Old School LAN party

functioning workaround for the absent LAN mode

Thanks to [PfE] Bugfixer, derdoc and several other members of the German GTRP forum, we have confirmation you can still hold LAN parties with GT5. A lot of people have criticized - and rightly so - that there is no more option for local area network play in GT5. However, there now is a proven way how to play in LAN mode.

What you need is a router with a working internet connection and enough slots for PS3s. Derdoc managed to create an absolutely lag-free network of 13 PS3s. Here's how to do it:

One PS3 acts as a host console. On this PS3, a game lobby is being opened. It can be a closed lobby as well as an open one, with the open one having the advantage that you can set a maximum number of players, and that you can kick uninvited players. The lobby automatically gets a lobby number from the GT5 game servers.

Every player in the LAN network then enters the online mode in his game and puts in the lobby number (which is a number code of 5 times 4 digits) to join the lobby. That's it!

So here's the clue:
The internet connection is only necessary for hosting the race as such. All the data traffic between the consoles while playing is being exchanged in the local network only, because for the game servers they all share the same IP. This means that there will be almost no data traffic from or to the internet, so the speed or the ping of the internet connection is more or less irrelevant. The held event with 13 consoles was done with a standard 6Mbit DSL connection. It is well possible that this also works with slower connections, maybe even mobile ones provided by a laptop or a mobile phone.

It is however vital that not one player joins the game externally. This would mean that all the data has to be streamed through the internet connection to and from that player, which will likely compromise the whole system. Keep it LAN only, and you're good to go!

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