I don’t often get time to play games any more but when I do a quick multiplayer game of Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors is still one of my favourites. Each time I come to play at least one of the computers in the house has been reinstalled and requires AOE to be setup on it again.
The problem I always come across, and one that many others seem to have come across, is that the computers can’t find the game. None of them have firewalls activated and they are all able to communicate with each other for other tasks
The trick is in the connection type when setting up and joining the game. It seems like a really odd choice but select “IPX Connection for Direct Play“. The most obvious choice would be a “TCP/IP Local Area Network” connection but no games are ever found.
To use the IPX protocol you may have to set it up in the network settings for your LAN connection. This can be done in a few simple steps:
- Go to the “Control Panel”.
- Double-click on “Network connections”.
- Right click on your LAN Connection and choose Properties.
- In the list of protocols, choose Add.
- Click Microsoft, and then click IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol
- Click ok to add the protocol
- You may need to restart
If I remember correctly this was also a problem for Age Of Empires 2 without the Conquerors expansion as well. Its always best to double check firewall settings as well because they seem have a habit of blocking things you’ve already asked them not to.
27 Comments
Wow this helped a lot, THANKS!
Thank you! This was excellent post.
I’ve been trying to figure this out for a few days, but now I can finally play some AOE.
This was an outstanding contribution. loads of guff all over the web with TCP-this and Port-that, and of course Microsoft still cling to the IPX protocol buried in the bowels of every Windows they ever released. This worked straight away. Thank you so much.
Still doesn’t seem to be working… I want to know if we are to use the IPX connection or the Local Lan Connection…
Thanks
Thank you! this helped a lot I can finally play some AOE
I’m using a laptop with XP and a desktop with ME. linked by a wireless LAN, and i’ve tried a cable. I’ve tried hosting on both computers about 50 times and have tried IPX/LAN/TCP. I can see the game on the other computer using LAN or TCP but I cannot join it. Except for one time when it randomly let me join it (both computers trying TCP on wireless LAN).
Neither computer can find the other when using IPX.
As per some other post on a forum, I disabled “internet gateway”. The game worked great using the LAN setting, and I could play on my LAN – however, I could not use the internet (which is more important than AOE) and had to reinstall a bunch of software to get the internet to work again.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thank you.
Oh, I also installed an LLTD responder as someone mentioned it might help.
I have the IPX/SPX protocol on my list of protocols, but AOE2 Isn;t Picking it up, It only has the 4 Usual ones.. =’[
Can anyone help?
with no firewalls on and all ports open and with all protocols you mentioned adding working perfectly on both sides (my friend and I) AOE just doesnt seem to want us to play multiplayer… any suggestions?
i got 2 pcs and on the one i can see the game but then cant join. on the other i jus cant see it. any suggestions? i done the stuff above on both pcs and restarted both.
how to do this in vista?
me and my friends used to play aoe 2 over tcpip all the time, but now we cant connect the only way we can find each others game is using hamachi, but then it just says unable to join game. i can still play with lan though. im about to try using a cat 6 ethernet cable hope it works.
I tried to setup to ipx setting both on my pc and laptop and tried to connect them, i can see the game created on my pc frm laptop but then connection fails.
What should i do??
I have query regarding local connection problem. Previously we can play dota in our office during lunch break using our company’s LAN connection but after quite some time, we can no longer see each other’s created game. Can you please advise me how to resolved this problem?
Many Thanks!
Awesome, tip – it works now! Thanks.
aint creating a server any buddy can help me????mr_jagaur@live.com
I’m having a similar problem.
When I start a LAN game i scan see the game on my other PC but when to go to join it tries to join but fails(usually takes more than 15 seconds). I tried using the IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol and i cant even see the game. I restarted and still nothing shows up. Can anyone help me?
Hi, I like to play AOE2 with my friends on the Local Area Network (LAN) connection. We usually play 4 people against 4 computers . Somewhere closer to the middle of the game everything ridiculously slows down. I have tried to set screen to 800*600 with low details but it barely helps. Does anyone know what could possibly slow it down so bad? Thank you.
where is the ‘add button’ on 4th instruction.
i cant find.. can you please make pic~!
thank you..
I, like everyone else here, was frustrated w/ AOE2. I have to PCs (XP, wired) and one laptop (Vista, wireless). McAfee is running everywhere. I dorked around the other night and was able to get the laptop to see and connect to PC#2. It could see PC#1 but couldn’t connect. (All these connections are via Local TCP/IP). I got there by making sure McAfee wasn’t blocking things. I’d hit Windows-D to iconize AOE2 right after trying to connect (iconize both PCs) and then click the ‘Allow’ popup (if it showed up) for AOE2. You can also bring up McAfee> Internet & Network > Configure > Firewall Protection is Enabled > Advanced… > Program Permissions and it’ll show (hopefully) “Full Access” for AOE2.
But this DIDN’T work for PC#1. I made sure all were configured the same way in McAfee. Today I searched and found the above blog. On my way to install the IPX protocol (I never did), I right clicked on my network and selected Properties. I then clicked the ‘Advanced’ tab and ‘Settings…’. Windows Firewall is ON but the box below it is unchecked, allowing for exceptions. I then clicked on the ‘Exceptions’ tab and made sure all the Age of Empires lines were checked (exception enabled). Once I did this, all three found and connected to each other. This afternoon I’ll finally get to take on my two sons.
Note: I tried to check these settings on Vista, but it is different and since it worked, I stopped worrying about it.
Hope this helps! These were the best $9.84 each I ever spent at Walmart!
thank, it’s work
Hey thanks for this. It works great.
works OK with WinXP ‘cos it comes bundled with NWlink IPX/SPX compatible communication protocol..but for Win Vista i guess have to wait n watch for updates since vista does’nt have it as standard attachment.one can always add the protocol to Vista but it might cause system instability
It doesn’t seem to work… plus, on one of my computers I don’t have administrator rights.
The weird thing about the problem is that sometimes, the connection works perfectly, I played many games on LAN with 2, 3, 4 computers. But most of the time, it just won’t find any games.
What “add” button? I can’t find it.
AOE II is the most broken game I have EVER seen…
Im so k00l, but me no likey tis game kus twas nubs in microsuck dnt no how 2 make tis game work in lan mode
hihihihi