How can I run Fighter Ace 2 (FS2002) multiplayer over a LAN instead of the old server?

Fighter Ace 2 on LAN (FS2002) – what’s realistically possible

Fighter Ace 2 is a bit of a special case. Even though it’s “bundled with” FS2002, it wasn’t built like the normal FS multiplayer where you can just pick “LAN session” and go. FA2 was designed around logging into the central Fighter Ace service, and a lot of the multiplayer logic (login/lobbies/session setup) lived on that server side. Once that service went away, there generally isn’t a clean “switch it to LAN” option you can enable in the sim.

So, in practical terms, unless somebody has written a replacement server/emulator (and I’m not aware of anything mainstream that’s stood the test of time), you’re usually stuck.

What I’d try anyway (quick sanity checks)
Before writing it off completely, I would still confirm whether it has any hidden “direct connect” type option.

1. On two machines, launch Fighter Ace 2 and look through every multiplayer menu for anything like “Direct IP”, “Host”, “Join”, or “TCP/IP”.
2. Temporarily disable Windows Firewall (or allow the program through) on both machines just for the test.
3. Make sure both PCs are on the same subnet and can ping each other by IP.

If there is no option anywhere to host/join directly, that’s typically the end of the road for LAN play.

If your goal is simple LAN combat/formation teaching

Since you already have FSX running well over the LAN, the path of least pain for a museum/classroom setting is often:

• Use the simulator that already does “host/join” on a local network reliably (FSX), and add simple military-style training scenarios around it (formation, intercept geometry, comms discipline, etc.).

If you specifically want “combat” with weapons/damage modeling, then yes—Combat Flight Simulator is the more natural fit than trying to resurrect FA2. Between the two you mentioned, CFS3 is typically what people move to for that era of Microsoft combat sim, simply because it’s self-contained and not dependent on a now-dead login service.

A couple of targeted questions so I don’t steer you wrong

1. Are you running the original FS2002 Deluxe discs (the ones that included Fighter Ace 2), and do you know what patch/version your FS2002 install is on?
2. When you click Multiplayer inside Fighter Ace 2 right now, what exactly happens (error message text, does it try to connect, does it just hang on a login screen, etc.)?
3. How many PCs are you trying to connect on the LAN, and what OS are they running (XP, Win7, Win10, etc.)?

If you can post the exact text of any error or the exact screen it gets stuck on, I can tell you pretty quickly whether there’s any workaround worth chasing, or if it’s definitely “server required, period.”