LAN Only Game page 1

kaband

12-09-2009, 12:59 AM

I have been working on a LAN only game and am not sure if it is possible at this point, but wanted to share what I've experienced to see if someone has an answer.

I'd like to start a LAN only game. Ideally, I only want players on the LAN to be able to connect to it. I don't want to open up any inbound ports on my firewall. This seems like its a must due to the way altitude multiplayer works.

My thought's on why I cannot do a LAN only game:

When the server is brought online it must register w. Altitude's master server which maintains a list of all active servers. The master server populates its list w. the public IP of the server (usually the IP of the router/firewall's external interface unless you've done a NAT using another usable address in your public address pool).

It makes perfect sense that the altitude master server would use the public IP address. The problem w. LAN only is that I want/need players to use the private address, otherwise, I have to open up ports on the firewall. At that point in order to get to the server on the LAN, the clients would have to go out the external interface and then back in (hairpinning).

lf there isn't a LAN feature built into Altitude, is there perhaps a console command that lets you connect directly to an IP of a server. I looked through them and saw a disconnect command, but I didn't see anything that represented a connect command.

Thanks for you help,
Justin

lamster

12-09-2009, 01:20 AM

Launch the Server Configurator, edit your server, check "LAN Server" -- this will prevent your server from registering itself with the master list. The game client automatically searches for LAN servers on the local network every time you update the server list. Sort by ping and the LAN servers should all pop right to the top of the list.

kaband

12-09-2009, 01:47 AM

Thanks! :) Too darn easy. Of course, it would be simple checkbox that I passed over when looking through the configuration.

Thanks for answer, Lamaster.