FF:QLD QLDFF LAN Party Planning Thread

Because we are going to have one one day, I'll see to that...


Okay. M_S has gotten the ball rolling on this again. He has holidays coming up in 3 weeks' time and is keen to get his game on, as am I. LAN parties, as we all should know, are Teh Win, so I say let's stop dawdling and actually try to get this together. This thread is for people to register their interest, to figure out what we have and what we'll need, and to decide on a date, when the time comes.


Okay, so before anything else, we need a venue. While it's possible to do these things scattered through multiple rooms of a house, that's not the most ideal solution in terms of logistics (cable snarl from a full-on LAN is bad enough when it's confined to one room), and demands a host who doesn't mind. It also means lots of shouting and lots of running back and forth. So what we ideally want is a garage or basement or something of that sort, somewhere that can be cleared out and have large tables put down for all the computers, and also has easy access to power points for the nightmarish amount of electricity that's going to be guzzled down. Sambo has tentatively volunteered his garage, which should work reasonably well.

Does anyone else have any venue suggestions? The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Marv's place, which would be cramped, but doable.

The other vital thing, obviously, is network gear, but between the lot of us we probably have enough bits and pieces lying around (I myself have a gigabit switch and more cat5 cables than I know what to do with), and there's no point worrying about that unless we're actually going ahead with this.


So. Register your interest and suggest a venue, folks. I can think of at least 4 or 5 people who will most definitely be in for this, but anyone who wants to drag their PC along will be welcome.

 

WLAN *shrug*
Yeah, I know it can get a bit slow and all but it does solve a number of issues.
I've a WLAN router/hub that I'm not using at the moment. It's got 4 ethernet ports (and a modem port), so it CAN cope with those who don't have a wireless card. Having said that, I am keenly aware that a lot of desktop systems in Australia don't run with wireless at all, so its usefulness will depend on how many people are fronting up. It CAN be cascaded, but it would require (or rather I can only garantee it will work with) another router of the same make and model. I do have another one, but it is in use and therefore will not be making an appearance.

If I come, it will be with my laptop anyway, desktop is way too heavy to be taking anywhere.
Nonetheless, if you want it, I'm happy to lend you lot the router (I've got a range expander for it too but that shouldn't be necessary), as long as I get it back in one piece - I've LAN cables of various lengths too.

 

With wireless, latency is a much bigger problem than actual bandwidth, especially if a large number of machines are sharing the same access point. It really shouldn't be necessary. Ideally, the setup I'm envisioning would be my switch hooked up to the router of whoever's place we have it at, which should give us at least 7 ports, plus internet access for the whole LAN. And besides, these days you can get a 5-port gigabit switch for less than 60 bucks, it's hardly going to be a problem.

 

Meh, it was just a suggestion to get over the really long ethernet cord/s that people can trip over and the need to be in one room. Yes, I know with lots of people on it can be an issue (and I know being in the same room normally is a huge benefit), but at last count how many people turned up? Since latency is an issue over the wireless part and not the router itself, having some hooked up to the ports and others on wireless won't slow the speed down that much. Anyhow, like I said, it was just an idea to get over the slight logistic problems that crop up when these sort of things go down.

 

No, I know. Wireless is always an option. Someone would need to provide wireless PCI cards, though, as you said, so it presents its own hassles. But other than that, running the router as a pure access point shouldn't be a problem, or at least isn't with most. It'd be good as a fallback, at any rate.

 

Pick a day, and if I'm not working, I'll throw in an appearance.

 

And it'll be a pleasure to have you. As I said, location has to be figured out before date, but it'll most likely be a weekend sometime next month.

 

sorry I am pretty much a puter dunce compared to you lot. I am aware of LAN but have never seen the act of it although I have an ok lappy and if some one wants to plug it in I would love to come and get killed and make you all look real good. lappy has wireless built in if that helps?

 

Sith Star, as far as I am aware, the boys mostly "share their porn" at these LAN gatherings. Not sure how much gaming ACTUALLY goes on...

 

so a lot one handed gaming going on then ?
going hand solo on the back of darth vaders helmet

 

I could potentially take offence at that. Actually, in my experience, we share far more in the way of pirated movies/music/TV than pr0n. But you never know.

Feel free to come along, Sith Star. The more the merrier. If your laptop is capable of playing a spot of Quake or Unreal Tournament, then that's all that's important. Between myself and the various other techie types, you won't need to worry about the setup. We'll handle all that, you just make with the gaming and the porn- I mean quality non-copyright-infringing entertainment you have full legal permission to share with your friends.

 

I yai yai

 

Okay..me not likely to be involved.

However, I know my place is fairly big and open and reasonable for such a thing so would be willing to offer as long as you gove me 10 bucks and let me go buy something pretty whilst you play. This is if it was a Sunday of course. All yours.

 

So I missed out on Tehpr0n last time? Didn't know about that.

Last time only legal music and video and applications were shared. Er, TTBOMK.

 

*Ponders*

Your lounge room would probably work fairly well, Kahlan, now I think about it. Thanks for the offer. If it comes down to it and our gratitude has to be shown in monetary form, I can live with that.

 

She'd need it just to cope with the next electricity bill!

 

Hey you know my preferred payment methods and i don't mean paypal. Vodka, favourtie shows

I might make you all sit through Anne of Green Gables sometime.

 

My thoughts exactly. Plus there's only dial up there.

 

Oh yeah the dial up thing..would you be onlining though?

 

No, the net connection doesn't matter. If the venue had broadband and a router it would be easy to take advantage of, but that would be a luxury and frankly pure indulgence.

 

Argh, my sister made me sit through that the other day when it was on TV... Never again...

 

Well, I checked with the oldies, and having the LAN at my place in my back room be fine. The back room should be enough room for everybody, the computers, plus a little bit of room if anybody wants to use the Wii and I've got a bar fridge for drinks and such. Also, it's got a balcony thing, going on if people want to eat/rest/talk etc.

 

nice

 

You need a lot of room for the Wii.

Sounds great, M_S, as long as your folks are cool with it. Pencil that sucker in.