Hamachi:Gaming

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Contents

Overview

Hamachi can be used to connect you and your friends together for a gaming session by creating a virtual LAN (called Virtual Private Network). A VPN client will give you better latencies (less lag) than traditional Internet based gaming because it bypasses the extra servers required to Host/Join a game session.

Please consult the Hamachi user manual before continuing!

In order to insure that you will be able to create/join a Hamachi VPN and others will be able to join you the minimum required instructions are listed below, in the Basic guide.

Basic guide

The following steps are the least you'll need to do in order to play most games:

How the metrics and the Hamachi properties should look like in Vista.
How the metrics and the Hamachi properties should look like in Vista.

1. After installing Hamachi, run it once and insure you've configured your firewall properly and have set port forwarding on your router(s) (if you have one).

2. Re-prioritize your network adapter order:

For XP/2000: Start > Control Panel > Network Connections, then, on the menu bar, click Advanced > Advanced Settings and put Hamachi at the top of the list.

For Vista: Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center, then, on the left side panel, click on 'Manage Network Connections'. Now press Alt, click on Advanced > Advanced Settings and put Hamachi at the top of the list.

3. Configure the gateway and metrics:

In Network Connections right click on Hamachi > Properties, select TCP/IP(v4) > Properties > Advanced. Ensure that the default gateway is 5.0.0.1, if not, then add/edit it and set its metric to Automatic (this is the Gateway Metric).
Below 'Default gateways' tick 'Automatic metric' (this is the Interface Metric).
Quick notice: Some users have reported that their internet connection fails when Hamachi is turned on. Removing the Hamachi gateway (5.0.0.1) should resolve the problem. It is not known why this is happening, but it might be the ISP's fault.

4. If you're running Vista disable TCP/IPv6 (untick it in the Hamachi properties)

5. If you're running Vista ensure that Hamachi appears in the 'Network and Sharing Center' as a 'Private Network' .
If it doesn't, then press customize (at Hamachi, of course) and set it to 'Private Network'.

6. Reboot.

7. Create/Join a Hamachi network and check to see if you can ping/chat with one another. If either one of these don't work ensure you haven't forgotten anything and check again. Still not working? check section 3.1 and 3.2 of the 'Advanced Guide' below.

8. The game host must be running Vista when playing with XP users!

Though this quick guide will insure you will be able to play most games via Hamachi, please visit our game specific tweaks section and also check this thread for a list of games known to work with Hamachi + user submitted game specific tweaks where necessary.

If you still can't find the solution to a game, then please post your question on the Hamachi forums here.

Advanced guide


Please ensure that you have already completed the Basic guide before proceeding!

This guide consists of several extra tweaks/tips for playing on a Hamachi VPN.

Ping/Chat issues

  1. Make sure you allow Hamachi through your firewall on both the UDP and TCP ports.
  2. If your firewall allows IPs through, enter your Hamachi IP and allow it through for both UDP and TCP ports.
  3. Closing a firewall may sometimes resolve your issue, but this is not recommended. So configure your client and IPs through your firewall properly to avoid security risks.
  4. If you use a router you are most likely using NAT. In which case see the next section on configuring NAT.

Sometimes users don't need to port forward (it depends on the router) so you could try to ping each other now.

Configuring Routers

  1. Open Hamachi preferences (the little gear icon in the bottom left hand corner), select the 'Status' tab on the left and click on 'Detailed Configuration'. If you use a proxy enter it here!
  2. Under 'Connecting through NAT' tick the UDP port and put a port number, something higher that 45000 usually provides better connections, and remember it;
  3. Allow port forward on that UDP port for your router;

If you are unsure about port forwarding then visit this site as it has Port forwarding for almost every router explained in detail.

Can Ping Peer, but can't see LAN game

First see if there are any special tweaks required for your game.

Still not working? continue reading...

  1. Open Hamachi;
  2. Let Hamachi connect then disable your normal internet connection(s) and any other network adapters. Right click on them in 'Network connections' and click 'Disable' (don't disable Hamachi!);
  3. Leave Hamachi running and let it to try to reconnect;
  4. Start the game and go in the LAN lobby;
  5. 'Alt-Tab' back to windows and enable your internet, then switch back to the game. You should now see the game.

This forces the game to use Hamachi as the default network adapter.
Both the client(s) and the host must do this!

Lag/High ping issues

If your game lags there are a few things you can try:

  1. Ensure you aren't downloading/uploading anything and that Windows isn't downloading/installing updates;
  2. Get a faster internet connection;
  3. If you have a multi-core CPU, open Task Manager > click on the 'Processes' tab, find 'Hamachi.exe' (Vista users should tick 'Show processes from all users' and make sure they have admin rights!) and right click on it > Set affinity... and use only CPU0 (untick the others).

You'll have to set the affinity every time you start your PC!

'Games for Windows LIVE' based games

How GFW LIVE network information should look after the registry tweak.
How GFW LIVE network information should look after the registry tweak.

'Games for Windows Live' is Microsoft's try to port 'Xbox Live' to the PC. It requires the game developers to implement it directly in the game to work.
Because of this all games that are based on it have the same problem: even if Hamachi is set to first priority in the adapter's list the game still sets your active internet connection as default.
The workaround is rather simple, yet it involves registry editing. Just download this .reg file and merge it with your registry.

Now enter a Windows Live based game, press the 'Home' key > Personal settings > Network Information and the adapter should now be Hamachi.

'Games for Windows LIVE' based games to date:

  • Halo 2
  • Shadowrun
  • Gears of War
  • Viva Pinata
  • Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
  • Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
  • Universe at War: Earth Assault
  • The Club
  • Lost Planet Extreme Condition Colonies
  • The Crossing (not yet released)


While there are many GFW games out there, only the ones above make use of Microsoft's GFW Live networking service!

IPX based games


IPX games known to work with Hamachi:

  • Doom
  • Blood
  • Carmageddon
  • Light Bikes (by James Payne)

IPX games that don't work with Hamachi:

  • C&C DOS
  • SWARS

IPX gaming over XP

In order to play IPX based games you first need to install the IPX Internet Protocol and tick it in Hamachi adapter properties.

Now you'll need to enable it. Please follow the instructions here for more details.

IPX gaming over Vista

Download this patch from here (or from here), install it and then reboot your PC. IPX based games should now work over Vista!

This only works with Vista x86 as the patch was complied on 32bits!

Hamachi Aliases

These are usually required for Counter-Strike, since it needs Class C network addresses for LAN play.

But other games might need this too... or you could just play safe.

Using Aliases in Hamachi lets you and your friends to submit different IPs, even non-Hamachi standard IPs (such as 192.168.1.1), than your default ones.
This is very useful in order to maintain the same IP class over all users of a Hamachi VPN.

eg: your Hamachi IP is 5.69.127.35 and you have a friend that has 5.110.166.143. To keep his IP in the same class as yours, just enter your Hamachi IP at his peer VPN alias, adding an extra unit (5.69.127.36). Then host the game and he should now be able to join it.

Last resort options

If none of the above steps have worked for you, then try the following:

  • Disable your firewall, IP blocker or other internet security software. They might be blocking Hamachi! Protowall and Peer Guardian were reported as culprits.

Please try to configure your internet security software first!

  • If you have a router, unplug it and connect directly to the modem. Your router(s) might be the problem.

Recheck to see if you've properly set up port forwarding first!

  • It might be a Hamachi issue:
  1. Uninstall Hamachi from your computer;
  2. Remove all registry entries associated with Hamachi; start > run > type regedit > press Ctrl + F > tick all 3 boxes and type hamachi > delete the entry (by selecting it in the left pane) > press F3 to find the others... do this till you delete all Hamachi entries;
  3. Google 'Hamachi 1.0.1.5.' and install it;
  4. Configure it as explained above (after version 1.0.2.0, Hamachi received several upgrades to its tunneling system).

I strongly advise sticking with the latest Hamachi build! You might break other games!


Notes

  • The official gateway metric is 1500! However there are games that require a different metric (like 10 for the Rainbow Six Vegas series) in order to properly work. Therefore, setting it to automatic works the best;
  • The IPX patch hasn't worked on all Vista x86 PCs! The patch is rather new and hasn't received enough feedback;
  • Microsoft has 'mysteriously deleted' the registry trick from their GFW LIVE support page; They instead suggest disabling other network adapters than the main active one... this includes Hamachi. Bastards!
  • Again, use the 'Last resort options' only if nothing has worked for you!

Hamachi Forums References

Very special thanks to: madshark69, lowblowz, kweniston, paul-lmi and andrewwan1980 of the Hamachi Forums Community!

  • Ultimate Hamachi Gaming Guide - All Work Arounds Vista/XP
  • PROBLEM NOT FINDING/OTHER CAN'T FIND YOUR GAME? VISTA guide!
  • Before posting about games not working (Can't see games)
  • IPX 100% working tip

Useful links

Last update

--Captain828 12:02, 7 May 2008 (CDT)

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