[geeks] bridging games

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Here's a game related question about routers:

How do you play a network game across two private LANs?

Most game software, if not using a public game server, assumes that all
machines are on the same subnet.

I have a situation where I have a pair of private LANs bridged, and
players on both sides want to play together.

For example:

	192.168.1.0/24 is a private LAN where a game server resides, like
		F.E.A.R. or Rainbow Six
	192.168.100.0/24 is a private LAN bridged to the first, and players
		there would like to join the server above

What I've tried:

	I made sure both LANs can route to each other.

	I put a redirect on my router box (NetBSD U1) machine's ipnat.conf
	redirecting the game ports to the game server.

The redirect appears to work, but the game server never sends a reply
to the other LAN. In fact, I can't really tell where it sends the reply
right now.

I doubt I'm the only one whose ever done this, so surely there must be a
way to make this work.

I also can't help but notice that the stupid games phone home even when
you are playing LAN only.  Idiots.

-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["That which is overdesigned, too highly
specific, anticipates outcome; the anticipation of outcome garantees, if
not failure, the absence of grace." -- William Gibson, All Tomorrow's
Parties]