Connect through LAN (updated)

Technical Support Forum

OK, so our main computer is now back. It too now runs through the router, so all of our computers have access to the internet. But I know there is still a problem that I don't understand.

We are unable to play games through a lan. From one computer, we can create the game, but we can not join because somehow the game thinks both computers are the same.

Get it? I don't.

Thanks for help!

My brother did this a while ago. We took a wire and connected 3 different computers. Then played Doom together. I don’t really know how he did it, but it's possible. When I get a chance I will ask him. I know we have a router now.

doublecheck that in your multiplayer option screen on the host computer (the computer you use to create the game) you have tcp/ip enabled or selected for the communication type. also on your computers you want to join the game, make sure to set the communication type to tcp/ip. if you have rebooted your 'main' computer at any time it's ip address may be different and you will have to update the connecting computers with this info. some games have a "join local" or something like that where they can find a game running on a local host.

i guess the obvious question is what are you trying to play? this will make it easier to troubleshoot.

I think another problem might be that the game is not using the internal IP addresses that your computers have been assigned to by the NAT router. It may be using the same external IP address to connect to the other machine, and since the external IP address is the same for all the computers, it might be thinking that you are trying to connect to your own machine. But then again, I may be wrong. We need more information to troubleshoot.

The game is called "Civilizations: Call to power"

It only gives the option to create a LAN game and join a lobby. No interesting options to toggle.

I've been trying to understand the IP thing by analyzing it as much as possible, and I figured out that each computer has it's own "special" IP address, but at the same time it also carries the same IP number that the router it's self does.

I'm assuming that's why we can't enter the same lobby through the LAN.

I must sound very elementery right now but I'm just barely starting to learn this stuff.

I am not sure how to do what you suggested Larke... Do you know how to step me through it on win XP?

Thanks again for the help.

could you post the error message too?

There is no error message. It just simply refuses to work.

When I join a lobby, and my friend wants to join thel obby in the other room on the other computer, I see a message on my screen that says "you have entered the lobby" at the exact moment he enters. We can't communicate with eachother.

Since I don't have more information, I would say that what I said was correct. What do you think Larke?

AM: i'm still not sure if your conclusion is totally correct because it could be based on an already flawed premise. not flawed on your part but perhaps in zak's utilization of the game.

sayzak, you said this "It only gives the option to create a LAN game and join a lobby. No interesting options to toggle." and then went on to say this "When I join a lobby, and my friend wants to join thel obby in the other room on the other computer,"

is this correct? because on your main computer you would want to create a LAN game and then have all the other players to join, right? so i guess what i'm asking is did you do what is stated in these posts and didn't actually create a LAN game or did you mistype what you actually did?

I don't know. I give up.

I tried to create a lan game.

Clicked on "LAN GAME"

Clicked on "create new game" (gave it a "name")

Waited for friend in other room to join.

He saw the name of the game and clicked on it, but could not join because it was "full".

I exited the "game" and went back into the lobby to discover he was not there.

I walked into the other room and he WAS there.

I went back into my room and exited the lobby and went back in.

Went into other room again to see a message on the other computer which said "you have entered the lobby" (but nothing actually happened)

That's the best description I can give you... sorry.

zak: is this your menu?

http://apolyton.net/ctp/preview/screens/MP2.jpg

hey zak, have you tried going at it from the other direction? starting a game on another computer and then trying to join with your main computer? i've been trying to find a demo version that i could download but i have yet to find one.

sorry i haven't been more help zak. setting up a multiplayer LAN game is usually pretty smooth.

oh, yeah, one more question. have you actually started a game on your main computer and tried to join from one of the other computers? i'm used to FPS and with those, depending on how the initial game is setup, you can join in a game in-progress if there is an open spot. i'm not sure if the same applies to RTS games or not. i could never get into those. but it's just a thought.

okay, one more question. can you share files on your main computer and access them from one of the other computers? or vice versa? just curious.

Wow, yeah that's the menue. Very much the same.

We have no idea how to share files with the other computers in the house. We're absolutely cluesless.

You guys are awesome for trying to help. But you have to realize you're talking to a 5 year old when it comes to computers and IP addresses and stuff.... I just don't speak the language. I am trying to learn it though...

Thanks again.

Correcting the file sharing might be a key component of your IP problem, Zak. When you open up 'My Network Places', do you see the other computers?

I don't know how to open "my network places"... Where's that?

It should be an icon on your desktop

Even if it is not on your desktop, it should be in your Windows XP start menu.

Oh duhh... Haha I think it's very clear how computer-illiterate I am...

There's nothing in the folder.

Wait now a computer just showed up, but it says "sayzak's work station" which is this computer.

Nevermind it's not a computer icon, it's a folder icon. Kind of. It says shared docs.

No Zak, that is how it should be. Your own computer is part of your own network. So you should be able to see atleast your own computer. Are the other computers on and running but you cannot see them on the network?

if at anytime you want to check and see if you have shared resources, and if anyone is accessing them, right-click on "my computer" and go to "manage".

go down to "shared folders" and if you can't see the three sub-folders, double-click on "shared folders" and it should expand the tree.

you'll see "shares" (what's shared on your computer), "sessions" (users accessing shared resources on your computer), and "open files" (the resources that the users are accessing).

normally you would have a 'shared documents' folder that is shared by default and should already be visible to the other computers.

if not, then you can create a share and see if the other computers can access it.

on one of your other computers, make a new folder on your desktop (just in case, here's how: right click an empty area of your desktop to open up a menu, hover your mouse over "new" and it will open a new sub-menu, you should see a "folder" option. click on "folder" and a new folder will be created on the desktop.) right click on the new folder and you should see a menu option titled "sharing and security..."

look for a check box for "Share this folder on the network". this will allow other computers on your network to view the contents of the folder. under this option, you will see the share name. you can leave it as default or change it to something else. under the share name you have another check box that you can now enable if you wish (but be careful with this one). it's called "allow network users to change my files". this will allow others to modify or even delete the contents of the folder. but they would also be able to move/copy files into the folder. anyway, the point of all this is to show you how to create and share a folder to see if you can view the newly created/shared folder from another computer. and you don't have to create a new folder if you don't want to, you can pick an arbitrary folder and share it for testing purposes.

"Haha I think it's very clear how computer-illiterate I am..." and you're probably not as bad as you think you are. and even if you are, that's ok. i love threads like this. i could talk about this stuff all day.

Did you try a different game?

also try: http://www.experts-exchange.com/

when you say 'there's no network connection' can i assume you can't get online from that computer either? or is it a matter of 'i can get online, i just can't see the other computers in my home network'?

Well now I can detect MY computer from our MAIN computer, but not vice versa. And both can get online through the router.

depending on which services you have running, you may or may not be able to browse computers on your network. but you can still access resources on them anyway. if you can get online with both of them then try this. on your main computer, right click on "my computer" and select "properties". click on the tab that says "computer name" and double check the computer name. also, on your "two little monitors" in your taskbar that indicates you are connected to a network, click on that and in the display that comes up there should be a tab labeled "support". click on "support" and you should see your ip address. write this down.

go to your other computer and double-click my computer or windows explorer to bring up a window. in the address bar type this (without quotes, using your computer's name): \\"computer name"

if nothing comes up, type(without quotes): \\"ip address"

did either of these allow you to browse shares on your main computer?

Hmmm. I think you followed Josh's directions too literally, Matt. (Can I call you guys by your names?). What I think he meant to say that one of the tabs will have a field for computer name.

Also, that little icon with two computers will be in your taskbar (the one which has the clock in it).

As for the address bar, you can change it so that it is in every window by changing an option in Folder Options. You might have to look around a bit in Folder Options though. I cannot point you to the exact one since I am not on a Windows computer.

as far as the network indicator in your taskbar, if you have network connectivity but don't see the icon, it's no biggie. this can easily be enabled or disabled. to enable it, go to your control panel. double click your "network connections". on the network connection in question, right click and select "properties. on the window that comes up, you'll see an option to "show icon in notification area when connected". if this is checked you'll see the "two little monitors", and if unchecked then you won't.

for the address bar issue, just click on your "start" button. go to "run..." and use it as a "stand-alone" address bar.

Thank you Larke. I almost forgot about my trusted friend Run. Try this, Zak.

oh and AM, i started calling you "AM" without asking so feel free to call me what you'd like.

yes, "run..." is your friend. i forget about it being there, too.

Call me whatever you want. Right now I'd prefer "moron" because I feel like I can't read english. All I want to do is play a video game with someone in the other room, not build a space ship.

Hey M, you didn't tell us what results you got from what J suggested.

I couldn't do it. I'm lost.

Okay, calm down and do this:

Click on Start, and then Run.
This should bring up a window where you can type in commands.
Then type in \\(name of another computer in your network).

When you do this, can you see a window which shows what that computer is sharing?

Do you know the name of the computers in the network? I don't.

You set them up so you should know the names. Like the main one is called 'Sayzak's workstation' or something like that right? You should know the names of the other ones too.

If you don't, then do this:

Go to the other computer, right click on 'My Computer' and then on 'Properties'. Then click on the Network Identification tab. Then you should be able to see the name of the computer.

I didn't set up the main computer, just mine... But now I see what you mean. Thanks. I'll try that later tonight. I'm discouraged beyond words right now... Thanks for trying to help and being patient with me.

No problem. Glad to help a fellow M. Tell us how it goes tonight.

For some time my MSN nickname was Agent M. It was dual reference - Men in Black and The Matrix.

agent M. that's great. it suits you. you are also very Methodical.

Sometimes I am The One M too.

Hey Zak, any progress on the file sharing front?

Sorry for the lack of updates guys, I've been kinda busy.

Here's the thing. I downloaded a different game (worms world party) and installed it on two computers in the house, and set up a lan game, and it worked perfectly. I don't know why Civilizations won't work, but at least I'm pretty sure it's not an IP problem anymore.

alright zak! i'm happy for you dude. have you made certain you have all the patches for the civilizations game?

I haven't even looked...

Worms world party is an awesome game. Those little guys are hillarious.

I downloaded the patch but I couldn't install it (to civilizations)... apparantly my version is already... "patched" ?

So that's not it...

i haven't played it yet. but i've heard that worms is an absolute riot.

Larke, I have played it, and I tell you, that game is awesome.

Larke... worms is the best game. You will be addicted in no time.

Hey Matt, you still can't share files between your computers?

I can. But I can only access the files on my computer through the main computer. I am guessing I could access al lthe shared files on any computer through the main computer, but for some reason I just can't explore the files ON the main computer through my computer.

thanks guys, sounds like i will be checking that game out.

matt, check out the attachment. if you right click "my computer" on your main computer, click on the "computer name" tab (in blue on the attachment) and beside "full computer name" (in red on the attachment) then that's your computer name.

on your main computer hit "start" then "run..." and type in (without quotes) "\\computer name".

depending on whether a window opens up or if you get an error would determine the next course of action.

When I 'right click' on 'my computer' on the main computer, I get a small menue which looks nothing like that, and there's no tabs anywhere...

Oh my god... for some reason... I can now access all shared folders on the network from my computer as well as the main computer.

When I right-clicked on my computer, I then clicked on "map network drive" and just explored my way to the main computer's shared folder.

When I click on properties on MY computer I get that menue, but on the MAIN computer there is NO tab that says computer name.

Could that be because the main computer has windows 2000 office on it, and not XP?

ok what do I do with this window again?

Well, in the Network Identification tab you should be able to see the name of the computer.

okay, matt. just to further clarify the earlier confusion (and to illustrate what AM was saying) check the attatchment. all that stuff i talked about up above is after you click on "properties" shown in the attachment.

but congrats on finally making progress. feels good doesn't it?

zak, if you happen to come back in here, here's a couple of links you might find helpful. it's two pages from the same site.

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/contact.htm

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/guide.htm