Steam Deck REALLY doesn't want to use LanCache anymore!

[fmillion]

I've done all of the recommended tricks:

* set lancache.steamcontent.com to my LanCache server in /etc/hosts
* disable IPv6 everywhere I can (on the deck, on my router...)
* add a rule to my local DNS that forces *.steamcontent.com to resolve to my LanCache server, and block the Deck from accessing any DNS server other than my local DNS server
* even tried blocking some of the known IPs of steamcontent.com cache servers at the router

Since the latest update, my Steam Deck flat out refuses to use my LanCache. It simply ignores it. According to content_log.txt it's actually making HTTPS connections to the cache?-region.steamcontent.com servers (so even forcing all IPs for *.steamcontent.com to point to the LanCache server simply causes LanCache to forward the connections to Steam since that's what it does for HTTPS anyway given that it can't spoof HTTPS). There is no indication that it's looking for LanCache, like would normally be seen on Windows.

This is a step backward - I used to be able to get it to work by simply adding the IP of my cache server in /etc/hosts. Now even that's being ignored.

I'm led to believe that Valve, for some reason, doesn't want Steam Decks using LanCaches. It still works just fine everywhere else (on all my Windows PCs).

I'm about to get my new OLED Deck, and I'd like to not wait for hours to download games when they're all available on the LAN via my LanCache...

Anything else I can do?

[Thruthien]

I'm assuming you've also tried this in desktop mode, not just handheld?

I am also frustrated with the move to HTTPS for downloads, I have 3 gamers in my house with many of the same games, each of us with multiple devices. Having the Deck not use the cache is just annoying. But unless you and I are going to figure out how to spoof the HTTPS protocol to think our caches are Steam, and push that to monolithic, I don't know that we can do anything else. Frankly, I don't have a year of my life to devote to learning how to do that and implementing it. :-/

For your specific problem, if you have a computer, you can take the drives out of both decks and clone from one to the other on the PC (via usb to M.2 adapters might be easiest).