Member Avatar for schnaiper

Hi
I have the games Battlefield 2 and Call of Duty 5 and I played both of them often with a friend. We connected to my internet router with a lan cable. Then we started the games and I opened a lan server.

A few days ago we wanted to play. So I started a server but my friend couldn't find the server. We tried to restart both computers but there was the same problem. After a long time of trying my friend opened the server and I could join.


But why can't he find the server anymore?

Thanks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Serellyn

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Thread started by reports a LAN server that one player can no longer see. Replies from and point at licensing and router issues. The checklist below focuses on concrete, reproducible checks that isolate whether the problem is networking, local firewall/AV, or the game itself.

First, confirm basic IP-level connectivity between the two machines. On each PC run:

ipconfig

Verify both have IPv4 addresses on the same subnet (for example 192.168.1.x with netmask 255.255.255.0). From each machine try:

ping <other-PC-IP>

If ping fails, the machines are not talking at L3 and the router or a network isolation feature is blocking them.

Second, check local firewalls and network profile. On Windows ensure the network is set to Private/Home (not Public) so local discovery is allowed. Temporarily disable firewalls to test (do not leave them off):

netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

If disabling fixes it, allow the game executable and its UDP/TCP traffic in Windows Firewall and any third-party AV/firewall.

Third, rule out router/client isolation and VLAN/guest networks. Many routers have "AP/client isolation" or separate Guest SSIDs that block client-to-client traffic. Make sure both machines are on the same LAN (same SSID/VLAN) or plug both into the same switch/router LAN ports. A direct cable or local switch test removes the router as a variable.

Fourth, game-side checks. Ensure both installs have the same game version/patches and identical mods. Try joining by IP (if the game supports it) or inspect server ports with:

netstat -an

to see what the server is listening on and try a direct connect.

Useful diagnostics to collect if deeper troubleshooting is needed: ipconfig /all, netstat -an, and a copy of the server log or the exact server IP shown in-game. These outputs will pinpoint whether the fault is network, firewall, or game configuration.

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Member Avatar for gurukid22

This may have something to do with using the same license on the 2 computers.

Member Avatar for Serellyn

I've had that problem too a long time ago, I have no idea why it happens. Maybe it's a router issue, some ports have to be disabled.

As the above stated, "might be the same license", but then it should'nt work at all

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