Fortunately I saved it in case I ever needed to use it again:
"Model 2 arcade machines connect and communicate in a Token Ring network. The emulator continues this process by using a newly created m2network.ini file (by you) that stores the network configuration. There will be 3 entries in this file and are explained below:
RxPort - The port the emulator will listen and receive data packets through (last machine’s NextPort).
NextIP - The IP address of the machine the emulator will send data packets to.
NextPort - The port the emulator will send the data packets to (next machine’s RxPort).
This emulates a Token Ring topology where the first machine sends data to the 2nd, the 2nd sends data to the 3rd and so forth, and then the final machine sends its data back to the first machine. Keep in mind, depending on the game you wish to link range from 2 – 8 player support.
One PC, one instance [single-player with multiplayer features]
Games supported: Daytona USA (all but ’93 edition), Sega Rally Championship, ManxTT Superbike.
Firstly, you will need to create a new file in your emulator’s directory (where the emulator.ini file is situated) called m2network.ini. Then paste the following text into the file.
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=127.0.0.1
NextPort=1978
Save and close the file. When you load the game, press F2 to enter the test mode, navigate to the game system settings by pressing F1, F2 again to enter, and then set your LINK ID to MASTER. Exit the test mode and let the game start. Please note that some games do not specify the master cabinet as master, but are classed as Car 1.
One PC, multiple instances
Although it is impossible to actively play a 2 (or more) player game on one PC, you can emulate a multiplayer setup. To do this you will need to make a copy of your emulator’s directory into another (including the ROM), and then alter the m2network.ini file for each.
Example:
You have created 2 directories.
1. C:\m2emulator1
M2network.ini file reads…
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=127.0.0.1
NextPort=1979
2. C:\m2emulator2
M2network.ini file reads…
[Network]
RxPort=1979
NextIP=127.0.0.1
NextPort=1978
Ensure that one emulator has set the game’s LINK ID to MASTER and the other to SLAVE. Remember to change your car number, although it is not essential.
Multiplayer over LAN
To successfully set up a multiplayer game over a local area network (LAN), each PC will need to have a copy of the emulator’s directory and ROM. One PC will need to set the LINK ID to MASTER in the game system settings, and the remainder to SLAVE. The trickiest part is setting up the m2network.ini files for each PC, although it is not difficult.
Example:
2 player game setup
1. First PC (IP: 192.168.1.146 example only)
M2network.ini file reads…
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.147
NextPort=1978
2. Second PC (IP: 192.168.1.147 example only)
M2network.ini file reads…
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.146
NextPort=1978
When using multiple PCs to emulate a multiplayer game over a LAN, it is safe to use the same port number throughout, as long as the port chosen is not in use by any other application or service running on your computer. If you wanted to set up a multiplayer game with more than 2 PCs, you would follow the “token ring” topology as stated below.
Example:
8 player game setup
1. First PC (IP: 192.168.1.146 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.147
NextPort=1978
2. Second PC (IP: 192.168.1.147 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.148
NextPort=1978
3. Third PC (IP: 192.168.1.148 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.149
NextPort=1978
4. Fourth PC (IP: 192.168.1.149 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.150
NextPort=1978
5. Fifth PC (IP: 192.168.1.150 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.151
NextPort=1978
6. Sixth PC (IP: 192.168.1.151 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.152
NextPort=1978
7. Seventh PC (IP: 192.168.1.152 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.153
NextPort=1978
8. Eighth PC (IP: 192.168.1.153 example only)
[Network]
RxPort=1978
NextIP=192.168.1.146
NextPort=1978
After you have set the above, ensure only one PC has the LINK ID set to MASTER in the game system settings within the Daytona USA test menu, and the remainder PCs’ LINK ID as SLAVE.l"
written by lucisac