Our Guide to Setting Up a LAN Party

By Ross | 1 Entertainment on Jan 25 2022

In an internet-driven age, the boundaries between people become even blurrier as anyone can connect with each other in different parts of the world. But playing online can be frustrating in more ways than one, particularly when high pings cause your friends to miss out on all the action. Not to mention, you're still essentially on your own, so it doesn't feel as lively compared to LAN parties, where everyone can interact and get in on the fun.

What is a LAN?

Also known as Local Area Network, a LAN is simply a local version of the internet, so instead of connecting to the "servers," you are connecting to your own network of friends, relatives, and/or workmates. In fact, if you are reading this article, chances are that you are on a LAN right now!

What is a LAN Party?

LAN parties are gatherings of people in person with computer systems at their homes, schools, or any other venue for the specific purpose of networking their systems together. There are two reasons LAN parties have been on the rise: first, it's to play over the Internet as if you were on a server instead of by yourself. Second, it's to socialize and meet people who share the same interest as you: computers and gaming.

Paving the way for the boom of the gaming community, and to beat the chances of lag, LAN parties make it possible to run a game with friends with little-to-no hiccups along the way. LAN parties give you the chance to play with each other in a social setting, but you get to have all the extra chores of organizing it too.

As the host, you have to make the necessary preparations to make sure that everyone has a blast. So what do you need to consider when throwing a large LAN party?

Setting Up a Large LAN Party: What Do You Need?

First, let's discuss the basics of what you need. When setting up a LAN party, you will need cables, a switch or router, computers, and of course, time and patience. While you can just go out and purchase a switch or router, it is better to use one that is provided by the venue you are holding the LAN party at.

This is because the venue's networking equipment is generally more powerful, making it easier to reach the internet and will have the best connectivity and performance. One of the best and fastest LAN cables for gaming is the Cat 7a, which is currently the highest-performing cable with support speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps.

What About the LAN Party Software?

LAN parties are designed to work on a peer-to-peer connection, so you don't need to worry about setting up a "server" for the network. Instead, you just need to know how you'll be connecting your computers.

If you're using a router that has a built-in switch, you'll only need to plug one computer into the router, then you can connect the rest of the computers to the router by using a cable.

The Bottom Line: Throwing a Game-Changing LAN Party

Creating your own LAN Party is an excellent way to get together with your friends, family, or workmates, and let everyone connect and play games at the same time. Come to think of it, it's really not so hard to put together an awesome LAN party. The hardest part is actually getting the readiness to even do it.

After all, you'll be in charge of organizing the party, making sure that all the systems are in place and won't cause any problem and making sure that the gamers will enjoy playing their games together.

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