Discussing LAN setups with Linux and Windows routers, switches, and other devices.
Discussing LAN setups with Linux and Windows routers, switches, and other devices.
I recently hosted a LAN party where my three friends used Windows, and I was using Ubuntu 18.04 with games running natively via Steam and some through Wine. At home, I managed to connect to my brothers’ computers easily using the LAN option in games. During the LAN, however, I faced connection issues. After troubleshooting, I discovered a solution on Stack Exchange: linking a Ubuntu laptop to a Windows 10 machine via Ethernet cable. This worked well, but I wondered if using a router or switch could help bridge the gap between my home setup and the LAN environment. I’m not very familiar with networking, so I’m asking whether a router that actively managed connections made a difference, and if so, how to configure a switch and router together for maximum compatibility. PS: I apologize for any confusion and lack of clarity on networking topics—I usually focus more on computer surgery than OS or network issues.
This has no relation to the switch. The outcome depends on the address DHCP assigned you, and there was one.
You configured a fixed IP address for yourself. Windows uses its own rules when setting up a local network without a router, allowing devices to communicate with each other even if they weren't assigned addresses automatically. The main distinction is that Linux handles IP assignments through DHCP when no server is present, which you had to manage manually instead.