HLSW LAN Server

From HLSW Wiki

The HLSW LAN Server is useful for administrators of huge LANs to reduce the amount of broadcasts caused by HLSW clients. In general HLSW sends several hundreds broadcast messages per minute in order to realize the LAN search functionality within HLSW. Since these broadcasts are delivered to each LAN computer the amount of bandwith is increasing quadratic with the number of computers.

To resolve this problem one ore more HLSW LAN Servers can be started within the LAN to prevent HLSW users from flooding the network. The LAN server scans the network all the time and maintains a list of all found game servers. When a HLSW clients wants to update its LAN server list it first sends a broadcast to port 7140 to search for HLSW LAN servers. Each HLSW LAN server listens for these broadcasts and sends a client his maintained server list each time such a broadcast is received. A HLSW clients scans only the LAN if no answer from any HLSW LAN server is received within 500ms.

The HLSW LAN server can be found at Menu -> File -> Advanced -> Start HLSW LAN Server. Prior HLSW v1.3.0.2 the LAN server scans the default port ranges for game servers and it was not possible to modify them. Start from HLSW v1.3.0.2 the HLSW LAN uses the port settings of the current active server list if it is a LAN servers list of uses the default port ranges if not.

You should always use the latest available HLSW version to run a HLSW LAN servers. If an old version is used all HLSW clients will not find the latest supported games.