GroupVPN: A (potentially) better alternative to Hamachi

[Seacow]

Please read the whole post before you start.

You're wondering why I'm posting this when we've already got Hamachi. Well Hamachi limits us to only 16 people a group and even worse, you still got to use "Direct Connect" in AI War to join a server. Well with GroupVPN, you're free from all of this! There's virtually no user limit and you don't need to use that "Direct Connect" function anymore!

Here's how to get GroupVPN up and running and by following this tutorial, you'll be up and running in no time (hopefully ).

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD GROUP VPN BINARIES

GroupVPN for Windows v9

Extract the folder into either the root of C:\ drive (where C is the drive Windows is installed in) or in Program Files. Whichever one you prefer.

STEP 2: INSTALL TAP DEVICE DRIVER

The Windows installers are available in GroupVPN\drivers\windows_tap. To install for Windows click install_tap.vbs, this will prompt you to allow the installer to install the device. If anything goes wrong, simply execute the uninstall_tap.vbs script and then the install_tap.vbs script. If you still have problems after that, make a new thread describing your problem. Make sure that the newly installed TAP device (located in Control Panel > Network Connections for Windows XP) is renamed to "TapIPOP".

STEP 3: SIGN UP AT THE WEBSITE

http://www.grid-appliance.org/index.php?option=com_user&task=register

Sign up at the website above and validate your email. This is required for the next step.

STEP 4: JOIN THE "AI WAR: FLEET COMMAND" GROUP

After you've validated and logged into the website, click on GroupVPN then click on the "Join" button for the "AI War: Fleet Command" group. Wait for one of the admins of the group to allow you access to the group.

P.S. Revenantus and I are currently the admins of the group. There will be more admins later so that there will be people available to accept you at all times

STEP 5: PREPARE THE GROUPVPN CONFIG

After you've been allowed in and your on the group's 'homepage', click on "Download Config" and move that file into GroupVPN\bin. Open up "groupvpn_prepare.vbs". Click OK.

STEP 6: INSTALL THE GROUPVPN SERVICE

Open "install_windows.bat" which is located in the bin folder. This installs the GroupVPN service and configures it to start automatically. If you see your "ipoptap' network adapter connect to a 196.69.*.* IP, then congratulations, you've successfully set up GroupVPN!

P.S. Me and Revenantus have tested GroupVPN and it seems to be working well. Please be aware that neither me or Rev have done any extensive testing yet, like in-game performance. We don't recommend this until we've done more testing. If you want to try it out, then please, be our guest.

EDIT: Apparently I can distribute the config to others. They do not have to sign up onto the website. Should I distribute the config? Sounds rather dangerous, considering what Oranisagu's post #7. I probably won't, because the admin's can revoke someone if they are being pricks. If I distribute it publicly, the admins of the group will have no control over the users.

[Revenantus]

I'll confirm what Seacow has stated above.

Please consider this very early stages, as I have not had time to do sufficient testing and research in order to recommend this. As it stands, the installation procedure is rather elaborate, and may be unsuitable for some players. If you are looking for a quick way of setting up a game without having to configure port forwarding on your router, please use Hamachi.

If you do decide to test this solution, feedback would be appreciated.

[RCIX]

I've also heard good things about "Wippien" over on the Fleetops forums (ST armada 2 mod). Everyone seems to have switched to it after complaining about Hamachi for quite a while...

[Seacow]

I've heard about it, but I want a program where you can join a network, a bit like Hamachi. Wippien you gotta add people as their friends. That's why I didn't use Wippien.

[Ktoff]

@ Seacow:

Your avatar is horrible! Once a real insect got into my TFT between the panel and the illumination and i could see its shadow creeping around my monitor (a bit smaller than your avatar) until it died and left a Perma-Comma in the middle of my screen...

For a moment i thought there was a new one :-)

[Revenantus]

@ Seacow:

Your avatar is horrible! Once a real insect got into my TFT between the panel and the illumination and i could see its shadow creeping around my monitor (a bit smaller than your avatar) until it died and left a Perma-Comma in the middle of my screen...

For a moment i thought there was a new one :-)

There's still a dead thunderfly in one of my panels. And seconded, the first time I saw your avatar I tried to flick it off the screen.

[Seacow]

Lol. Epic fail.

[Oranisagu]

as someone who has to provide it support to a number of friends and family members, this makes me cringe in horror.. mind me, not because its something bad by default, not at all (I myself entertain a small vpn for gaming with my friends), but its sooooo f-ing dangerous if handled incorrectly. If anybody recommends vpns with strangers, PLEASE PLEASE make some comment about security for the user of such solutions:

vpn means virtual private network, by default a network with hosts you can trust.. ie your home, your office, whatever. that means, lots of firewalling software will view a vpn as safer than the internet and open up a bit. DON'T LET THEM! =)
treat the vpn (virtual public network in this case?) as an unsecure, hostile environment. make sure (don't assume it already does because in your scenario it makes sense - in most others involving vpns it might not!) your firewall blocks incoming traffic. only open up ports you really need.

ora

[Revenantus]

Thanks for the advice, Oranisagu, all very true. The above also applies to anyone using Hamachi.