Lan: Comps Can't See One Another

Nihilus145 · 07-08-2009, 04:01 PM

Hello all,

I am having massive difficulties in getting my lan network at home to work correctly. I have two XP computers connected to a network with a 2wire gateway router and want to play some games over lan.

The problem is that neither computers can see, and thus join, the hosted game of the other. The game does not show up in the lan lobby at all. This happens regardless of the game being played, so i'm quessing it must be a setup or hardware issue.

All other lan functionality otherwise works perfectly. Both computers can see/share files, printer sharing works, both belong to AND show up in the same workgroup, and i can ping the other computer without problems. In fact, if i didn't play games, i would not know i have a lan issue.

I have tried many different solutions posted on the net without much success. Internet protocol is enabled, tried hamachi, ports have been properly forwarded, turned off all firewall programs, only LAN and 1394 adapters enabled, drivers are up to date, and have tried using different routers/hubs.

The only time i'm able to play with the other computer on LAN is if the game has a direct ip connection option. If it does not have this option then i am out of luck for lan play. I'm not sure however if my computers are basicly playing over the internet or on lan this way.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

**johnwill** · 07-09-2009, 09:07 AM

I'm guessing the firewalls on the machines are blocking the ports the games use. Have you tried disabling all the firewalls on the computers as a test?

Nihilus145 · 07-10-2009, 08:31 AM

I have tried disabling windows firewall as well as the anti-virus i am using, unfortunately none of the games show up in the lobby.

I know the computers can connect to each other, as we can still play as long as we use direct ip connection. It seems they just don't see one another as lan.

Nihilus145 · 07-12-2009, 06:34 PM

bump.

**johnwill** · 07-13-2009, 06:34 AM

I guess I don't understand.

Direct IP? LAN? What's the difference?

Nihilus145 · 07-13-2009, 04:07 PM

There isn't a difference between the options. Some games allow the option to specify the ip address of the host game you're trying to join without having to manually look for it in a list. This can be done for both internet and lan.

The problem is that when say computer A hosts game1 on lan, computer B cannot see it. There are no games listed on lan even though there should be one. I can, however, connect to game1 if I know the ip address of Computer A and vice-versa.

Nihilus145 · 08-01-2009, 08:35 PM

bump.

Phineas78 · 09-25-2009, 06:00 PM

I got the exact same problem expect its even stranger. when i host a game on pc1 pc2 usually does not find the game but if pc2 is the host pc1 always finds it. very annoying. if anyone has a solution it would be much appreciated.

adodo · 09-26-2009, 02:06 AM

This sounds like there may be some name resolution issues. You say you can play your games when you are able to enter ip addresses directly. Are you certain you have performed the firewall test properly? You may need to also forward both tcp and udp ports when firewall software is enabled. You may also need to forward port 53 and possibly 5353 on tcp and udp also. I am not really a game player, but I do experience similar behaviour on one of my network games. In my case, my two computers are in different subnets. Sorry I can't offer a definitive solution, just that I have been caught before with unusual problems that turned out to be name server related.

Nihilus145 · 10-01-2009, 05:39 PM

In my case, i do not have any third party firewall software enabled except for the default windows firewall (which i have also tried disabling). Windows firewall did not seem like an issue when my lan worked properly.

I have tried forwarding the ports you suggested through my router, however it did not seem to have any effect.

This is definitely a very weird issue. Is it a name resolution issue if file/printer sharing works but lan gaming does not?

Phineas78 · 10-03-2009, 07:48 AM

Ok I finally got it!

at least for my case. I had to install an ethernet packet sniffer to figure out what was going on. so the problem for me was:
some lan games i could host only on one pc but other games i could host on either pc which does not make any sense. I know it wasn't a router issue cuz the router wasn't even in the picture. After finally analyzing the ethernet packets from each computer i found out the one pc had a totally wrong ip address not even on the 192.168.xxx.xxx net. i'm like what the heck!

so i do an ipconfig on that pc what do i see it has 2 ethernet adapters. one is the real one on my local network the other is a virtual that was install when i put in a tv tuner card (I have no clue why that was installed for a tv tuner)
So the solution was:
go to your network connections if you have more than one local area connection disable all of them expect the one that is for your local subnet 192.168.xxx.xxx
It appears that some games randomly chose the wrong ethernet adapter which prevents it from finding a host on the local net.
Hope this helps

07-08-2009, 04:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Lan: Comps Can't See One Another Hello all, I am having massive difficulties in getting my lan network at home to work correctly. I have two XP computers connected to a network with a 2wire gateway router and want to play some games over lan. The problem is that neither computers can see, and thus join, the hosted game of the other. The game does not show up in the lan lobby at all. This happens regardless of the game being played, so i'm quessing it must be a setup or hardware issue. All other lan functionality otherwise works perfectly. Both computers can see/share files, printer sharing works, both belong to AND show up in the same workgroup, and i can ping the other computer without problems. In fact, if i didn't play games, i would not know i have a lan issue. I have tried many different solutions posted on the net without much success. Internet protocol is enabled, tried hamachi, ports have been properly forwarded, turned off all firewall programs, only LAN and 1394 adapters enabled, drivers are up to date, and have tried using different routers/hubs. The only time i'm able to play with the other computer on LAN is if the game has a direct ip connection option. If it does not have this option then i am out of luck for lan play. I'm not sure however if my computers are basicly playing over the internet or on lan this way. Any help is greatly appreciated.

07-09-2009, 09:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,607 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another I'm guessing the firewalls on the machines are blocking the ports the games use. Have you tried disabling all the firewalls on the computers as a test? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-10-2009, 08:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another I have tried disabling windows firewall as well as the anti-virus i am using, unfortunately none of the games show up in the lobby. I know the computers can connect to each other, as we can still play as long as we use direct ip connection. It seems they just don't see one another as lan.

07-12-2009, 06:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another bump.

07-13-2009, 06:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,607 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another I guess I don't understand. Direct IP? LAN? What's the difference? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-13-2009, 04:07 PM	#6 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another There isn't a difference between the options. Some games allow the option to specify the ip address of the host game you're trying to join without having to manually look for it in a list. This can be done for both internet and lan. The problem is that when say computer A hosts game1 on lan, computer B cannot see it. There are no games listed on lan even though there should be one. I can, however, connect to game1 if I know the ip address of Computer A and vice-versa.

08-01-2009, 08:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another bump.

09-25-2009, 06:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Phineas78 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another I got the exact same problem expect its even stranger. when i host a game on pc1 pc2 usually does not find the game but if pc2 is the host pc1 always finds it. very annoying. if anyone has a solution it would be much appreciated.

09-26-2009, 02:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
adodo Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 10 OS: Mac OS X 10.5.8, Windows XP SP3, RHEL	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another This sounds like there may be some name resolution issues. You say you can play your games when you are able to enter ip addresses directly. Are you certain you have performed the firewall test properly? You may need to also forward both tcp and udp ports when firewall software is enabled. You may also need to forward port 53 and possibly 5353 on tcp and udp also. I am not really a game player, but I do experience similar behaviour on one of my network games. In my case, my two computers are in different subnets. Sorry I can't offer a definitive solution, just that I have been caught before with unusual problems that turned out to be name server related.

10-01-2009, 05:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
Nihilus145 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another In my case, i do not have any third party firewall software enabled except for the default windows firewall (which i have also tried disabling). Windows firewall did not seem like an issue when my lan worked properly. I have tried forwarding the ports you suggested through my router, however it did not seem to have any effect. This is definitely a very weird issue. Is it a name resolution issue if file/printer sharing works but lan gaming does not?

10-03-2009, 07:48 AM	#11 (permalink)
Phineas78 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2 OS: xp	Re: Lan: Comps Can't See One Another Ok I finally got it! at least for my case. I had to install an ethernet packet sniffer to figure out what was going on. so the problem for me was: some lan games i could host only on one pc but other games i could host on either pc which does not make any sense. I know it wasn't a router issue cuz the router wasn't even in the picture. After finally analyzing the ethernet packets from each computer i found out the one pc had a totally wrong ip address not even on the 192.168.xxx.xxx net. i'm like what the heck! so i do an ipconfig on that pc what do i see it has 2 ethernet adapters. one is the real one on my local network the other is a virtual that was install when i put in a tv tuner card (I have no clue why that was installed for a tv tuner) So the solution was: go to your network connections if you have more than one local area connection disable all of them expect the one that is for your local subnet 192.168.xxx.xxx It appears that some games randomly chose the wrong ethernet adapter which prevents it from finding a host on the local net. Hope this helps