games and people join and you can play?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Yes, that's correct. On Battle.net I can host Warcraft III custom games and people can join them. That is why I don't think this is an issue with incoming traffic on port 6112 being blocked by my college.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Madison Heights Michigan
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    841
    I know in Starcraft anyways that you can play lan cames Via IPX or IP but you have to get the update from Battle.net which I am assuming that you have. From reading what you have posted I would assume you are trying to connect via IP or UDP. Anyways, I know you mentioned that you are using the same subnet mask but unless I mesread something you made no mention of being on the same workgroup or domain....

    At home I have my network going through a router and a switch, everyone gets their IP's from the router DHCP. Everyone has XP Firewall disabled (Otherwise they cannot connect to each others games) and everyone is on the HOME Workgroup or whatever it is in your case. The only times I have ever had a problem with Playing Starcraft (Which I have gotten back into recently) is when one of us has had the XP firewall on of One of use is not on the HOME workgroup.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 1999
    Location
    mpls
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    a. Same subnet on the dorm network, same subnet mask, both using DHCP (dorm server)

    When you say you are on the same subnet, I assume you mean you're in the same network. But, are you certain? Sometimes, the way a network is subnetted out, it will look like you're in the same network, but you actually aren't. If your subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 and your ip addresses share the first three octets, but the fourth is different, then you are probably on the same network. However, if the subnet is less obvious then the dorm networks could be split down the middle
    (for instance 192.168.1.0 - 192.168.1.128 being one network, and 192.168.1.129 - 192.168.1.255 being the other - not precise numbers but just to give you an idea). If that's the case then routing could be an issue. They may have opened port 6112 on the internet, but may not have bothered to open this port between networks on there internal networks.

    Also, I don't think being in the same workgroup/domain should be an issue, otherwise you'd never be able to play a game online. Even if peer to peer mode, it should just be using ip to communicate.

    And it should be easy to confirm or deny your two theories on why you can play with Adam and not with Matt. Since you can currently play with Adam, put him in a different workgroup then your own. Can you still play? That would disprove the workgroup theory. How about the CD crack? Have Adam try using the CD crack on his machine. Can you still connect? That would tell you if it's the crack.

    Lastly, if you get desparate, and it IS a network issue, since you are all roomates, go out and buy a 30 dollar switch. When the two/three of you want to play, unplug from the dorm network, and plug into the switch.

    Good luck.
    ...this one goes to 11...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    41
    I know in Starcraft anyways that you can play lan cames Via IPX or IP but you have to get the update from Battle.net which I am assuming that you have. From reading what you have posted I would assume you are trying to connect via IP or UDP. Anyways, I know you mentioned that you are using the same subnet mask but unless I mesread something you made no mention of being on the same workgroup or domain....
    That is correct, both of us have patch 1.10 installed which contains a previous patch that adds support for UDP LAN play, which we are using. And yes, I did mention that we are on the same Windows workgroup.

    At home I have my network going through a router and a switch, everyone gets their IP's from the router DHCP. Everyone has XP Firewall disabled (Otherwise they cannot connect to each others games) and everyone is on the HOME Workgroup or whatever it is in your case. The only times I have ever had a problem with Playing Starcraft (Which I have gotten back into recently) is when one of us has had the XP firewall on of One of use is not on the HOME workgroup.
    I use a router at home as well, and my brother and I can play Starcraft and Warcraft III LAN games together under the conditions that I mentioned (same workgroup, XP firewalls disabled, etc.). My current theory is that the problem has something to do with my dorm network setup.

    When you say you are on the same subnet, I assume you mean you're in the same network. But, are you certain? Sometimes, the way a network is subnetted out, it will look like you're in the same network, but you actually aren't. If your subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 and your ip addresses share the first three octets, but the fourth is different, then you are probably on the same network. However, if the subnet is less obvious then the dorm networks could be split down the middle
    (for instance 192.168.1.0 - 192.168.1.128 being one network, and 192.168.1.129 - 192.168.1.255 being the other - not precise numbers but just to give you an idea). If that's the case then routing could be an issue. They may have opened port 6112 on the internet, but may not have bothered to open this port between networks on there internal networks.
    That's a good point. The truth is that only recently have I started learning about subnets and subnetting, and since I just learned how to use the subnet mask to check if two nodes are actually on the same network, I will double-check that Matt and I are actually on the same subnet. The first three octets of our IP addresses and our subnet masks are the same, so all this time I have been assuming that we are on the same subnet.

    Also, I don't think being in the same workgroup/domain should be an issue, otherwise you'd never be able to play a game online. Even if peer to peer mode, it should just be using ip to communicate.
    I really wasn't sure if being in the same workgroup/domain would be an issue. I have researched this problem and I have seen a couple people say that players should ensure they are a same part of the same workgroup/domain, so I decided to make sure that they are the same for me and Matt.

    And it should be easy to confirm or deny your two theories on why you can play with Adam and not with Matt. Since you can currently play with Adam, put him in a different workgroup then your own. Can you still play? That would disprove the workgroup theory. How about the CD crack? Have Adam try using the CD crack on his machine. Can you still connect? That would tell you if it's the crack.
    You're right, I should have done all that before I posted. I haven't actually done much testing with Adam, as he hasn't really been interested in playing.

    Lastly, if you get desparate, and it IS a network issue, since you are all roomates, go out and buy a 30 dollar switch. When the two/three of you want to play, unplug from the dorm network, and plug into the switch.
    Yeah, we were thinking of getting a crossover RJ45 cable or a switch, but we just wanted to see if we could get this issue resolved without doing that (driving is no fun during the winter in the area I'm in right now, and I don't have a job so I'd prefer to save money).

    Two things I forgot to mention:

    a. The problem of Matt not being able to join my games goes both ways (I can't join games that Matt creates).
    b. IP addresses on the dorm network aren't private non-routable addresses; they can be seen by anyone on the Internet.

    Thank you both for your input.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 1999
    Location
    mpls
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    408
    Wow, you guys have real public internet addresses? That's pretty cool.

    Well, let us know what you find out. It may be frustrating, but it's another learning experience at least!

    (oh, and I know all about driving in the winter, being from the Minnesota tundra and all)
    ...this one goes to 11...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    41
    Yes, we have "real" addresses. I guess I'll mention that my college is the Rochester Institute of Technology, and here, it's all about the Internet connection.

    I bet the winters here in Rochester are worse than they are in Minnesota...

    Well, I won't be able to follow up on your suggestions until later, I'm off to my Internetworking Lab lab (not the lecture) where I wil be hooking up an Ethernet network to a token ring network and using IPX/SPX... it will be tons of fun.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Posts
    41
    UPDATE:

    I think RingoSaturn was right on the mark. I just found out after doing the subnet calculation that indeed, Matt and I are not actually on the same network, and that would probably explain why he and I can't play LAN games together, but Adam and I can (according to the subnet calculation he and I are on the same network). I guess I'll have to go get a switch or crossover cable. Again, thank you all for your input.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
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    53,392
    Might want to look at a 10/100/1000 switch and nics. Be speedy for sure.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 1999
    Location
    mpls
    Posts
    408
    Hey, you could try and get really tricky and put a second nic in each PC, devoted soley to gaming between the two of you. I mean, you are enrolled in an Institute of Technology after all.


    ...this one goes to 11...

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