About 3xtreme LAN

3xtreme LAN is a LAN event run by gamers for gamers. Our goal is to create a friendly casual gaming environment for gamers of all ages. Our first LAN, 3xtreme LAN Event 1, was held in June, 2002. With just over 16 players, we ran an excellent LAN at Mount Waverley Secondary College. Since then, we have gradually been getting bigger and better, with a total turnout of around 240 at 3xtreme LAN 11. Winter Extravaganza, our biggest ever event, accomodated 350 players.

Because of the success of past 3xtreme LAN events we now own a gigabit network large enough for 250 players. Gigabit networking is the fastest network technology available for a network like ours. We are the only Melbourne LAN to offer a fully managed, 100% gigabit network!
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What is a LAN Party?

A LAN Party, or LAN for short, is an event where gamers bring their own computers and play games both competitively and socially. The name LAN comes from 'Local Area Network', which is how all the computers at the event are connected so that people can play games with each other, much like playing on the internet, except there are numerous advantages. At a LAN Party, your connection to the game server is much faster. You should not experience lag, even when playing with 30 other people! You will also have the option of competing in competitions, download patches and maps at incredible speeds, and gain instant support. Players at a LAN do not just come for the games, they come to socialise, and we don't just run computer game competitions. At our next Event we plan to run a pool competition, or even an air-hockey one. LAN Parties are great fun for people of all ages!

What to do before turning up for 3xtreme LAN

The first thing you need to do is register, either at our website, or at a swapmeet. Registering on our website is a 'first come first served' system. We take the first 250 people who sign up, and the rest go on a waiting list. If there are any cancellations, everyone moves up the list. This is identical to the way it works if you sign up for events on AusGamers.

The second option, at a swapmeet, is a pre-paid method. We are giving out a certain amount of pre-paid tickets to extreme LAN that guarantee you entry. Tickets can be purchased, at the normal price, from the KATech stall at a swapmeet each weekend. To find out which swapmeet KATech will be at, please visit their website at http://www.katech.com.au.

Once you have successfully registered, you can then fill out our player survey, log into our website and check the news etc. When it comes time for the LAN, make sure you are on the list (not in the waiting list) and all you have to do is turn up!

Our next event is being held at Monash University, Clayton campus, in the engineering halls (Building 60).
Here is a map:

If you are being dropped off, drive around the union loop road (as marked on the map, and you can unload your computer right outside the hall). Longer-term parking can be found just north-west of the hall, as marked on the map.

If you arrive before the LAN starting time, you will most probably encounter a line outside the door. Once you get in, you will either have to pay (unless pre-paid) and state your registration name. You will then be given a player tag and directed to your seat.

What to bring, and what not to bring

Bring:

• Your computer (must have a LAN card)
• Your monitor (smaller monitors are preferable)
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Power Cables and Power board
• LAN cable (at least 7m long)
• A copy of your operating system
• Any drivers you may need
• Any games you wish to play
• Headphones

Don't bring:

• A Printer
• Speakers
• Your extra monitor
• Bar fridge

Important things to do at the LAN

Well, obviously, hook up your computer. You get one table, one seat, one power point and one LAN point. Plug everything in. One thing to note, however, try not to daisy-chain power boards too much. We try our best to spread out the power boards we provide, but if everyone daisy-chains off each other, power boards can get overloaded and cut out. If you have a power board, try to plug it in to one of our ones or as close to the main power connection as possible.

Switches (for your LAN connection) are situated halfway down each row of tables. You will need at least a 7m LAN cable to hook up.

Once you've powered up, make sure you have your networking configured correctly. To get on to the extreme network, you will need to set your LAN card up to 'automatically configure'. Try to ping '10.10.10.1' to test your connection. For details on setting up your network, click here or contact an admin at the LAN for assistance.

Once your network is all hooked up, it's time visit the intranet. The extreme LAN intranet will allow you to keep up to date on what's going on throughout the LAN, order food and join competitions. All this can be done in a fairly straight-forward manner, and if you run into any problems, feel free to come up to the admin desk for help. To access the intranet, type http://www.extremelan.net/ into your browser. You will be prompted to log in with your username and a password which is the same as you use to log in to our internet website. Be sure to check the intranet throughout the LAN for updates on events, game patches and other downloads.

Food will be available throughout the event from the KATech stall(s) in the hall. You will also be able to purchase various hardware or place orders on pretty much anything you could want. For dinner, we do a pizza run (usually Pizza Haven - very good pizzas!). At any time during the LAN, you can place or change your order on the Extreme LAN intranet.

And most of all, don't forget to play games! You can use programs such as Gamespy, All-Seeing-Eye or ServerQuery to search for LAN games. Have fun and enjoy the LAN!

What about more than one monitor, multiple PCs or multiple players per PC?

Your admission fee covers your table, your power socket and your network socket. Due to the way we allocate power to each table, you are only allowed to bring one monitor. Extra computers, particularly dedicated game servers, are extremely welcome. We will put the server in the admin area, where it will be connected directly to the network's core and powered from the admins' dedicated power circuits. We will leave your PC on at all times, and you can remotely administer it from your PC in the player area.

Spectators are able to attend the LAN for free. If there are 2 or more people sharing a computer, the other person will be regarded as a spectator.

Under normal conditions, laptops are considered to be a PC and take up a whole table space. However, a laptop which connects to the wireless network is acceptable as a second PC if you've already paid to bring another machine, provided the laptop does not take up any space on other tables.

If you have any further questions, please ask them in the forums.

Final Tips

We will hopefully have an area where you can get some sleep if you want. Most of our gamers tend to take it all through the night, and this is encouraged since many of the competitions run right into the morning, but you can sleep if you wish.

If at any stage, you leave your area for a period of time, or go off to sleep, it is best to have a mate or someone else who you trust, watch over your equipment. While we have never had a case of theft at any of our LANs, its best to be on the safe side. The organisers cannot be held responsible for any missing or damaged equipment.

There will be food for sale for the entire duration of the LAN. You will be able to purchase drinks, chips, lollies and much more. We are having the LAN catered for, including a pizza run for dinner! For information on what to bring and what not to bring, check out our Event Information on our website: www.extremelan.net.

If you have any questions (before or after the event), you can contact us on the Extreme LAN IRC channel, irc://au.oz.org/lan3xtreme. For questions during the LAN, post a question on our internal forum or pay us a visit at the admin area up the front. Cya there!