We have been having a lot of Internet interruptions, so we thought we would play T2 in LAN multiplayer. The games would show up, but the JOIN button was missing. We have played in LAN before so we knew this wasn't a problem with our setups.

Looking at the logs (without Internet), I found out that T2 always checks to resolve the following host:

lobby.runicgames.com

This was the only difference. The way around this on Windows OS is to add an active/online IP address of a computer on your network to your local hosts file. I have DHCP/Static addresses on my system so this is easy for me, otherwise your addresses might change.

Usually it is located in the following directory:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

I don't know if using the localhost IP address (127.0.0.1) will work. Examples of how to add the local ip address is in the "hosts" file. You would add something like the following...

XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX lobby.runicgames.com

What you are trying to do is to fool T2 thinking it made its' check correctly, because it somehow also makes this a requirement for LAN play.

You will have to do this on every Windows OS machines you want to participate.

The JOIN button will now appear if your Internet is out.