BlastDOS/ifrag21.zip/IF210.ZIP/TCPFAQ14.TXT

Text File | 1995-04-08 | 35KB | 749 lines

                 The TCP/IP Internet DOOM FAQ
               by Scott Coleman ([e-mail])
             and Jay Cotton ([e-mail])
                        updated 4/8/95


                         Introduction

        id Software's DOOM, DOOM II, and Heretic truly are
   the Killer Apps of the MS-DOS world. The popularity of
   these games is so immense, it has been estimated that
   DOOM is installed on more PCs than OS/2 and Windows NT
   combined. So many copies of these games have been sold
   that the idGuys can commute to work in Ferarris. Interest
   in these games has been so great that they have been
   hacked, reverse-engineered, dissected, and enhanced more
   than any other games in PC history. And now, as more and
   more people become hooked into the Internet, DOOM-engine
   games are rapidly becoming the Killer Apps of the 'net,
   as well. Although the remainder of this document will
   refer exclusively to DOOM, the procedures outlined here
   will work equally well for either DOOM II or Heretic, as
   well.

        DOOM, as released by id, only supports IPX network
   or modem/direct serial link play; TCP/IP networks are not
   supported. As a result, the DOOM documentation doesn't
   include any information about DOOMing across the
   Internet, and obviously DOOMers can't call id for help.
   As a result, the following question is asked at least
   once per week in the DOOM newsgroups: "How do I play DOOM
   over the Internet?" In the pages that follow, we will
   attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions
   about Internet DOOM, including what you need, how to set
   it up, and how to find new fragbait - er, I mean,
   opponents.

        DOOM across the Internet is made possible by a
   freeware program called iFrag (formerly called iDOOM).
   iFrag uses the UDP protocol to send DOOM game information
   between multiple machines on the Internet. By some
   strange coincidence, the authors of this document are
   also the creators of iFrag, and we have used the program
   to play Internet DOOM sessions with opponents from as far
   away as Estonia. In writing this FAQ, we hope that
   sharing some of our experience will make it easier for
   you to get connected in your own Internet DOOM sessions.


                       The Frag Tracker

        The Frag Tracker is a major new enhancement to the
   Internet DOOMing experience. Based on the premise that
   the ability to play DOOM over the 'net isn't much good
   unless you have other people with whom to play, the Frag
   Tracker serves as a virtual meeting place for Internet
   DOOMers. Frag Tracker support is built right into iFrag -
   its use is completely transparent. People looking for
   games run iFrag in client mode, which automatically
   queries the Frag Tracker for a listing of registered
   games. The type of game (DOOM, DOOM II, or Heretic), the
   names of the players, the game parameters (episode, map,
   skill level, etc.), and other information is displayed on
   the iFrag screen. The player picks a game from this list
   and she is instantly connected to that game. If there are
   no games waiting, or the existing games aren't
   sufficiently interesting, a player can register a new
   iFrag game on the Frag Tracker which others can then
   join.


                        Getting Prepared

        Q1: I want to play DOOM over the Internet using
   iFrag. What hardware do I need?

        To successfully play DOOM across the Internet, you
   will need the following hardware:

        * A machine capable of playing DOOM (D'OHH!)

        * If your site is directly connected to the
        Internet, you'll need a network interface card (NIC)
        for your machine. And not just any old NIC, mind you
        - your NIC must be supported by a packet driver if
        you wish to use it to play Internet DOOM. Usually
        this means that your NIC must be an ethernet card,
        although iFrag has been successfully played over
        token ring. We will assume that your PC is already
        equipped with a suitable NIC, although it may
        currently be in use for some other non-TCP/IP
        function (such as a node on a Novell network). As
        long as your NIC is supported by a standard packet
        driver, your machine can be readily converted into
        an iFrag "playstation."

        * If you are not directly connected, you'll need a
        28.8Kbps modem (V.34 or V.FC) as well as an ISP
        (Internet Service Provider) with suitable dialup
        facilities. NOTE: If you have a 14.4Kbps (V.32bis)
        or slower modem, don't waste your time trying to
        play DOOM over it via a SLIP connection. It is,
        quite simply, unplayable. Go invest in a faster
        modem or, better still, an inexpensive ethernet
        card.


        Q2: OK, I've got all the hardware. What software do
   I need?

        In addition to the hardware requirements, some
   software is also required to complete your setup. Before
   you can play, you'll need to pick up the following:

        * The latest version of DOOM.  At the time of this
        writing, the latest version of DOOM is 1.9, DOOM II
        is 1.9, and Heretic is 1.0. It's always best to use
        the latest version of each game because that is what
        the majority of other iFraggers will be using, and
        different versions of each game cannot be used in
        the same network game. Additionally, DOOM versions
        1.1 and below are incapable of using iFrag.

        * A packet driver written specifically for your NIC.
        The Packet Driver is a standardized interface that
        lets iFrag (and therefore DOOM) "talk" to your NIC.
        If you're connecting via modem, you'll need a SLIP
        packet driver.

        * iFrag, the TCP/IP network driver for DOOM.

        * Some basic network diagnostic tools, such as a
        PING or TRACEROUTE program. These are not absolutely
        necessary, but can definitely be useful for
        debugging and testing your setup.

        Q3: Hold on - I don't have some of this software!
   Where can I get it?

        * To obtain iFrag: Log on to mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu
        via anonymous ftp. Change to directory /asre.
        Download the file iFrag21.ZIP. This is version 2.1
        of iFrag, the latest as of this writing.

        * Many ethernet cards come with the appropriate
        packet drivers on a utilities diskette packaged with
        the card. If your card does not come with a packet
        driver, there is an excellent collection of freely
        available packet drivers called the Crynwr (nee
        Clarkson) Packet Driver collection. You can obtain
        it via anonymous ftp from oak.oakland.edu. Change to
        the /pub/msdos/pktdrvr subdirectory and download
        PKTD11.ZIP and PKTD11C.ZIP. You need not download
        the files PKTD11A.ZIP and PKTD11B.ZIP; these contain
        source code and example programs for the packet
        drivers - while interesting (especially to
        programmer types), you won't need these in order to
        play iFrag. Modem users should grab the file
        slippr15.zip from this directory. NOTE: Make sure
        that you do NOT get "slipr15d.zip" by mistake!

        * If you need basic network diagnostic utilities,
        the WATTCP applications are freely available and
        include a PING program. To get them, anonymous ftp
        to dorm.rutgers.edu, change to the
        /pub/msdos/wattcp/ subdirectory, and download the
        file APPS.ZIP.

        Q4: OK, I've got everything, now what do I do to set
   it up?

        Setting your computer up to use the TCP/IP protocol
   suite via a packet driver is very straightforward. This
   next section will illustrate the procedure for setting up
   a PC with an SMC ethernet card and the IP