Running FG on a physical Lan

[legitomega]

Has anyone tried this? I have unplugged my modem, and just ran my router to try and locally set up a game with my home pcs. One pc a demo, and the other a Standard license.
Fails everytime.

Can fantasy grounds be played locally on a physical Lan with no internet. And if so, how did yall make it work.

I have tried Hamachi, but it doesn't like to work with any firewall settings, it has to have firewall off which has caused problems before. But that defeats the purpose, I want to use my laptop as the GM/host, and have my players connect their laptops to my LAN at the kitchen table.

is it possible without using a vpn. just a physical lan or network hub?

[Beldak]

You need internet access upon connection to verify licenses. After the clients connect, internet is no longer needed. I did something similar with connecting clients up locally like a LAN party.

[Nylanfs]

If everyone has a standard license they don't need to be connected to the Internet at all (AFAIK). If the GM has an Ultimate license they need to have a one time internet connection to verify the key, I imagine the same thing needs to be done if anyone has a subscription.

[ddavison]

The Demo licenses require an active Internet connection to check the host' ability to "host them". Standard licenses don't require any check at all. Turn off the alias feature for your game and just use the Internal IP address shown in FG.

[legitomega]

So if im using a standard subscription and 1 demo client with a network hub, they both would have to start up with a internet connection then disable the connection and enable the hard connection to the hub?

Can anyone confirm fg operation with a local lan and the steps took to make it work if able

[legitomega]

Ok ill try that, ill let ya know how it turns out. Thanks

[ddavison]

A demo connecting to a Standard would put the system into Demo mode, which I don't think you want either. It would be best with a Standard or Lite license. We don't really advertise the Lite licenses any more since they are player only; however, you can still get them here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=SWK02).

[legitomega]

If I can get the systems to connect to each other a lite license would be good for additional pcs in the home.

[LordEntrails]

Note, I have heard some people use there phone as a hotspot just to allow the license check. Then they just turn off the hotspot once everyone is connected.

[Trenloe]

Note, I have heard some people use there phone as a hotspot just to allow the license check. Then they just turn off the hotspot once everyone is connected.
This will require complex network setup - two network interfaces on each demo player computer. One for the hotspot connection to the Internet and the other for a (probably wired) connection to the GMs computer on the LAN. It can be done, but it's not simple as you can't use just the hotspot.

Best to go with the Standard (Full) license for the GM and other standard or lite licenses for the players.

[legitomega]

ok just a update on how i got it to work for my setup.
i got the pcs to connect using my network hub.

the host pc - my standard membership key - disabled the wireless internet connection, and hooked up a ethernet cable to the hub.
the client pc - a demo client for now, ill grab a lite license soon, thanks for the link - ran with both a wireless internet connection for key verification, and ethernet cable to the hub.

i updated the internal ip address on the host to the network hubs ip address, disabled the alias, and typed the new internal address into the demo client join field.
worked like a charm, i just now need to address the game switching to demo mode as ddavison mentioned.

If i buy a Ultimate gm license though, everyone else can run demo clients without switching the game mode to demo correct?
thanks again

[LordEntrails]

...

If i buy a Ultimate gm license though, everyone else can run demo clients without switching the game mode to demo correct?
thanks again
Yes, if the GM hosts with an Ultimate license, then everyone else can use a free/demo license. But, they will have to have internet to valid the license upon connection.

[Trenloe]

the client pc - a demo client for now, ill grab a lite license soon, thanks for the link - ran with both a wireless internet connection for key verification, and ethernet cable to the hub.
For the single demo license connecting to a standard GM license, switching to "demo" mode, doesn't require the internet connection for license verification. It is only if a demo license is connecting to an Ultimate GM that it needs the Internet connection.


i just now need to address the game switching to demo mode as ddavison mentioned.
If you only ever have a single computer (one player instance) connecting to the GM then you can run in this demo mode. The campaign data will be saved, etc.. However, you will not be able to have more than a single player instance connected. So you'll probably want to look into that "lite" license.


If i buy a Ultimate gm license though, everyone else can run demo clients without switching the game mode to demo correct?
If the GM is using an Ultimate license then any number of demo licenses can connect and the campaign will not switch to demo mode. However, as mentioned above, it is the Ultimate license that requires demo users to have an Internet connection when connecting to the GM.

[legitomega]

got it thanks much

[damned]

When connecting across the Internet use the Alias or External IP Address
When connecting using Hamachi use the GMs Hamachi IP which is not reported by FG
When connecting across a LAN use the Internal IP Address
When connecting a second instance on the GMs computer use the keyword localhost

[legitomega]

So doing even more troubleshooting, i discovered that my newly installed cable modem had a built in wifi router, my old one did not - this is the cause of my trouble.

Connecting my lynksis router to the cable modem always resulted in a failed external connection, but i can now connect internally on my homes wifi network, which is fine for doing local dnd at the kitchen table.
I simply hook up my desktop to the tv, and use my laptop as the dm screen and host.

Trying to host a internet game is a different story.

Once I switched my internet connection access point to the cable modems wifi, i could instantly get a successful server test via FG, and could also have people join my game from the outside using the external ip, or alias.

However, if i connect one of my pcs via ethernet cord to the cable modem and procede as usual the outside test will fail, so more testing is needed on my end.

I just wanted to share in case someone might have a setup like mine, your cable modem might have a built in wifi router - running a ethernet cord to your aftermarket router from the cable modem is making a multiple firewall issue. Its just easier to use the supplied wifi connection from the cable modem if u have one, which seems to resolve all the connection issues my pcs are encountering.

[Beldak]

Check if your modem has a bridge mode option. Then you can let your real router be the main router and not have double NAT issues.

[jbear]

Hello all, I have a different but similar issue that concerns a local connection as well:

I have been connecting two laptops with a local connection (I have purchased 2 seperate standard licenses). My lap top displays the GM info and the other displays the player info which I use for players to reference maps etc. It had been working fine until recently (about 3 weeks ago I suddenly got a problem).

The problem:

Now my main laptop is showing a 169.254.x.x internal IP address when I start up FG. I cannot configure the port 1802 open to match this IP address. Doing some research it seems that this kind of IP address is what Windows 10 assigns when no other DHCP server is available via APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing). My internet connection still works. I have called my internet provider and they have checked the router from their end and say that it is showing correct assignation of IP addresses (of the 192.x.x.x variety that usually work). The operator checked my specific device and confirmed that it was assigned an IP address. I have set up an internal IP address on the computer correctly and opened port 1802 on the router to match that IP adress. Nevertheless everytime I try to start up the campaign, the internal address continues to show a 169.254.x.x address, and of course the two computers no longer connect to each other via fantasy grounds.

This is very frustrating. I have removed all recent new programs including a VPN that I thought might be causing the problem. This hasn't helped. I don't really know what to do to solve the issue by myself at this stage. I considered uninstalling and reinstallin FG but then I thought I would wipe all my campaign information which is extensive and I'd hate to do that. I assume there is a way to save the campaign information (will exporting resolve that problem?).

I am hoping someone else has run into this problem and can point out what is going wrong and suggest how to fix it.

Thanks to anyone who can offer advice.

[ddavison]

My guess is that you still have some holdover effects from the VPN software you were using. If you look at network connections > change adapter settings, do you have multiple networks showing? If the VPN added one you may need to delete it, reboot and then retry FG.

[Trenloe]

Now my main laptop is showing a 169.254.x.x internal IP address when I start up FG. I cannot configure the port 1802 open to match this IP address.
Yeah, sounds like you either have a VPN installed or some form of virtual adaptor (for VMs like VirtualBox or similar).

This shouldn't stop you connecting on the local LAN - you don't need to setup port forwarding or anything. It is just that FG may report the Internal address of the GM computer as something you can't connect to.

What you should do is find out the local IP address of your GM computer on the LAN - probably something like 192.168.xx.yy. Give this to the player to connect to the GM computer.

[damned]

169.254.x.x addresses are assigned by Windows when no DHCP address is found.
You will either need a router (or other DHCP server) to assign addresses or manualy assign addresses for the session:

GM: 192.168.99.1
Players: 192.168.99.2, 192.168.99.3 etc

[jbear]

I am the one connecting to my own session. No one else is connecting to the session. I use it as an aid for live table top games. I am connecting two of my own computers in my own home. So I have my DM laptop where I run FG as my campaign organiser and display maps which I share on my player computer which is connected to a large flat screen tv so players can see the map without being able to see my campaign notes etc. and I can use the mask to hide areas they have not yet explored etc.




I removed the VPN and rebooted the computer and removed the VPN extension from my chrome browser.

I did set up a static IP address and attempted to connect using the static IP address (for which I also opened port 1802) on the other compute but it also failed.

In network connections > adapter settings there are a lot of ethernet connections. Like ... a lot. 15 in total. I mentioned this to my service provider operator when I explained the problem and sought assistance but she didn't seem to consider it to be related. However I don't use a wire to connect to the internet, I use wi fi exclusively. Then apart from that I have a single wifi connection and a bluetooth connection. I'll try that and get back to you as to whther it changed anything.

[jbear]

Ok, good news. I followed the instructions on this page (which I leave a link for posterity in case anyone else ever runs into the same issue that I have had): https://answers.microsoft.com/es-es/windows/forum/windows8_1-networking/m%C3%BAltiples-adaptadores-de-red/c9aba40f-7109-4304-a4b4-70af52453da8?auth=1

I removed all of the TAP ethernet connections that appeared from my registry and one instance of a VPN connection that appeared as well. I rebooted my computer and loaded up FG. My Internal IP Address now displays a 192.168.xx.yyy ip address.

So thank you very much to everyone for their replies and especially to you ddavidson for your accurate suggestion. My gut had wondered at all those ethernet connections, but I was put of the scent when the service provider didn't seem to give an importance to it when I made mention of it.

I'm going to try the connection between the two computers now, just to be sure. But I am certain it will be now working correctly.

Thanks again!

[Bidmaron]

Let us know. We've been pulling for you!

[LordEntrails]

jbear, can you just run two instances of FG on one computer and hook it up to your display? Then you don't have any networking issues.