Hamachi

Tomlok · February 26, 2014, 01:46:46 PM

Hi

has anyone used Hamachi?

What does it cost if for example i was to be a host of a small network using Hamachi??

Thanks

Yskonyn · February 26, 2014, 02:15:58 PM

I would be cautious using it.
It has destroyed my network settings before and it was a pain to get it all reset.

Tuna · February 26, 2014, 02:28:24 PM

I believe it's free... I agree should be used with caution.. make sure you have no active 'shares' on your machine with it.. or else people will be able to get at files just like they were on your home network.

if you wanted to do a 'lan' game with someone you knew who was far away that you trust, you could use it.

Jack Nastyface · February 26, 2014, 03:27:08 PM

It is indeed free. As you are probably finding out, the SB Pro PE guys use it quite a bit.

Personally, I don't like it for the reasons stated, so what I have done is installed it, fire it up for a session, then shut it down and kill the service when I am done gaming.

You don't really need Hamachi to host or play an internet game of SB Pro PE, but it does make life easier. IIRC, SB Pro PE uses non-standard TCP-IP ports, which means if you want to play it over the internetwebs, you need to go into your router and open those ports. Not really a big deal. If you DON'T want to open those ports, then you need to use Hamachi, which basically creates a VPN (virtual private network) that can be connected to across the 'net. In other words...if your computer is connected to router that is using Network address translation (NAT), that means that your computer has an "internal network" IP address (probably something like 192.168.1.105, etc). If I want to connect to your PC, I actually need the IP address of your router (which faces the internet) not your PC. Since most folks don't know how to get that WAN IP address (and don't know how to enable port forwarding) the most convenient thing to do is fire up Hamachi, which basically allows our two computers to connect across the 'net as though they are on a LAN.

IIRC...Hamachi uses a centralized server to manage these VPN's, so you ass isn't really hanging out in the wind for every IP address to see...it is just available to other Hamachi users who can are also using the same proprietary software / connectivity.

Yours in gaming,

Jack Nastyface

Grim.Reaper · February 26, 2014, 04:07:01 PM

I had thought their free version was going away....

http://blog.logmein.com/it-management/logmein-changes

Nefaro · February 26, 2014, 05:11:25 PM

Quote from: Jack Nastyface on February 26, 2014, 03:27:08 PM
It is indeed free. As you are probably finding out, the SB Pro PE guys use it quite a bit.

I thought that already had TCP/IP multiplayer? Or does it only have LAN?

Jack Nastyface · February 26, 2014, 09:50:56 PM

It does support TCP/IP multiplayer...but in order to host a game, you need to a) enable port-forwarding on your home router and b) log into your router to get your WAN IP address, (which is different than the IP address on your computer) then finally c) share that IP with your friends via email, voice coms, etc. Compare this vis-a-vis Hamachi, where you basically a) create a hamachi session b) have your buddies start-up hamachi on their computers and look for your username or session name, then c) connect.

Nefaro · February 26, 2014, 11:53:36 PM

Quote from: Jack Nastyface on February 26, 2014, 09:50:56 PM
It does support TCP/IP multiplayer...but in order to host a game, you need to a) enable port-forwarding on your home router and b) log into your router to get your WAN IP address, (which is different than the IP address on your computer) then finally c) share that IP with your friends via email, voice coms, etc. Compare this vis-a-vis Hamachi, where you basically a) create a hamachi session b) have your buddies start-up hamachi on their computers and look for your username or session name, then c) connect.

I see. So there's no actual internet hosting software that comes with the game. Just direct IP connect. You use Hamachi instead.

Yskonyn · February 27, 2014, 02:23:46 PM

I don't get what the problem is with Direct IP?
Or do you just want to be able to hop servers ? As small as the community is I doubt you would be able to anyway. ;)

Jack Nastyface · February 27, 2014, 04:28:59 PM

Direct IP does work...but from what I can tell, SB Pro PE doesn't have smart enough hosting protocol to figure out what your WAN address is....and THAT is the IP address you need to share with others. If you know how to retrieve that IP address, then you are good to go with direct IP. Direct IP is, in fact, the only way I have connected for the three small group multiplayer sessions I have been part of in the past.
I don't think you can hop sessions with Hamachi, as (although I could be wrong) I don't think the Hamachi VPN session ID shows what game you are hosting...just your session ID.