How To Throw Your First Lan Party

LAN parties are the perfect way to spend a rainy weekend with friends - all it takes is a little planning to make sure that things go smoothly.

Whether you are planning a PC or console oriented LAN party, getting the right mix of gear together is the first and most crucial step. Console players have it a little easier, since the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are much more portable than their full-sized PC counterparts. However, don’t forget that you’ll need extra monitors, game titles, LAN cables, and a hub/switch big enough to handle as many consoles that you need to connect everyone. Having a buddy with a 16- or 24-port switch is always handy; but an older 10/100 switch is all you need. Spending hundreds on a Gigabit-grade switch is overkill.