Battle.Lan is a specialized utility designed to bridge local area network (LAN) limitations, allowing users to play Warcraft 3 over TCP/IP connections. Through my own testing with various network configurations, I have found this tool effective for facilitating multiplayer sessions where traditional LAN discovery fails. It supports up to 255 computers in a single session and, while primarily used for Warcraft 3, its packet-forwarding mechanism can be adapted for other titles that rely on standard LAN broadcast protocols.
Features of Battle.Lan:
- Supports up to 255 concurrent clients
- Versatile utility applicable to various LAN-based games
- Compatible with most standard software firewalls
How to use Battle.Lan:
- Download Battle.Lan here
- Extract the contents of battle.lan.zip
- Move the BattleLANv0.5.exe file into your primary Warcraft 3 directory (typically C:\Program Files\Warcraft III).
Important Setup Note: Ensure you launch BattleLANv0.5.exe before initializing Warcraft 3 to ensure the packet redirection is active.
- Launch Battle.LAN on the machine acting as the game host.
- Input the IP addresses of the other participating players. Note: The host's own IP address is typically omitted.
- Press 'Add' to register each IP into the receivers list.
- Click 'Start' to initialize the broadcast.
- Create your Warcraft 3 game session normally. Your peers should now see the match listed in their local game browser.
Firewall Configuration: For successful connectivity, you must manually unblock port 6112 (TCP/UDP) within your firewall settings, as this is the default port utilized by Warcraft 3 for network traffic.
Troubleshooting for Windows Vista/7 Users:
If you encounter a scenario where the application window vanishes immediately upon clicking 'Start,' this is typically a permissions conflict. To resolve this:
- Right-click the BattleLANv05.exe file.
- Select 'Properties.'
- Navigate to the 'Compatibility' tab.
- Check the box labeled "Run this program as an administrator."
- Click 'Apply' and 'OK.' The program will now execute with the necessary system privileges.
Known Technical Limitations:
- PPP Connections: Battle.LAN is incompatible with Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections. Warcraft 3 specifically requires an Ethernet interface to broadcast packets; because PPP is not recognized as an Ethernet connection by the game engine, Battle.LAN will not function over these types of links. It is strictly limited to standard LAN packet environments.
Download Battle.Lan v0.5
Battle.Lan.zip