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Show HN: I built a(nother) house optimized for LAN parties

(lanparty.house)
1071 points kentonv | 3 comments | 16 Nov 24 15:52 UTC | HN request time: 0.638s | source

I wasn't quite sure if this qualified as "Show HN" given you can't really download it and try it out. However, dang said[0]:

> If it's hardware or something that's not so easy to try out over the internet, find a different way to show how it actually works—a video, for example, or a detailed post with photos.

Hopefully I did that?

Additionally, I've put code and a detailed guide for the netboot computer management setup on GitHub:

https://github.com/kentonv/lanparty

Anyway, if this shouldn't have been Show HN, I apologize!

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22336638

Show context
patrickhogan1 ◴[17 Nov 24 15:59 UTC] No.42164843[source]▶
This is amazing! I’ve been into LAN parties since the 90s but stopped going after the early 2000s, so seeing this brought back a ton of memories. The 2011 photos hit me with nostalgia—so much of it feels like the LAN parties I remember. The 2024 setup looks awesome too, though the vibe has clearly evolved. It’s incredible you’ve kept this tradition alive for 30 years! A photo series of your LAN parties over the decades would be fascinating.

Hack the planet!

replies(1): >>42164878 #
kentonv ◴[17 Nov 24 16:05 UTC] No.42164878[source]▶
I dug up an old video from 2003 and tweeted it: https://x.com/KentonVarda/status/1857991074708369788

But my parties go back to 1996, before we had digital cameras. I'm hoping my mother is able to dig up some really old photos from her storage and scan them...

replies(1): >>42166836 #
1. patrickhogan1 ◴[17 Nov 24 20:19 UTC] No.42166836[source]▶
Awesome!

Let me guess: the LCD monitor sitting at the comfy empty chair was yours. Meanwhile, your friends lugged their bulky CRT monitors to your house—nearly breaking the monitors in the process—and instead of being jealous, they insisted it was worth it for the superior color accuracy, contrast ratios, and refresh rates.

Also, shoutout to moms with camcorders and minivans—two things we were all embarrassed by back then but now fully appreciate for their superior practicality.

replies(1): >>42167161 #
2. kentonv ◴[17 Nov 24 20:56 UTC] No.42167161[source]▶
No, my chair was the one seen at the very end. (The first/last room in the video was my bedroom so I was sitting at my regular desk.)
replies(1): >>42167407 #
3. patrickhogan1 ◴[17 Nov 24 21:21 UTC] No.42167407[source]▶
Ah I see! Nice man. Great setup!