cant play LAN games...XP SP2 have an impact? (1 Viewer)

[forgotten_dark]

I recently bought an 8-port ethernet switch (plug & play) for lan gaming. I know for a fact that it is not faulty and it is the right piece of hardware. I have tried setting up various computers with it to play the games but I always get the message (regardless of which computer I try) "limited or no connectivity". Thus newly hosted games are unable to be detected over the network. I have tried connecting just 2 computers even (without the switch) with a standard crossover cable which always used to work, but even that doesnt work now. I have read in heaps of places that the installation of XP SP2 does this? i remember before installing this, the network used to work via direct cable link... is there another way to still be able to play lan games with my switch (without buying a router) and without reverting back to SP1?

I have also read that assigning the computers with a static IP address fixes the problem. This gets rid of the "limited or no connectivity" alert but it does not fix the fact that games cannot be detected over the network...

please help. im sure someone here with SP2 must use a standard ethernet switch or hub and easily setup their lan games...

thanks heaps

 

[sunny]

Switches/hubs do not have built in DHCP servers - when you use switches/hubs you have to manually set static IP addresses for anything to work. Games not being detected over the network might be because of Windows Firewall introduced by SP2, try turning that off.

 

[insert-username]

I have SP2 and play LAN games through a switch fairly often. I'll try to help you.


- Make sure all computers have the same workgroup and different computer names (Control Panel -> System Properties -> Computer name).

- Like sunny said, turn off the Windows Firewall on all computers (Control Panel -> Security Center)

- Assign all computers with a static IP address (Control Panel -> Network Settings, right click on the LAN card and hit Properties, then highlight TCP/IP in the box and hit Properties. Make sure each computer has a different IP address, e.g. 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3, etc, but the same subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server).

- That's pretty much what I do, and the games I play are detected and run fine. Good luck.


I_F

 

[forgotten_dark]

Thanks guys, you have been a real help! It now works perfectly, I think it must have been the Windows Firewall because thats the only thing i wasnt doing (turning it off at both ends) and that explains why SP2 made the difference coz of its security updates...im glad lan games work now, thanks again