Network speed?

[Reg Pither]

OK, I tried this post in the right place - the Multiplayer forum - but it got lost in the tumbleweed as neither of the people who actually read that section responded ( ), so I hope someone here can answer my query...

Under the 'Other' tab of the Options menu, there is an option to set the Network type/speed. But it only has Broadband or Modem. What about LAN?

If anyone can clarify that, it might help me a lot trying to work out the MP config on my network.

 

[Reg Pither]

Surely there must be some kind soul out there who can help me with my query?

 

[Doomed_UK]

Your LAN should be working at faster then broadband speeds, so use the broadband option (I do)

 

[phalzyr]

When you first click on multiplayer doesn't it say LAN as one of the options? I click the top choice and could of swore ti said that...

 

[Reg Pither]

When you first click on multiplayer doesn't it say LAN as one of the options? I click the top choice and could of swore ti said that...

Indeed it does. The confusion I have is that my network has two PC's wirelessly linked to a router to the internet, but they are also wired together locally through a hub. To speed things up, I want to use just the cable connection, but whenever I disable the wireless connection and try to set up a LAN game, I get three message boxes come up in the MP lobby telling me about the 'network failed to initialise' or some such.

Even removing the wireless cards, setting up the cabled network from scratch as one 'not connected to the internet' and re-installing the game still comes up with the same error. I can't believe that the game needs an internet connection to run any sort of network game, although that's what my experience seems to point to. Hence my concern at there being no LAN specific set up options.

Help!

 

[Coreymas]

Are you sure that your 2 networked pc's through the Hub are able to see each other?

More than likely your internet router was assigning IP addresses dynamically to your PC's and now that it is out of the equation your 2 PC's connected via hub are not dynamically creating IP addresses on their own.

Besides what speed is your HUB?

If it is working at the same speed or less than your wireless connection then you are actually not gaining any benefit by linking the PC's via the HUB.

Corey

 

[kattana]

LOL thats an easy one...

if you are dialing up to the internet via a dial-up modem aka 56K or such, then you choose modem.

ANYTHING faster is broadband.

 

[Reg Pither]

Are you sure that your 2 networked pc's through the Hub are able to see each other?

More than likely your internet router was assigning IP addresses dynamically to your PC's and now that it is out of the equation your 2 PC's connected via hub are not dynamically creating IP addresses on their own.

Besides what speed is your HUB?

If it is working at the same speed or less than your wireless connection then you are actually not gaining any benefit by linking the PC's via the HUB.

Corey

- Yes, they can see each other.

- Good point, Corey, IP addresses look like a possible source of confusion here, so I'll investigate that possibility.

- Hub is 100Mb, PC's wireless cards are 11Mb and 54Mb. When testing it with simply transferring large files from one to the other, the wireless connection takes a minute to do what the cables do in seconds.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Doomed_UK]

Ah!

Yes, your machines will be set to receive an IP from the router, so when that is not there they will be a bit confused, therefore the straight LAN connection will not work. To set up the LAN connection to will need to assign a different IP address to each of the machines, with the same subnet mask.
You will have to disable this again when you wish to use the internet.

 

[Reg Pither]

Thanks Mr UK (or can I call you Doomed?). That should solve the problem. I'd begun to think I might have to have two separate configs, so I think you've hit the nail on the head.

 

[Coreymas]

Anything that I can do to help is my pleasure.

If file transfers between PC's is a major need on your part I invite you to consider purchasing a new Wireless Router and new Wireless cards.

Here in the US you should be able to get all three (router and cards) working at 108 mb for around 100$ US (I am sure you can get them in London for the same price).

Or if you are willing to wait just a bit, you can get the new wireless routers/nics on the market that are 240mb (this is currently quite pricey). Visit Netgear's website www.netgear.com to see these new routers/nics (they should be released shortly)

Also if you go the upgrade route I would recommend making sure that your new hardware (at whatever speed) is upgradable to the new N protocol standard that is due to come out shortly.

Hope this helps

Corey