Hamachi is a popular VPN desktop app and is the first of its kind. Originally it was freeware. The remote desktop service providers LogMeIn has taken it up and then developed and made it available to the world at large. In this article, we will check out the best Hamachi Alternatives for VLAN gaming.
With the idea to connect multiple players locally and without the internet, many PC games are developed and designed. These games perform by just connecting the LAN router to each system and play by selecting any multiplayer game from the huge collection. But when the distance persists, then playing online is the only option. Creating your own router is tedious and so normally not preferred. Therefore the need for Virtual LAN creators.
Thus Hamachi is a VPN service that is hosted. It ensures secured extended LAN networks for gamer friends, mobile workers, or distributed teams quickly and efficiently.
Features of Hamachi
- On-demand networking
- Centralized software deployment
- Manage and restore networks
- Unattended access
- Gateway virtual networking
- Hub and spoke virtual networking
- Mesh networking
- Encrypted communications
- Centralized access controls
- Client or Network configuration management
- Easy to set up and manage
Top 17 Hamachi Alternatives
Hamachi has been the most preferred and popular selection for most gamers. However, it too has its drawbacks. Being a free account Virtual LAN can add only 5 members at a time. There are latency and lag spikes as well.
Some of the effective and better alternatives of Hamachi are as follows:
1. Zero Tier
Zero Tier being a perfect alternative to Hamachi, is believed to be one of the best for creating its own virtual LAN. Zero Tier supports almost all the operating systems that include Linux, Android, iOS, macOS, Windows. This is free for iOS and Android devices and is an open-source application. The software is capable enough to deliver through a single system the potential of SD-WAN, SDN, VPN, etc. This software is very simple to use and also it does not require any kind of port forwarding. A lot of community support is available with the app and moreover with the advanced plan. Zero tiers is an advanced virtual LAN yet very simple to use. The features such as easier user interface, lower ping and best performance for gaming, and other VLAN features make this software a highly recommended one
2. Play Hide VPN
Play Hide VPN is software that is based on Open VPN technology. It does not require any kind of port forwarding. The unique feature of this software is that there is no requirement for any dedicated account to initiate the working. The application is straightforward and lightweight. Play Hide VPN ensures to prompt the user to disable the SMB feature so that the security of the user is not compromised. Play hide is again an open-source app. The source code can be checked and monitored on the app on GitHub.
3. Game Ranger
Game Ranger is believed to be the most trustworthy LAN gaming solution. The stability and security that the Game Ranger offers are just the most effective and magnificent. Other Virtual LAN gaming clients emulates LAN gaming through several drivers. However, Game ranger performs internally through its clients. This is the reason this software has the highest security and lowest possible pings
Hamachi supports almost every LAN game over the internet, however, the Game ranger has a specific list that includes few games that are supported by the software. The reason behind this is that every game that is supported by the software is required to be added to the client of the game ranger. This software is most recommended for such gamers who are looking for a simple alternative
4. Net Over Net
Net Over Net is very good for hosting such gaming sessions which are private. The tool is very powerful and simple and connects a lot of multiple devices. The devices are connected through the internet. Net Over Net is not prominent gaming but is a VPN emulator. However, this can be used for gaming purposes also.
Every device that is connected and is accessed through a virtual network has an individual log-in Id and password and an IP address. Though this software is not designed with the intention of gaming, the performance of gaming is considerable.
The computers which are in the virtual network are directly accessed and therefore the client has an added advantage of sharing data on all the systems. Sixteen clients can be added to the advanced payment plan. Though this is not a very good option for public sharing but works efficiently for gaming sessions on a private LAN
5. Wippien
When the gamer prefers simplicity and does not prefer installing huge and unnecessary bloat, Wippien is the best alternative. For establishing VPN and P2P connections, the WeOnlyDo VPN component of this software is used. The application is an open-source app and entirely free. The app supports Jabber accounts or Gmail
Any game that uses a local network and multiplayer gaming perform well with this app. This software is the lightest ever VPN with only 2 MB and yet works diligently
6. Parsec
Parsec is popular to bring a U-turn in the gaming experience. Along with Arcade gaming, with its local co-op feature, this software assists in creating virtual LAN gaming servers
NAT traversals technology is used for peer-to-peer connection for optimally connecting several computers on the internet. With the lowest lag, Parsec allows the user to play games globally. With the use of proprietary technology, the users can play games across a number of devices at 60 FPS.
Unlike Hamachi this software does not have any latency problems. One can easily play games anywhere in the world and with anyone
7. Free LAN
A very simple yet highly popular application, the generic VPN creator for creating a private Virtual network is Free LAN. This is a complete open source app and probes several topologies such as hybrid, peer to peer, client-server, etc
All these combinations can be adjusted and molded according to the requirements and preferences. The software does not support GUI and whenever running the application is required, the free LAN configuration file should be manually configured.
The customer care support is very flexible and always available. The gaming experience is fabulous with this app as there are no constant ping spikes and lag.
8. Soft Ether
Soft Ether is an abbreviation for Software Ethernet. It is believed to be a very powerful VPN software yet a very simple to use multi-protocol. This VPN solution supports Solaris, FreeBSD, Mac, Linux, Windows. Soft Ether is an open-source app and has innumerable features and is a highly flexible application.
SSL VPN tunneling on HTTPS is used by this software for NAT’s and firewalls. The software is highly secured and does not invade your privacy as it uses RSA 4096 bit encryptions and AES 256 bit encryptions. Soft Ether can be defined as a free jam-packed VPN solution
9. Radmin VPN
One of the fabulous software for creating virtual VPN, Radmin VPN does not have any limit to the number of gamers. The high speed of the software lets you play the games undisturbed and uninterrupted as if playing on LAN. The secure VPN tunnel service and the speed of around 100 Mbps are the major attractions of the application
The connection through this VPN is safe, encrypted, and private. The software is very simple to install and highly easy to set up and manage for the IT pros as well as home techs. This is one more on the list of free software.
10. P2PVPN
The unique aspect of this software is that it has been developed by a single developer for its thesis. With basic features and a simple interface, creating VPN is tremendous with P2P VPN. It does not require any kind of central server and can be effectively used by end-users. This is again an open-source application and free to use. The entire software is written in Java which facilitates in supporting even the older versions. For basic users, who wish to play Counter-Strike 1.6 or any other old school game, this software is highly recommended
11. Port Forwarding
Port Forwarding is the most popular way to simulate virtual LAN in the case of multi-player gaming. Sometimes it does become tedious, but most of the manufacturers do provide solutions within the firmware for port forwarding. However, the method changes from router to router. The popular process adopted is browsing the router’s setting through 192.168.1.1/2 and then jumping to port forwarding
This application is not preferred sometimes as it requires port forwarding for each game separately. This application has a very high speed and also unlimited users can be connected on Virtual LAN to the system preferred.
12. Play Together
This is another unique platform that allows the user to focus only on playing games rather than other methods such as port forwarding, etc. This application makes you create your own server remotely and that too free of charge. The game can be password protected for high security and can be accessed only by those who have the password
With no additional charges, around 25 servers can be hosted in a single region. The entire setup process is very simple and easy to set up and manage.
14. Neo Router
This VPN arrangement does not require any kind of setup. It can oversee and create both public and private servers through the internet. The protection and security are very high with Neo Router. The unique feature about this software is that it unblocks unlimited websites through VPN server overriding the Ip address
Firmware, Android, FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X/iOS, Windows are all supported by Neo Router. The encryption of Neo Router is as strong as those of the Banks. Secure interchange through 256 piece SSL encryption is possible on private as well as open systems
15. Remobo
Instant Private Network that is IPN is created between users through Remobo. Similar to chat clients it is very simple to add and remove users in this software. Playing games has an altogether different experience with Remobo as it requires no configuration virtually. The configuration method is very simple with just a few instructions. The settings get configured automatically with the device connection and settings details
With a specific process, the account is created and every user has a username and password. With the completion of registration, the users enter into a fabulous world of Gaming with better pinging time than Hamachi and other alternatives
16. Shrew Soft VPN Client
A highly lightweight application yet with huge elements to lure the users, the Shrew Soft VPN client is believed to be one of the best VPN for the gaming experience. It provides a lot of advanced features such as automatic client configuration, Hybrid XAuth, Dead Peer Detection, Packet pre Fragmentation, IKE Fragmentation, Nat Traversal, Split DNS, Split Tunneling, etc
This software connects to the existing VPN server be it, big titans like Juniper or Cisco or the smaller ones such as Cisco’s Linksys. This software is highly preferred when the users have an already existing VPN server
17. Comodo Unite
A virtual private network is created very easily for some number of computers through Comodo unite. The application and files can be shared through an encrypted connection. Desktops, applications, and files are subtle to share on private and secure networks. Instant messaging allows the users to communicate and also team up online. For creating virtual networks on Comodo Unite, users have to create and register an account. The data transfer on Comodo unite is safe and secured and is transferred through 128 bit SSL encryption
Conclusion: The Best Hamachi Alternatives
Hamachi has a wide user base in the world of virtual gaming. The only demerit being the limitation in the number of members and that has made people especially gamers to search for alternatives around. The alternatives have been mostly preferred due to their multiplayer capability that makes the gaming experience more adventurous and fun.