A beginner’s guide to gaming in groups

The term "LAN party" may seem vague to most casual gamers, but the initiated know it as an awesome opportunity to meet new people, stay up all night, and frag your friends. LAN stands for "Local Area Network", which means that you are connected to others on the network in your house/apartment/domicile. A LAN party is where several people (ranging from 2 – 11,000) bring over their video game consoles (PC, Xbox360 etc), along with televisions/monitors, and all link up to the local internet and play with each other on their own "rig."

Imagine being in the same room with six friends playing Halo 3 and not having to try to squint at the little 1/4th of the TV you would get if you were all sharing a system. I've thrown dozens of LAN parties, and I'm going to take this opportunity to try and teach you the basics so you too can throw one for your friends.

Step 1: Find the Venue

This step is easy enough. The venue is usually the host's house/apartment. But, if some restrictions apply (such as bad internet or a nagging mom), alternate locations will have to suffice. Just remember what there has to be: Good stable internet connection, tons of power outlets, a lot of space (tables, TV holders etc), and a refrigerator (the holy grail of the LAN party). Be sure loud noises won't be a problem with the neighbors, it's a good idea to play music throughout the night.

Step 2: Find the equipment
Find out who you'd like to invite, and PLAN AHEAD. As a host, the minimum you need (other than the go-to list) is a router and a hub/switch with easy access so others can plug in. Find out what people are bringing (Xbox, Playstations, computers) and try to correlate which games they should bring. People should try to obtain the same games so everyone can enjoy their time at your LAN party 100% of the time. Have tables or TV stands ready and easily placed away from each other for optimal comfort (be sure to have chairs). A go-to list for your guests to bring: Television/monitor, game system, games, controllers/mouse/keyboard, surge protector, ethernet cable, and money for snacks. Don't try to do the whole thing on WiFi unless everyone has laptops. Otherwise it's just a big pain in the ass.

Step 3: Find the Nourishment
Staying up all night can be pretty tiring, so be sure to supply your guests with tons of soda, energy drinks, and water. Or, you can make it BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks). Any party food rule applies here, but generally delivered pizza is the staple of LAN parties. The greasy pepperoni seems to fuel the gamers in ways I cannot explain. It is a magical thing.

Well, there you have it. Three easy steps so you can start running your own LAN parties. This is the most basic of LAN parties. Once you become at ease with the process, you can start planning bigger and better parties with tournaments, prizes etc. Your first party will be a disaster, I guarantee it. But stick in there, once you have it to a science, you and your guests will look forward to your next LAN party even before the one they are attending is over.

Hardware Recommendations:
Linksys EtherFast 10/100 8-Port Workgroup Switch $29.99 -An awesome and cheap 8-port switch that will make one ethernet connection turn into 8!

Turtle Beach Ear Force X1
$49.99 - The Ear Force X1 headphones give hardcore gamers the extreme competitive edge by combining audio chat and game audio into an immersive sound experience.


Cat5 ethernet cables
Buy them online. You will sometimes save up to 90% because of retail mark-up - and don't forget to buy them long! (25 ft and up)

Recommended PC Games:
Counter-Strike, Battlefield 2, Warcraft 3, Quake 3

Recommended Xbox 360 games:
Modern Warfare 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Halo 3

Recommended food: PIZZA!!!!!!!!