How can I play on two PCs at the same time?

[doveman]

I've got two PCs each with their own copies of BF2 installed (with different serial numbers) but considering that we have to forward a load of ports to play BF2 on one machine, I can't see how it's possible to use two PCs on the same connection as it's obviously not possible to forward those ports to two machines at the same time.

Has anyone worked out how to do this?

These are the ports I currently have forwarded to my 1st PC:

Any 29900
TCP 4711
UDP 1500-4999
Any 1024-1124
Any 27900-27901
UDP 16567
UDP 55123-55125

[Steeps]

If I remember correctly, most servers will look to kick/ban players using two different accounts at the same time.

[doveman]

If I remember correctly, most servers will look to kick/ban players using two different accounts at the same time.

Darn, that's not very nice! I wonder what the thinking behind that is, as it's not like one person could actually control two machines at the same time and get some sort of advantage. If anything, I'd think it would make both "players" totally useless.

Oh well, guess I'll have to abandon that idea

[LITOralis.nMd]

Shouldn't be a problem, depending on your router firmware.

Create a static route to each PC.
Something like
PC1 : 192.168.1.101
PC2 : 192.168.1.102

Then edit your current port opening to send it to PC1's IP, and copy each port route to PC2's IP.

If you tell us which router you are using we might be able to link to a tutorial on this.

Some BF2 and PR servers require multiple clients connecting from the same IP and MAC (your router IP and MAC) to always be on the same team. Or they might kick. Just an FYI.

[doveman]

Shouldn't be a problem, depending on your router firmware.

Create a static route to each PC.
Something like
PC1 : 192.168.1.101
PC2 : 192.168.1.102

Then edit your current port opening to send it to PC1's IP, and copy each port route to PC2's IP.

If you tell us which router you are using we might be able to link to a tutorial on this.

Some BF2 and PR servers require multiple clients connecting from the same IP and MAC (your router IP and MAC) to always be on the same team. Or they might kick. Just an FYI.

Ah, that's a bit more encouraging, thanks. I intend for both of us to play on the same team, so that's not a problem (although I realise it might take some patience to find two empty slots).

I don't really understand what you mean by "copy each port route to PC2's IP" though. I already have both PC's using static IPs but the router can only direct incoming traffic on a certain port (or range) to one PC.

I'm using the BT Home Hub router, I think v3 (it says Type A at the bottom of the screen).

[Steeps]

Ah yeah, that's where I was wrong. It was a matter of two logins being on different teams that can cause red flags.

[LITOralis.nMd]

step 1:
Version 3 Hub: Login to the Hub Manager, Go to Advanced > Home Network > Devices
This should allow you to create two static subnet IPs for each PC
Something like
PC1 : 192.168.1.101
PC2 : 192.168.1.102
Your Router is nice, it allows you to create a "nickname' for each connected device, ie. Notebook, compaq desktop, slingbox, etc. I suggest doing that so you remember which IP is which at some future time.

step 2:
BT Home Hub Help - Port Forwarding

You actually have a really user friendly router,
You already have your forwarded port rules,
all you have to do is assign each rule to each device you want
read the link above for step by step directions,

[ryan d ale]

Do threads like this encourage ghosting?

[doveman]

LITOralis.nMd;1901591Your Router is nice, it allows you to create a "nickname' for each connected device, ie. Notebook, compaq desktop, slingbox, etc. I suggest doing that so you remember which IP is which at some future time.

It's not that nice. It has a habit of not even showing one of my PC's as connected, even though it is and quite happily using the Internet through it. Anyway, it doesn't cause any problems and as I said, I've got static IPs assigned to my PCs already and just port forward using the IPs and not the names.

step 2:
BT Home Hub Help - Port Forwarding

You actually have a really user friendly router,
You already have your forwarded port rules,
all you have to do is assign each rule to each device you want
read the link above for step by step directions,

That link is just a general guide to port forwarding (which I know how to do) and doesn't tell me anything about how to play BF2 on two PCs on the same LAN, or how to deal with the fact that BF2 needs all those ports forwarded and they can obviously only be forwarded to one PC or the other.

[LITOralis.nMd]

OK, just spent some time googling your router.
I really don't think it's possible outside of creating a DMZ for the 2nd PC, and that's not advisable for security reasons, and I'm not even sure it'll work.
You'll have to dig into the BT Home Hub 3 support forums for this, seems to be a problem for many games at same time for PCs, for 2 XBox360s , and 2 PS3s, etc.

[doveman]

OK, just spent some time googling your router.
I really don't think it's possible outside of creating a DMZ for the 2nd PC, and that's not advisable for security reasons, and I'm not even sure it'll work.
You'll have to dig into the BT Home Hub 3 support forums for this, seems to be a problem for many games at same time for PCs, for 2 XBox360s , and 2 PS3s, etc.

I don't even think it's an issue specific to my router. If BF2 needs traffic forwarded on those ports, then any router can only forward them to one PC, so I can't see a way that the 2nd PC could work as it won't receive the necessary traffic.

Most games on the PC I haven't found it necessary to manually forward any ports, so with ArmA2 for example it seems to sort itself out.

[Psyrus]

I don't even think it's an issue specific to my router. If BF2 needs traffic forwarded on those ports, then any router can only forward them to one PC, so I can't see a way that the 2nd PC could work as it won't receive the necessary traffic.

Most games on the PC I haven't found it necessary to manually forward any ports, so with ArmA2 for example it seems to sort itself out.

BF2 doesn't or shouldn't need ports manually forwarded.

Have you turned off UPnP for some reason?

[doveman]

BF2 doesn't or shouldn't need ports manually forwarded.

Have you turned off UPnP for some reason?

No, it's still on. I've just been going by all the guides that say I need to forward those ports. In fact, some guides list even more but I think I worked out they were only needed if running a server.

If you reckon it doesn't need manual forwarding though, I'll try disabling the rule and check it still works on PC1 and then try PC2 as well.

[Psyrus]

I've run PR/BF2 on about 6 different computers [with 2 on at a time], on 4 different networks in 3 countries... never needed to forward ports before

For hosting a server, yeah.... but never for playing.

[doveman]

Psyrus;1902454']I've run PR/BF2 on about 6 different computers [with 2 on at a time], on 4 different networks in 3 countries... never needed to forward ports before

For hosting a server, yeah.... but never for playing.

Thanks for the confirm, I'm hopeful it will work for me too now

[doveman]

Thanks for the advice guys, I can confirm that my friend and I were able to play on the same server using both PCs at the same time last night (only vanilla BF2 because I'm having some problems with the PR1.0 beta on the second PC but I think if vanilla works then PR will).

[PLODDITHANLEY]

My boy wants to play with me on a secong computer at home.

We want to play on a local NOT ONLINE, but I have the same keyon both PCs, I looked at a Windows network thing but as one is Win7 and the other Vista32 it looked impossible.

My furnished modem is described as a BRCM router.

[Mj Pain]

I used Hamachi to make local network then start localserver/localcoopgame.
Second computer can join (join via ip).

[EA_SUCKS]

you can use the same key on LOCAL, no problems

[PLODDITHANLEY]

Yes but on local it's to hard to link the two.

I'll go and try hamachi, I have used it before in the good old days, remember them 32cap?