LAN games and IPX?

[xfactordomine]

Why do most LAN games use IPX instead of TCP/IP? Is it faster? More convenient?

Thanks,

-X

 

[Santa]

IPX is usally less complicated to setup in a home enviroment. You don't have to know lick usually since broadcast will get you onto the same node as the other computers as long as IPX/SPX is installed on your system.

TCP/IP on the other hand tends to not be as user friendly but it is getting their since Microsoft is now implementing a private network that appears when the machine can't find a DHCP server.

In the past to use TCP/IP you had to configure a DHCP server or know how to configure the static IP to match up with other computers before communication could take place.

This was my viewpoint on why some games were made with IPX only.

 

[Rallispec]

yeah.. i think IPX has just been easier to implement and use.

 

[JackMDS]

IPX was popular before the Net Games, and Broadband became popular.

The games that support IPX are usually old games, or updated versions of old games that left IPX support in.

New games need to have TCP/IP to support Internet connection, so there is no reason to load the system with an additional IPX.

 

[Tallgeese]

Well, let's not forget that IPX (a Novell protocol) used to be THE dominant PC LAN protocol before 1992-1993. After that came the advent of TCP/IP in PC networks. Before then there was no World Wide Web (or at least nothing out there to see yet), so most PC folks didn't use TCP/IP.

*Remembering DOOM over IPX in the A&S labs in grad school, and using Mosaic for the first time*