How to create a local network via WiFi for online gaming on Windows 10

Setting up a local network for co-op gaming is a task that often seems daunting due to the abundance of technical jargon and security settings. In the age of high-speed internet, many forget that local area network (LAN) ensures minimal signal latency between devices, which is critical for shooters and real-time strategy games. Windows 10 offers built-in tools for this, but their operation depends on the correct configuration of network hardware and firewall rules.

The main difficulty is that the operating system treats new connections as public by default, blocking your PC from being visible to other devices. To play online, you need to change the network profile to "Private" and ensure all computers are on the same subnet. This is a basic requirement; without it, data packets simply won't transfer between players.

In this article, we'll walk you through the full setup process: from checking your router settings to removing the game from your antivirus's block list. You'll learn how to properly configure the SMB and NetBIOS protocols, which are often responsible for discovering computers in the list of available hosts. Be prepared to restart the services several times, but the results are worth it.

Hardware and software requirements

Before you begin setting up, make sure your hardware meets the minimum requirements. For a comfortable gaming experience, wireless network It is critical to use the standard WiFi 5 (802.11ac) or newer, as older protocols may not provide the necessary throughput and ping stability. All computers must be connected to the same router, regardless of whether they use WiFi or Ethernet.

The operating system must be the latest version of Windows 10, as older builds (such as 1507 or 1607) may have network discovery mechanisms that work differently or require additional security updates. Also, ensure that all machines have the latest network adapter drivers installed, downloaded from the official website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer.

It's important to understand the difference between internet speed and local data transfer speed. Even if you don't have access to the global network, playing over a local network will work if your internal infrastructure is configured correctly. However, some modern games may still require periodic online license verification.

⚠️ Note: If one of your computers is connected via a guest WiFi network, it will not be able to see other devices. Make sure all players are connected to the router's primary SSID.

Setting up a network profile and discovery settings

The first step is to change your network profile. Windows 10 assigns the "Public" profile to new connections by default, which hides your PC from others. To fix this, click the WiFi icon in the system tray, select "Properties" for the active connection, and switch the profile to "Private"This action will allow the computer to become discoverable.

Next, you need to enable network discovery. Open Control Panel, go to Network and Sharing Center, and select Change advanced sharing settings. Under Private (current profile), enable Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing.

Don't forget to also enable the "Enable automatic configuration of network devices" feature. This will allow the system to automatically manage permissions for connected devices and consoles if you plan on cross-platform play. After making changes, be sure to click "Save Changes" or the settings will not be applied.

Sometimes the system may ignore profile changes if the discovery service isn't running. In this case, you'll need to manually check the services through the management console, but we'll discuss this in the next section.

Firewall and antivirus configuration

Windows Defender Firewall often blocks incoming connections needed to create a game room. To allow traffic, open Windows Security, go to Firewall & Network, and select Allow an app through firewall. Find your game or platform in the list (e.g., Steam, Epic Games) and make sure that the boxes for private networks are checked.

If you use a third-party antivirus (Kaspersky, ESET, Avast), it may have its own firewall that overrides Windows system settings. In this case, it's often easier to switch the antivirus to "Game" or "Trusted Network" mode while gaming, if the software developer offers this option.

For advanced users, we recommend creating a custom inbound rule. Open Firewall with Advanced Security, create a new port rule, and specify the specific port used by the game (e.g., 27015 for the Source engine). This is more secure than opening all ports at once.

⚠️ Important: When adding a game to your firewall exceptions, select the game's executable file (.exe), not the launcher's. The launcher and the game are separate processes with different network IDs.

After setting up the security rules, try launching the game and creating a server. If other players can't see it, try temporarily disabling the firewall completely for diagnostics. If the network works, the issue is with the packet filtering rules.

Managing Windows Network Services

Specific Windows services ensure that computers are visible on the local network. If your computers aren't visible in Network Neighborhood, check the service's status. Function Discovery Resource Publication. Click Win + R, enter services.msc and find this service in the list.

It may be disabled by default. Double-click it, select "Automatic" as the startup type, and click "Start." The same steps must be performed for the "Function Discovery Resource Publisher" service. Without it, the WS-Discovery protocol will not function correctly.

It's also worth paying attention to the Network Discovery service. Although it's often integrated into other processes in newer versions of Windows 10, its presence in the list of services may indicate the need to check dependencies. Restarting these services can sometimes resolve the issue of a host suddenly disappearing from the list of available games.