On site
Venue / Setup
Most garage and hall LANs fail for the same reasons: too many plugs on one circuit, no spare cable, and a mystery tower with no name on it.
Check-in and seats
- Arrive in the window the host posted. Early can be as rude as late if they are still running cable.
- Sit where you are pointed. Do not claim a wall outlet that was staged for someone else.
- Keep bags and cases out of aisles so people can get to power and the door.
Power
- Hosts plan circuits for a seat count. Extra monitors and mini-fridges blow that plan.
- Do not daisy-chain power strips. Ask before you add a strip at all.
- If a circuit dies, unplug and tell the host. Do not keep flipping the breaker.
Network
- Expect wired play. Bring your own Ethernet cable.
- Wi-Fi, if it exists, is usually for phones, not game downloads.
- Do not stand up a rogue AP, DHCP server, or “helpful” switch without the host.
Hardware and food
- Label everything you care about getting back.
- Food and drink are the host’s call. Assume closed containers until they say otherwise.
- Pack out your trash and cable ties. Leave the table better than you found it.
