Thread: Running a LAN server with friends & custom maps?

How do you do this, i know first n foremost, that all parties involved have to have the same maps installed (and put in the right place) but once this is achieved, how do you set up a server with friends while playing custom maps? i imagine you yourself set it up of course, but what do you have to type in the console, how do you set this room up? and what do your friends have to type to join? isn't they just have to bring the console up & type your IP or something like that, please explaine, thanks in advance.

Make sure someone has the same custom maps. on console type sv_lan 1. then the map command to run map. it how i do it.

Ok, i figured that much, "but" how do your friends join? Do they have to enter a command via the console as well (type my ip in?) and if so, what is the specific console command for another player to join a LAN server?

How are you setting up your LAN?
Are your friends bringing their computers to one person's house, and hooking them all together with cables?

The reason I ask is that my friends and I playing coop games over a free VPN client called Hamachi, and it works fine. That way all your buds don't have to cart their equipment around.

Ok, now how do we run a server over hamachi with friends, please explain

Hamachi is a free software program that allows you to create a secure and encrypted Virtual Private Network using the Internet. Each computer on the VPN runs the Hamachi client, which assigns them it's own IP address. It is this IP address you use to connect to your server.

Basically, you run Hamachi and create your own personal VPN, and call it what you want to, "GmanL4D" for example. You create the network and assign a password to it, then give the password to your buddies so they can join.

So, when you have set all this up and are ready to game, you start up Hamachi and have everyone sign into the VPN. You give everyone the Hamachi IP of the server, and they use the CONNECT command from the console and connect to the server over Hamachi.

On the server side, you just want to make sure you tell it that it is a LAN server, not an Internet server. You also want to execute a NET_START command, followed by a sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0, so that your buddies and you join the game directly instead of joining a lobby.

There are a few other minor tweaks you will need to do, but that is the basic idea behind it.

My buddies and I do it all the time and it works just fine.

Here is a list of LOTS of games that run over Hamachi, L4D included:

Hamachi Games