Hosting a Project Zomboid LAN Server with Hamachi [GUIDE]

[Loves2Spooge]

You'll find that no matter where you look, most explanations will require 'port fowarding' and all that nonsense. An alternative you can use is Hamachi. Note that Hamachi is used commonly for LAN (Local Area Network) or more basically, connecting computers to your computer via your WiFi network.

Let's start off by downloading Hamachi: https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx
Select 'Unmanaged' and agree to their terms and conditions.

Once downloaded, install it. When Hamachi has opened, select the power button on the top left hand corner and choose the name you want to be recognised by others i.e. Bluto-PC. After all that's done, you'll be given two options. 'Create a Network' or 'Join an Existing Network'. Seeing as you'll be the one hosting, we want to create a new network. Give it a name, a password (optional) and hit 'create'. You've now successfully created your own private network that will link your computer to any other computers that join your Hamachi network.

After that, head on over to your Project Zomboid directory (most commonly located in):
C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\ProjectZomboid

In order to get the server going, we want to select a .bat file called 'ProjectZomboidServer'. This will create the map and all the things neccessary to run the server. Let it do it's job until you see 'SERVER STARTED'. If you want to edit the server properties (PVP, Chat Options etc.), go ahead and close the server starter, if you don't want to then leave it on for now.

Only read this paragraph if you want to edit the server properties, if not then skip to the next one. We'll need to locate the second Project Zomboid directory which is most commonly found in: C:\Users\YourUsername\Project Zomboid
This directory is where all your save files are stored (just for the record). Once in, select the 'Server' folder which contains the 'serverOptions.ini' file. Open the .ini file with NotePad and change the settings as you please. For instance, if you wanted to disable PVP on the server you would PVP setting to 'false'. You can now restart the 'ProjectZomboidServer'.

Now that your very own server is up and going, we want to allow people to join. It would be useful to make your Hamachi network password protected to avoid any intruders you don't want in your server. Have your friend/player download Hamachi and install it exactly like you did, except they won't be creating the server this time, they'll be joining an existing network. Give them your server credentials i.e. Username: ProjectZomboidServer Password: 123
Once they hit 'connect', their computer and your computer will automatically be connected to each other. Here comes the easy part.

Start up Project Zomboid and select 'Join Server'. Give the server a name if you want and the rest of the optionals. What really matters now is the IP. Open up Hamachi and right above the name you give yourself will be a bunch of numbers with full stops seperating them i.e.
'xx.xx.xx.xx'. This will be the IP you use to connect to your server. It will also be the IP that all your friends/players use to connect to the server with. After that, hit 'connect' and everything from there should be pretty self explanatory.

I apologise for the long post - I'm writing it as if I were explaining it to someone who didn't have the faintest idea of how multiplayer worked in PZ. Hope this cleared things up for anyone wanting to play PZ solely for LAN.

If you've got any problems, feel free to drop a comment down below and I'll see what I can do :)

EDIT: I have posted this guide in the 'Guide's' section of PZ's community hub. This guide contains visuals to give you some extra help.

[Lastaul]

Very well explained! Appreciate the time you took on this! Though my friend and I are in the same Hamachi connection and I am able to join the server but my friend isn't as fortunate. We are using the default port thats already there and we are using the IP given by Hamachi just above the Network ID. Any ideas?

[Loves2Spooge]

Is your friend using his IP or your IP? If you are hosting the server, then he is going to want to connect using your IP.

[gusssta]

Hey Bluto, put this in the guide section. It will be more helpful. This topic may get lost in the discussion page. :)

[Loves2Spooge]

Will do Gusss, putting it on now :)

[Erre in Cabina]

Thanks Bluto :-)

[Lastaul]

I'm able to connect to the server using the numbers above the name Lastaul so I gave him thoughs numbers, didn't work. Just tried giving my IP to him so he could connect but doesnt seem to work. I'll see if theres anything on my end that is causing this.

[Drizzt]

Heard there are risks using Hamachi.

[U.S.A. Yakuza]

Hey buddy, good guide.

[Sora]

You forgot to explain the part about requiring a proper firewall due to hamachi putting both computers in a LAN with each other.. and without proper security hamachi is very dangerous for players to use because it does NOT stop 'players' from abusing vunerable windows services. You should use tunngle, or some other gaming VPN software that actually protects the local services from abuse or malcious users.

Port forwarding is far easier than using hamachi, and is far more secure, you arnt letting some random user into your virtual lan.. which is very vunerable by default on a windows machine.

[Carbon]

great guide. and hamachi is great for this and other games. normaly for local only games that are slowy a dieing breed. i never use it with randoms i guess is why ive never had a problme. but its let me play local with same cd keys over the net back in the day.... ah yer :)

[Skyblade]

Is there any way to change map on a hamachi server?

[Ultra]

Help please. Under the BETAS tab I do not have the option 'onlinetest'.
What did you guys do to get that? Did you do anything special, or did it just show up?

[Connall]

Pinned, since the amount of people who ask is quite high. Thanks for the guide. :)

[HellSnake]

Originally posted by ultrasquirl:

Help please. Under the BETAS tab I do not have the option 'onlinetest'.
What did you guys do to get that? Did you do anything special, or did it just show up?

You don't need that anymore, just start the game like you usually do :)

[tjh7]

So my friends and I were tired of pwning on our original server (Me hosting) And instead of deleting the server, one of the other friends hosted it. Now, everyone can connect, but me and one other person, getting the dreaded "I'll keep waiting forever" line. WAT.