Two person gaming

BDRBDR
edited October 2003 in Science & Tech
I'm not sure if this needs to be here or in the gaming forum.
A friend at work wants to play a 2 player game of Halo on 2 computers linked through a router. He has everything hooked up but hasn't been able to get pc 2 to interact with pc 1 or visa versa.

I know you guys can help. :D

Comments

  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited October 2003
    What protocol does Halo use over LAN?
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited October 2003
    I would imagine TCP/IP. There hasn't been a game that uses IPX/SPX in ages. :)
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Same workgroup? Typically games are fussy about that.
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited October 2003
    Halo uses UDP actually :\ Had to forward ports or get disconnected every 5 minutes (BEFSR41.. heh).
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    last ipx/spx game was warcraft II i believe
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited October 2003
    Doesn't Command & Conquer: Red Alert still use IPX/SPX?

    Isn't UDP still part of the TCP protocol, or is UDP something completely seperate from TCP?
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    Can someone give me a step by step of how he needs to set it up? I'll print it out and give it to him.

    Thanks.:)
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    SimGuy said
    Isn't UDP still part of the TCP protocol, or is UDP something completely seperate from TCP?

    UDP is User Datagram Protocol. It's part of the layer 3 stack (IOS), and provides unreliable "Connectionless" (No send/ack) communication. It doesn't guarantee packet delivery, or sequential packet reception.

    TCP is Transmission Control Protocol. Also part of the Layer 3 IP stack, it provides reliable "Connection oriented" (Send/ack - Sliding window) communication. It DOES guarantee packet delivery, and sequential packet reception.

    They're both subsets of the IP protocol, which handles the routing of packets itself.

    <font color=gray>*And the Cisco fairy flies away</font>
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited October 2003
    Do UDP & TCP work in conjunction with eachother, or does an application have to choose between one or the other?

    As well, if UDP doesn't guarantee packet delivery, why would a game developer choose to utilize UDP network protocols over TCP network protocols for sending game data (if I'm understanding you right, they operate seperate from eachother)?

    /me is a networking n00b, other than plugging in CAT-5e/AUX/BNC cabling and watching DHCP do the rest. :)
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    The application's programmer chooses the protocol. For example, the following are UDP:

    DNS - Port 53
    BOOTPS - Port 67
    BOOTPC - Port 68
    TFTP - Port 69
    NetBIOS - Port 137
    SNMP Trap - Port 162
    Multi Theft Auto Server - Port 2003

    And a whole SLEW of games.

    TCP are things like:

    HTTP - Port 80
    FTP - Port 21
    IGRP - I don't remember the port


    Basically, UDP is used for games because data need only to reach the server. Once it reaches the server, it's replicated and sent along to other clients. The client doesn't need to know that the packet was ever received, because it's going to keep on transmitting data to the server anyways. If the game had to buffer old actions in order to resend dropped packets (Packet loss compensation), gaming would be a nightmare, and your game would be a lag festival. Not to mention, no client would know where any other client really is.

    TCP is for transferring mission-critical data, where the data needs to reach the other end completely intact. UDP is for transferring simple things, small files, game packets, etc.

    <font color=gray>*And the Cisco fairy flies away again</font>
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Thank you cisco fairy... Pull up your tights, they're drooping a little.

    Now, on to solve BDR's ACTUAL PROBLEM :rolleyes:

    1: Make sure both computers have the same workgroup name

    2: As templar said, since Halo uses UDP, you'll need to forward the ports. Templar or somebody? Can you fill us in on what ports to forward?

    3: You'll go into the router's web management page (probably by typing 192.168.1.1 into the web browser) and open the correct ports.
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    I figured he just needed to open the right ports, but I know nothing about gaming.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    If it's on the LAN, it doesn't need open ports. Port forwarding/triggering only relates to incoming/outgoing traffic through the WAN port.

    I'M WEARING BLUE JEANS YOU NONDESCRIPT KHAKI WEARER. :mad2:
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    Thrax said
    If it's on the LAN, it doesn't need open ports. Port forwarding/triggering only relates to incoming/outgoing traffic through the WAN port.


    Assuming his LAN is working correctly and set up right, what else does he need to do?
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited October 2003
    2302 and 2303 are Halo's ports.
    Assuming his LAN is working correctly and set up right, what else does he need to do?

    Make sure DHCP is up and running. If not, manually assign IPs or turn it on. I had one LAN where the owner of the router turned off DHCP for some reason, so it's good to check, especially if it's not his router.

    When you say they can't interact, do you mean on the level of pinging the other node or you can't find his server?

    I'd try the workgroup thing. I've never had a problem with getting PCs to talk to each other in different workgroups though (every box at my house has a different workgroup actually :) ). I don't think that's going to be the problem.
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    I'm not sure if he means they don't see each other at all or just when trying to run the game.

    I'll find out.
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    Halo has to run from the cd right? So he only needs to run it in a shared folder on the "host" machine and access it from the second machine?

    Maybe he's not running it as a shared program?

    Hopefully you know what I mean.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Yeah, you're definitely going to need two copies, they don't run off the CD, they install on the computer - maybe the game will check the CD for validity, but that's all.
  • seversphereseversphere
    edited October 2003
    does it need to be patched?
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited October 2003
    BDR said
    Halo has to run from the cd right? So he only needs to run it in a shared folder on the "host" machine and access it from the second machine?

    Maybe he's not running it as a shared program?

    Hopefully you know what I mean.

    Halo requires a CD to run, but there are probably a number of websites offering NoCD hacks. A second CDkey is going to be your problem in that case.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Define "Playing with another person through a router" a bit more........

    NS
  • BDRBDR
    edited October 2003
    Ok. He has 2 computers in his home, networked via a router (he didn't know what kind).
    He wants to be able to play an interactive game of Halo with a friend on one pc and himself on the other.
    What does he need to do?


    I don't know how he's got it set up.
    I'm not even sure he's properly networked.
    I'll have to get more info from him.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    You dont need to Forward any ports at all.

    I am guessing he has a multi-port router and is basically using it as a hub/switch.

    In which case he doesn't need to configure anything other than his machines to get it to work.

    Port forwarding is only needed when using NAT and the internet with a router (and this is just a LAN).

    NS
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