Help

Help & Guides

Stuck with a technical problem, or just got a question? Check out the guides below or head up to The Big LAN Tech Desk, staffed by our group of friendly volunteers!

Services do not include assistance with Souls-like bosses

(click options for more details)

Our Support Promise

At The Big LAN we aim to provide you the best experience possible by getting everyone into the most games we can. To help us achieve that, The Big LAN team recommends a fully updated Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. Linux based devices, including the SteamDeck, and consoles are most welcome but may not be as supportable for our full list of games.

The Big LAN prioritises free games for our tournaments to maximise accessibility. We'll do our best to build our schedules to ensure you can game the entire day without purchasing game licenses.

Tech Desk

What to do, what to bring

Before heading to one of our events, have a quick read of the suggestions below to make sure you have the best experience.

Disable VPNs

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are a great choice for improving your security online, especially when joining an open local network with strangers. However, since VPNs reroute all your traffic through their remote servers, you won't be able to connect to any game servers hosted on the LAN. When joining a local server or game like Quake 3, TrackMania, Rocket League, or Counter Strike 2, make sure your VPN is temporarily turned off.

For older games like Halo CE and Quake, you may need to disable any virtual network interfaces your VPN has created, even if the VPN is turned off. If in doubt, ask The Big LAN staff for help, just let them know you have a VPN installed.

Update Windows

For your security, it's best to ensure your Windows OS is fully updated. If you're still running Windows 7 you are welcome to bring it to the LAN, but your device will be vulnerable to malicious actors either at the LAN or (more likely) online.

Check Accounts

Make sure you can sign into Steam, Epic, Riot, Battle.Net, Xbox, and any other services you need to launch the games you want to play. Recovering a password or guessing your username when a tournament is about to start isn't fun.

Gather your peripherals

Mouse

Keyboard

Controller

Mousepad

Headphones

Microphone

Make sure you bring everything you need for the best gaming experience. If you're bringing a laptop, check that it has an Ethernet port. If not, and while we do have WiFi available, we recommend getting a basic USB to Ethernet adapter. All our end user connections are 1Gb/s.

The Big LAN does have spare mice, keyboards, and mousepads as part of our rental PCs options that we can lend you if you forget, but we do not carry spare headphones or microphones.

Buy Tickets!

While you can buy tickets at the door, buying online is quicker and easier for you, and let's us make sure we've got enough seats set up on the day.

Sign In & Get Playing!

When you arrive we'll ask you for your name to look up your tickets (or take your payment if you don't have one yet, we can do cash or card at the door). Then scan the QR code and fill out your details, which includes checking if you have any dietary requirements for lunch and dinner.

We take sign ups for tournaments in person when the tournament is scheduled to start. We'll announce over the PA system when to come to the desk to sign up, and we'll make lots of announcements so you can't miss out. Check out the schedule on the event page or our main display at the event to see what games are coming up next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need my PC and cables to be test and tagged?

No, our events generally don't require formal testing of your equipment, but our staff will be walking the seating rows and visually inspecting all equipment. If a specific event does require test and tag we will provide that service at no extra cost.

Can I bring a console?

Absolutely! Just remember The Big LAN cannot guarantee the same experience on a console as on a PC. For example, the console version of Rocket League cannot play LAN multiplayer, it can only play via online servers.

I don't own that game, can I still play?

Generally The Big LAN can't offer spare licenses to join games you don't own, however most of the games we play are free. We aim to build our schedules so that there is always at least one free game running in any time slot.

The schedule shows a tournament going for 3 hours, will it be that long?

Durations on our schedule are an educated guess. Actual duration depends on numerous factors like attendance, ruleset, punctuality of players, and any technical difficulties.

Games & Caching

We encourage everyone coming to an event to have already downloaded and installed all the games they want to play. If you haven't, or an update is released at the last second, or you're renting a PC, don't worry! Our cache and file server are here to help at up to gigabit speeds.

Installing via Steam

Regardless of the available internet speed, a LAN in full swing has a lot of users and speeds become limited. However, The Big LAN Cache will allow you to install supported games at up to Gigabit speeds.

Simply attempt to install or download the game through Steam as you normally would at home. If the game you are downloading is being run at the event it should download at high speeds.

If we haven't cached a game you want to play, try Steam's file transfer service. Steam's file transfer service allows you to copy Steam games from nearby PCs, including the player sitting next to you!

Installing via Blizzard

Regardless of the available internet speed, a LAN in full swing has a lot of users and speeds become limited. However, The Big LAN Cache will allow you to install supported games at up to Gigabit speeds.

Simply attempt to install or download the game through Battle.Net as you normally would at home. If the game you are downloading is being run at the event it should download at high speeds.

What is Caching?

Whenever anyone downloads anything connected to our network from the majority of popular game stores they are automatically cached. So after one user takes one for the team and waits the full first download time, the rest of the room can get the same files ultra fast!

All games listed on our schedule will be precached via Steam and Battle.Net where possible. Other services may be cached but are not guaranteed. Epic Games Store, Xbox Gamepass, and Riot do not support caching. We recommend arriving at least an hour before your first tournament of choice to give our team ample time to help you with anything you might need. We also ask that you ensure all your games are installed and working the night before and use our cache as a backup plan.

Where a game requires a purchase to play The Big LAN generally cannot provide license keys.

Cache

Network Help

For help joining or hosting a specfic game, head to the event page for the event you are attending, select the game from the schedule or games list, and scroll down the resulting window for the latest tricks, tips, and help topics. This section is for general network or service issues. If you're at the event and need more help, head up to the Tech Desk and talk to our friendly staff.

Security & Safety

The Big LAN aims to be a safe and inclusive event for everyone to attend.

Remember, if you connect to our network and access a device not owned by The Big LAN, we cannot ensure the hosted content will be safe or secure. Equipment owned by The Big LAN, including our file server, are read-only for everyone except The Big LAN admin staff.

Steam File Sharing

Regardless of the available internet speed, a LAN in full swing has a lot of users and speeds become limited. However, The Big LAN Cache will allow you to install supported games at up to Gigabit speeds.

If we haven't cached a game you want to play, try Steam's file transfer service. Steam's file transfer service allows you to copy Steam games from nearby PCs, including the player sitting next to you!

Blocked Sites

At The Big LAN we block Twitch.com, as streaming consumes a lot of bandwidth per user.

We also maintain a list of inappropriate sites which are blocked on our network including scams, adult content, pirated material, and gambling services.

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