LAN Over IP

Playing multiplayer games over the Internet is quite a difficult task if they provide only LAN support, but LAN Over IP promises to help you in this regard.

As you may find out by reading its name, this apparently simple application was designed with a single goal in mind: connect two or more Internet users in a virtual network and thus allow them chat and play games just like they would normally do in a local area network.

The only problem is that using LAN Over IP requires advanced computer knowledge, especially when it comes to setting up the server because yes, the program is made of two different utilities, a server and a client.

Configuring the server is more like a pro job because it doesn’t provide a dedicated GUI, but instead it relies on a configuration file that requires users to manually edit all settings. You can set up server and administration listening port, administration password, number of allowed password attempts, chat rooms, logging and some other parameters.

The client on the other hand is a bit easier to use, but it still prompts you to input the IP address of the server and the port, as well as a nick that must be used for chatting purposes. If you have more than one network interface available, you can pick the one connected to the Internet.

Once a connection to the configured server is made, you can view the previously defined chat rooms, see the other connected clients and chat just like you’d normally do in a LAN.

LAN Over IP doesn’t hamper system performance and works flawlessly on all Windows versions, but an Internet connection is obviously needed.

To sum up, LAN Over IP is indeed a handy piece of software, but the way it interacts with users may scare away most rookies. Setting up the server requires advanced knowledge, as it doesn’t comprise a stand-alone interface.