Play Counter-Strike 1.6 over LAN online
Counter-Strike 1.6 finds LAN servers by broadcasting on the local subnet. Once everyone is in the same LanOrbit room, that broadcast reaches all of you, and the host shows up in the LAN tab of the server browser like it is 2003 again.
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: Steam build 1.1.2.7 / non-Steam 1.6 with the same patch on every machine.
hl.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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Launch the game and open Create Server
From the main menu choose New Game. Pick the map, the number of slots and set LAN game rather than internet. Leave the port at 27015 unless you know why you are changing it.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-host1.jpg(16:9) -
Turn off the internet server list
In the server settings set
sv_lan 1. This stops the game from trying to register with master servers, which is what usually makes a host take thirty seconds to appear.Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-host2.jpg(16:9) -
Start the server and check the console
Open the console with
~and typestatus. The IP shown should start with 10.60. — that is the LanOrbit adapter. If it shows 192.168.x.x, the game bound to the wrong adapter; see troubleshooting.Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-host3.jpg(16:9) -
Tell the room the server is up
Everyone in the LanOrbit room can now see it. There is no address to type out, but if someone has trouble, your 10.60 address from
statusworks withconnect.Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-host4.jpg(16:9)
Joining a game
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Join the LanOrbit room first, then launch the game
The server browser scans the network once when it opens. If you launch Counter-Strike before joining the room, you will see an empty list.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-join1.jpg(16:9) -
Open the LAN tab
From the main menu go to Find Servers and switch to the LAN tab. Press refresh once. The host should appear within a couple of seconds.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-join2.jpg(16:9) -
Connect
Double click the server. If it asks for a password, that is the room owner’s server password, not the LanOrbit room password — they are two different things.
Screenshot slot — drop yours atassets/img/guides/cs16-join3.jpg(16:9)
Troubleshooting
The LAN tab stays empty
Nine times out of ten this is Windows Firewall blocking hl.exe on Public networks. Allow it for both Public and Private, then refresh the list again. Also check that everyone runs the same patch — a 1.6 client will not see a Condition Zero server.
The server binds to the wrong network
Add -ip 10.60.0.1 to the game launch options, replacing the address with the one LanOrbit shows for your machine. This forces the server onto the virtual adapter.
High ping only for one player
Their route is the problem, not the host. Ask them to check the ping shown in the LanOrbit room. If it is far above what the app predicted, switching node in settings usually fixes it.
FAQ
What is the Counter-Strike 1.6 process name?
It is hl.exe, in the game folder. That is the executable to allow through the firewall.
Does this work with the non-Steam version?
Yes. LAN discovery is identical. Everyone still needs the same patch level.
Can we run a dedicated server instead?
Yes — hlds.exe works the same way. Start it with -ip pointed at your 10.60 address and everyone in the room will see it.
Do bots work?
Yes, and they cost the host nothing on the network. They run on the host machine.
