Checklist To Be Prepared For LAN Party

[SuperShermanTanker]

Checklist To Be Prepared For LAN Party (Adjust if needed if you use a laptop):

1. PC

2. Monitor

3. Keyboard

4. Mouse

5. 2 Power cables

6. A wired internet cable

7. Display cable for your monitor that can hook to your PC

8. Mouse pad

9. Headphones

10. Game controller

11. Have the games that are going to be played at the LAN party pre bought, downloaded, and updated

12. A PC clean of dust and disgusting stuff that builds up on the inside

If you don't have any of those listed please let a friend who is coming know and see if they can help out

 

Extra stuff that would be handy to have to contribute to helping others set their PCs up:

1. Extension cord and power strip

2. Network switch

3. Snacks and Drinks

4. Plates and cups

5. Folding chairs

6. Compressed air can (to help anyone who needs a quick dust off of their PC or to get crumbs out of a keyboard)

7. Extra mouse pads

 

Extra personal stuff that is handy:

1. Water bottle or reusable bottle

2. Phone USB cable to charge phone (you can plug your phone into your PC to charge it no need for the wall plugs as outlets may be scarce)

3. Small USB fan

4. Webcam and/or microphone

5. A pillow or cushion to sit on

6. Extra cash for dinner

 

And if you want to be extra safe making sure everything works and nothing breaks:

1. Extra cables

2. Screw driver

3. Extra mouse/keyboard

4. USB drive with Windows installer on it

 

Now remember to check and make sure everything works before you bring it, be prepared to sit for multiple hours and make sure to keep yourself cool and hydrated. Also most importantly HAVE FUN.

 

If I missed anything feel free to add it below

Edited February 21, 2017 by TheRandomness
Fixed formatting

[Hackentosher]

Don't forget a few of these https://www.amazon.com/Doritos-Tortilla-Cheese-1-75-Ounce-Single/dp/B000R7XBF2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487656212&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=giant%2Bdoritos%2Bbag&th=1

[Droidbot]

6 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

Don't forget a few of these https://www.amazon.com/Doritos-Tortilla-Cheese-1-75-Ounce-Single/dp/B000R7XBF2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487656212&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=giant%2Bdoritos%2Bbag&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Dew-Cans-Count-Each/dp/B00NU606FK/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487656606&sr=1-2&keywords=mountain+dew

 

These too!

[tatte]

I prefer wireless internet cables and my monitor hooks to my mouse.

 

It's a good idea to tag everything that's yours (a piece of tape with your name on it), a power strip should be considered standard equipment and being prepared to protect your gear from rain may come handy if the weather isn't as nice when the lan ends as it was when it started. I'd also advise to make sure your headphones have long enough cable.

[Doramius]

9 minutes ago, tatte said:

I prefer wireless internet cables ....

Whaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?!

 

 

[kaiju_wars]

11 minutes ago, tatte said:

I prefer wireless internet cables...

You mean WiFi?  

[Droidbot]

13 minutes ago, tatte said:

I prefer wireless internet cables and my monitor hooks to my mouse.

 

It's a good idea to tag everything that's yours (a piece of tape with your name on it), a power strip should be considered standard equipment and being prepared to protect your gear from rain may come handy if the weather isn't as nice when the lan ends as it was when it started. I'd also advise to make sure your headphones have long enough cable.

If you're gaming in any capacity and don't have line of sight with WiFi, it's a huge no-no. 

[Doramius]

LAN party wireless, in itself, is a no-no.  The more people who are on wireless, the more bogged down the wireless becomes.  Even with Wireless AC, you're sharing that bandwidth across everyone on the wireless.  When I do LAN parties, my host server usually has 4 NIC ports that are bonded together for load balancing and failover.  

[J. Hammond]

LAN List

 

1. Friends

[betam4x]

I get together with a bunch of friends every year.  We do a combination LAN party and vacation.  Last year we went to Germany.  Plenty of gaming, drinking, sight seeing, and more.  This year we are going to Northern California (about half of us are from other countries) and 2 years ago we went to Canada.  So if your budget allows for it, try it.

[tatte]

@Doramius @kaiju_wars @Droidbot 

 

Wireless internet cable is a joke, take a moment to figure out why. (Monitor that hooks up to a mouse should really have given it away as one.)

 

In reference to wired cable:

9 hours ago, SuperShermanTanker said:

6. A wired internet cable

 

[Doramius]

23 minutes ago, tatte said:

@Doramius @kaiju_wars @Droidbot 

 

Wireless internet cable is a joke, take a moment to figure out why. (Monitor that hooks up to a mouse should really have given it away as one.)

 

In reference to wired cable:

 

I work on so many computers.  Clients call their monitors, 'computers' and their computers, 'monitors' all the time.  The people who get the AIO machines and iMacs are just confused.  Rather than make the client feel like they're the idiot they really are, I just use the correct terminology as I provide explanation or ask for clarification to validate what is being understood.  

[tatte]

10 minutes ago, Doramius said:

I work on so many computers.  Clients call their monitors, 'computers' and their computers, 'monitors' all the time.  The people who get the AIO machines and iMacs are just confused.  Rather than make the client feel like they're the idiot they really are, I just use the correct terminology as I provide explanation or ask for clarification to validate what is being understood.  

Do you hold many lan parties with your clients?

 

(Your point is fair enough, but this is the Internet, so I can't just be decent about it. )

[Doramius]

I don't hold many LAN parties with clients, but I do hold a lot of LAN parties with colleagues and friends.  When the shop is closed for the weekends.....it might not necessarily be empty.  

[kaiju_wars]

1 hour ago, Doramius said:

I work on so many computers.  Clients call their monitors, 'computers' and their computers, 'monitors' all the time.  The people who get the AIO machines and iMacs are just confused.  Rather than make the client feel like they're the idiot they really are, I just use the correct terminology as I provide explanation or ask for clarification to validate what is being understood.  

I have to do this over the phone, makes it even more fun.

I've started explaining icons and stuff with silly explanations.  "See the thing that looks like little antenna lines?  Okay, click that, what does it say?  WiFi is turned off?  Turn that on..."

[SuperShermanTanker]

7 hours ago, kaiju_wars said:

I have to do this over the phone, makes it even more fun.

I've started explaining icons and stuff with silly explanations.  "See the thing that looks like little antenna lines?  Okay, click that, what does it say?  WiFi is turned off?  Turn that on..."

Wow you have it worse then me most tech support I do for family and friends is done over video chat on the phone

[Doramius]

I'm horrible.  I still have my family send it to the shop.  I might not charge them for it, or I may pick up any incurred costs, myself.  But I don't want to deal tech stuff, that often, outside of the shop.  I've done my fair share of troubleshooting over the phone.  I only wish Chasms.com was available back then.

[TomR]

Someone must have been really bored, lol.