Whenever we hear the word “virtual private network online” ( VPN ), the first name that comes in the mind of gamers is Hamachi.Thousands of gamers all over the world are using this network adapter to play the games, with their buddies in versus as well as cooperative modes.
Hamachi however is not reduced to gaming only as it can be configured in different ways and one can make it work for sharing purposes too, but there are many gamers out there who have problems while dealing with Hamachi and are actually annoyed (I am not one of them) by it.
So I thought of searching other utilities who can do the same function as of hamachi.My search lead me to these softwares that can be useful for establishing the virtual networks and sharing purposes.
Here is the short list of VPN softwares “Hamachi Alternatives” checked by myself:
1. Leaf Network
2. Remobo
3. Wippien
4. Tunngle
5. Neo Router
6. N2n
7. P2pvpn
8. Gbridge
Note:This is not the ultimate list and the updates are expected later as we find more softwares like this and more importantly I have tested all these softwares on fifa 09 and left4dead.
Now lets have a look at the capabilities of these “Zero Configuration” VPN utilities:
Leaf Network
The most interesting feature of Leaf is that one can make network of Xbox and Xbox 360 through this network adapter. It is very simple to use and no complex configurations are required to make it work.
After testing I found it lag less for PC gaming. You can also share your files with the same method as you do in the LAN sharing. It is also safe to use regarding the security issues.
Remobo
Remobo is another virtual network adapter that establishes an instant network among the users with zero configuration required. Just download the software, register and start sharing.It’s fast, simple and secure to use and comes with the following features.
-> Remote control over other computers through this one.
-> File transfer and sharing.
-> All the LAN games can be played through it.
-> Access to files and data of connected computers.
-> Virtually any 3rd party application on top of Remobo.
Wippien
It’s another useful software in which users are connected to each other through peer to peer (P2P) connectivity. Wippien is also an instant messaging client that also allow users to voice chat with each other while playing games. To be honest there was some lag while we used it’s both features simultaneously (on 2mbps). It might work better if you have bandwidth more than that obviously here I am limited to that connection and my observations dependent on that. It is simple to use software with no complex configurations required. Overall it can be a useful software for creating VPN and sharing purposes and it’s free.
Tunngle
This software is in its beta phase and currently we don’t have its English translation. But they are working on it and soon we shall have it translated. This software to me has all the potential to dominate all other network clients built for gaming. No troubleshooting, no configuration fuss. Just make an Id and enter any game lobby (almost all the famous games are included and they are updating the list regularly) and start playing.
If you have issues due to language not being English, watch this Tunngle Language Walkthrough to guide you.Isn’t that simple? there might be some bugs need fixing as I already mentioned before that it has no final release yet.
Neo Router
Among all the VPN softwares we have talked about, this one is a bit tricky to use. Actually it has not been designed primarily for the gaming but can be used to do so. It is basically to manage small office network where one has to back up data securely. So by using neorouter one can connect to the network computers while sitting in any part of the world.They have also a community (forums) where they solve problems regarding the configuration and usage of neo router.
It can also be used in the portable versions. NeoRouter Free Portable is a portable version of the NeoRouter Network Explorer. You can directly run it from website, USB flash drive, iPod or any other portable device without installation and when you quit from the application, none of your personal data is left behind.
N2n
This software uses layer- two peer to peer connectivity to function. If you are not aware of the networking details, I will prefer you don’t get confused with what they have written on the front page of their website. Actually it’s a bit complex explanation of the software. There is a guide on gamespot which can surely help you establishing a network via n2n; How to Setup N2n VPN.
To me this software can be a useful one if you are able to run it perfectly, and you will have lag free gaming experience.
P2pvpn
Its another software with function to establish VPN and sharing data. Actually it’s a thesis project of the person who designed it.Now the software after almost 6 to 8 months of testing is in its most stable stages.
I will rate this software same as Remobo mentioned above.You just need simply to download this, create a network, invite your buddies and enjoy gaming.
Gbridge
This software is actually an extension of Google’s Gtalk with almost all the functions present in Gtalk with some new additions.
Primarily it can be used for:
-> Desktop sharing
-> Auto synchronization of folders
-> Backup purposes
You can invite all your Gmail buddies to this one and start sharing as it uses the gamil account.Regarding the file sharing, bridge is a descent software considering its efficiency.
That is the list which I have currently found and experimented upon successfully. All these clients have almost similar functions with a slight difference in performance. If you are tired of Hamachi then I will suggest you trying these softwares and tell us your views about them. I shall be updating the list as I find more of these useful clients.
U and ur experiments make KONOHA suffer…u four-eyed person
4 eyed freak :O
Don’t listen to those idiots. Thank you for this writeup! Most of these i had never heard of before.
Thank You!
Very useful/The best/only list of Zero config VPN solutions i’ve found.
Thank you!
First thanx to the writeup, helped me sorting out some software that I haven’t known before.
I would suggest that you add some info that is important to judge the usefullness of the solution.
For example it’s very important to know if the solution needs a central server and if needed, one is able to setup its own.
For SocialVPN I know that only a jabber account is necessary which means I can run my own server( as I’m doing already, works perfect together with google talk ).
Regards Marc