Play Age of Empires II over LAN online
The Age of Kings and The Conquerors both use DirectPlay to find LAN games, which is the oldest and fussiest part of this whole exercise. It works well through a LanOrbit room once DirectPlay itself is enabled on Windows — that is the one extra step this game needs.
Requirements
- Every player installs LanOrbit, signs in, and keeps it running for the whole session.
- Every player joins the same room before launching the game.
- Everyone runs the same game version: The Conquerors 1.0c, or the HD edition with LAN mode.
age2_x1.exeis allowed through Windows Firewall on Public networks.
Join the room first, launch the game second. Almost every "nobody can see my game" report comes from doing it the other way round — these games scan the network once, at startup.
Hosting a game
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Turn on DirectPlay in Windows
Open Control Panel › Programs › Turn Windows features on or off › Legacy Components and tick DirectPlay. Windows 10 and 11 ship with it off. Every player has to do this, not just the host.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-host1.jpg(16:9) -
Join the LanOrbit room, then start the game
DirectPlay enumerates adapters at launch. Starting the game first means it never sees the virtual one.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-host2.jpg(16:9) -
Create a multiplayer game
From the main menu choose Multiplayer, set your name, and pick Local Area Network (TCP/IP) as the connection type. Then Create.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-host3.jpg(16:9) -
Set the match and wait for the lobby to fill
Map, resources, population limit and game speed as usual. Everyone in the room sees the game in their list.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-host4.jpg(16:9)
Joining a game
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Confirm DirectPlay is enabled on your machine too
Same Windows feature as the host. Without it the game list is always empty and there is no error message to explain why.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-join1.jpg(16:9) -
Multiplayer, then Local Area Network (TCP/IP)
Enter your name and pick the same connection type as the host.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-join2.jpg(16:9) -
Pick the host’s game from the list
It appears with the host’s name. Click it, choose your civilisation and team, and wait for the host to start.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/aoe2-join3.jpg(16:9)
Troubleshooting
The game list is empty even though everyone is in the room
DirectPlay is not enabled, or age2_x1.exe is blocked by the firewall on Public networks. Fix both, then restart the game — not just the menu.
The game appears but joining times out
DirectPlay uses TCP 47624 for the initial handshake. Some antivirus suites block it silently. Add the game folder to the exclusion list.
Everything runs, but the match stutters for one player
AoE II is lockstep: the whole match runs at the pace of the slowest connection. Check that player’s ping in the room and consider a closer node.
FAQ
Does the HD or Definitive edition work?
HD works through its LAN mode. The Definitive Edition is online-only through Xbox Live, so a virtual LAN does not help there.
What is the process name?
The Conquerors is age2_x1.exe; the base Age of Kings is empires2.exe.
Do we all need the same expansion?
Yes. The Conquerors and the base game cannot see each other on a LAN.
Can we play with more than eight?
No, eight is the engine limit.
