Based on a small Visual Basic program I downloaded, I am using DirectX 7 with DirectPlay 4 to set up a chat program that can connect to a given host by typing in the IP address when the default connect routine asks for it (nothing fancy like selecting an IP address yet, not sure how I'll do that in VB). It connects fine, but the trouble I have is that if there are two machines on the same local LAN and a third is across the internet, one of the LAN machines can't reliably communicate with the internet machine. It doesn't always receive the System messages relevent to that machine (player joined, disconnected), and when it tries to send a guaranteed message, it freezes for a few seconds. Both LANS across the internet from each other are connected to the net via Linksys routers. Is this a common limitation of DirectPlay4, or is there a common workaround? Thanks for any advice. [Edited by - Waverider on June 15, 2005 8:51:56 AM]