Virtual LAN

[jople2004]

Hello

I would like to setup a virtual lan on my computer so i could play multiple instances of some game via lan at the same time (on a single machine). I would prefer a light-weight application that is able to do just that. And if there are other options than VMware i would appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[streetfighter 2]

Welcome to TPU!

Could you better explain what you hope to accomplish by doing this? The only way this makes sense to me is by setting up a virtual machine server then logging into the VMs from client computers...

VirtualBox and VMware Player are both excellent (and free) VM host apps.

 

[jople2004]

This particular game has 2 options. Internet play and LAN game. And i would like to play LAN game using only one computer. So i would run multiple instances of this game on the same PC all joined in a single LAN game (like co-op, but there's no such option).

And as i said be4, i wouldn't like to virtualize the whole machine if that's possible (just LAN so the game thinks I am in a network).

Well if there s another way to do this, just by manipulating with the game or something, I would like to hear it

 

[streetfighter 2]

What game are you trying to do this in?

I want to point out that this really doesn't make any sense at all. A LAN game where all clients and the host are all on the same computer is damned odd. It's like playing a game of chess by yourself.

What makes it even worse is that you can't control more than one instance of the game at a time. I hope for your sake that the game is turn based.

Many games can run multiple instances by opening the game multiple times (though you may have to copy the game directory and/or rename the executable for this to work). So my recommendation is to open two instances of the game and create a LAN game in one then try to connect to it using the other instance and the IP 127.0.0.1 (and whatever port the game uses). That probably won't work though.

Alternatively you can create a VM with a bridged virtual adapter and then host a dedicated server in the VM. Then you could open multiple instances of the game on the host computer and join the server hosted in the VM.

 

[jople2004]

Game is Company of Heroes and it s not server-client based, it s P2P. It doesn't allow opening multiple instances so i use 2 different windows user accounts, that way it won't refuse running. There s only 2 options to play custom game, one being over the Internet and the other is LAN. There's no possibility to specify IP of the other PC, it detects it automatically. So in LAN game it won't detect the other client, that's why i am asking this. I tried Internet option too, but it gives me NAT Negotiation Error since the IP's are the same.

No, it s not turn based game, it s RTS, but that's no prob since i will use it just to test some stuff...

 

[jople2004]

Oke... seems like it probably won't work through LAN...
The other option would be via Internet. I managed to host a game from one instance and it was visible on others, but when i try to connect i get NAT Negotiation Error. Any ideas on how to make it work?

 

[Munki]

For further reference a vlan is something on switches lol your talking about a virtual machine.

 

[jople2004]

Yeh, let's call it LAN simulation than...

 

[WhiteLotus]

Hamachi?

 

[jople2004]

Can't run more than one on single PC...

 

[DRDNA]

Just when I thought I might now what you want to do(which didn't make any sense either) I realized I have no clue what you want to do!
Do you really know what you want to do?
Please try all over and explain what your objective is.

 

[jople2004]

Ok, there is this game, Company of Heroes. There are 2 options for a multiplayer game. Internet and LAN. I have 2 accounts and I would like to simultaniuosly join a multiplayer game with both. I would do that by opening 2 instances of the game, each running on different Windows user account (since game doesn't allow opening more than 1 instance at a time).

Game is P2P based, but there's also main server, which is used to display all available games at the time. From the moment when you join a game with others it s purely P2P.

If i try to connect my accounts in a LAN mode, instances don't see each other (there is no real LAN, so it makes sense). If i try over the internet, everything works fine, I can see the game hosted from the other account, but when i try to connect (both accounts into same game) i get NAT Negotiation Error.

And that's it...