LAN internet connection help

[Carpet3]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I was wondering, for the smaller LANS, how do you provide an internet connection?

[Aardvark]

Usually just ADSL at the venue. Not awesome if you plan on having an entire LAN playing online, but fine for web browsing for 100 or so people.

[Carpet3]

i assume it's something the venue normally already has in place?

[Aardvark]

I think at the Stratlan venue Multiplay actually pay for it as we're the only people that really use it (one event SOMEONE forgot to pay the renewal :p). Don't know about other small events, its not a huge cost though.

[Carpet3]

thanks for that.

It's not the cost that i'm bothered about (adsl subscriptions are pretty cheap now) it's the actual way of getting it to the venue, as I cant see many places being happy about having somebody else having an adsl subscription on their line.

[Unplugged]

I think at the Stratlan venue Multiplay actually pay for it as we're the only people that really use it (one event SOMEONE forgot to pay the renewal :p). Don't know about other small events, its not a huge cost though.

How does that work if its MPUK supplied? (their own DSL) surely they just dont cut it off

[winbar]

I think this was before MPUKDSL

[Carpet3]

nevermind

[Quietus]

The 56k StratLAN was indeed before MPUKDSL. However, it was a VERY fun LAN. Having an internet connection is not necessarily a good thing for smaller events.

[Boffykins]

For FBL we have our own line and net connection into the hall.

[CyberDrac]

LlamaLAN have made the conscious decision NOT to have Internet access even if it were available, consider it as rehab, for the small LAN we feel it is essential that the play be self contained to ensure that people get the proper 'playing against the bloke across the room' LAN feel ;)

CD

[winbar]

We have a nice 10mbps up and down connection at CLUK. From 9am until 12midnight you cant play online but can access email/web/irc etc. From 12 we open it up so people can play online and check MMOs etc.

[Unplugged]

Having no internet connection is fine however having no means of using MSN is a bit annoying BUT as long as you have some method of poviding patches etc it shuldent be TOO much of an issue.

[SoulRider]

If you intend to play steam games an Internet connection is absolutely vital, as you can guarantee half the people won't have steam updated. Other games are not an issue as someone always generally has the latest patch, but steam is the real killer without an internet connection.

[GeeDee]

Indeed; it's more hassle than it's worth running a LAN with no net connection these days.

Even if by some miracle everyone manages to not have problems with games / patches / steam / lost drivers / whatever you usually find someone needs to get some important work done at some point or something.

It's not like it's the biggest cost known to man. At FBL we just use a 'pay as you go' type package, so during the months we don't have an event it costs just a very cheap basic service rate. :)

[Carpet3]

pay as you go?

[Boffykins]

FBL uses Metronet (http://www.metronet.co.uk/index.html)

[GeeDee]

Indeed. There are a few other (http://adsl24.co.uk/broadband_payg.php) ISPs that do similar packages now as well - you just have to work out the most sensible way of doing it for your own events. :)

[Rich]

Yeah, unfortunatly steam has made inet access a requirement :(

[Nikumba]

I disagree, we run a lan with no net connection and now Steam has introduced the new work offline mode it works well. We just tell the guys to make sure their steam is updated by Midnight on the thursday before the lan as that is when the server update is done.

Since Steam put the new offline mode in we have not had a problem. Only time we have needed a net connection is when some pillock had a new pc and forgot his driver cds

Kimbie

[Whisker]

/waves at Kimbie

Hey big lad how you doing?

Yeah prefer LANs without net access myself otherwise all everyone will be doing is playing WoW :0