Cannot play games over home network

[sevenbeansalad]

When I host I game with c&c Renagade or battlefield 1942 the other computers on the network either cannot see me or when they click on my game and push join it does not do anything. It started out with just one of the computers but all of them do it now. I also tried playing multiplayer with "civil war the game" and you can see the host but when you click on it and push join it does not do anything.

My computer
xp2000
epox 8rda+ using onboard network
512mb crucial ddr333
visiontek gf4 ti4200

First computer to mess up
xp1800
Abit mobo
512mb generic ddr266
visiontek gf4 ti4200
3com network card

Computer 3
athlon classic 750
Soyo k7via
256mb generic pc133
visiontek ti4200
network card brand?

Computer 4
p4 2.0a
soyo p4vda onboard network
256 generic ddr266
visiontek ti4200 (surprise?)

Computer 5
temporarily out of commision

I tried running the network cables through a repeater and a hub.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Christopher

[csamuels]

we need to know how your network is configured. What protocols do you have installed? What OS's are on your systems?

[sevenbeansalad]

Sorry, didn't think of that.

All of the computers are running windows 98se.
I have tcp-ip and ipx-spx on all of the computers.
All of them are using client for microsoft networks.

Anything else?

Thanks,
Christopher

[omendata]

Can you see each machine in network neighbourhood?

Enable file and print sharing

Ping each machine - each machine should be on the same subnet.
What is your IP subnet - 10.0.0.x??? 192.168.x.x???

Using IPX they should all automatically configure - Are you using IPX or IP as your selected transport within the game!!!

Try to keep to IPX/SPX as its self configuring/healing and is faster for network games than IP!!!

Sounds like a server problem - are you using the same machine to host the game - try a different machine to host the game!!!

[sevenbeansalad]

Yes I can see everyone in network neiborhood.

I do have file and print sharing enabled

What is pinging and how do I do it. Are you talking about the subnet mask? If so it is on auto and so is my ip address.

I believe all of the games we are having problems with are using tcp-ip.

If I try one of the other computers as a server it does the same thing.

Thank you for the reply!

Christopher

[omendata]

Have you tried using IPX - Its almost always the one used in internet gaming cafes etc as it doesnt require a server , autoconfigures without a dhcp server etc.

If you are intent on using ip.
I presume you are using a dhcp server?
You need to get the ip address of each machine
Running the command ipconfig /all from the dos
prompt will give you the ip address of the machine!!!

Go to the dos prompt and enter the command
Ping <ip-address>

Substitute the ip address for each of your machines.
You will get a message telling you whether you can see each ip address from the machine you are using.

[sevenbeansalad]

Can games that are made for tcp ip be played with ipx spx?

Thanks for helping me,
Christopher

[omendata]

No IPX/SPX is Novell Netware's proprietrary protocol.

Most games are made to work with both though.

Did you get it fixed then?

[sevenbeansalad]

No I did not get it fixed, How do I get the game to use ipx instead of tcp-ip?

Thanks,
Christopher

[omendata]

You would need to setup the server by selecting transport as ipx and on the clients too - it will probably be different for every game unless they are made by the same company and hence the same general game engine - ID software have an easy engine to run networking.

With ip games you have to make sure the subnet mask and subnet addresses are correct etc.