We both were on the same lan network when trying to play LAN since the online failed like I said we could see eachothers games but was saying “unable to connect “ when we tried to join
I had a look on FW rules.
I did find an AOE DE rule for outbound, but this rule was not active even when I launched the game.
No inbound rule which is surprising when you create a lobby on LAN so you are supposed to be a LAN server.
Hope this helps.
What do you mean by “rule”?
This is the FW rule which is enabled
FW rules are strange but I tested with FW disabled on both PC and this does not help.
In fact there is one outbound rule for each account where AoEDE is installed. As I uninstalled then reinstalled I have these rules in “active” status on the PC where I have done that. On the other PC the rule was already “active”.
For non french reading people. Yellow panel says:
“It is a predefined rule where some properties can not be modified.”
About old Age1, I read that a rule for C:\windows\syswow64\dplaysvr.exe (Direct Play) which is not always automatically created could help. Don’t know if it changes anything for AoE DE.
@Danicela:
No firewall does not help ! Unclear and not activated rule seems another bug.
Another prerequisite should exist. Which one?
So still no fix yet lads , I’m tempted to ask for a refund and buy it off steam instead as that could help the situation , the only reason we both bought it and bought new laptops was so we could run the game and play eachother
We’re looking into this currently. It may be an issue with firewall access. Can you please check your firewall settings and make sure that both BattleServer.exe and AoEDE_s.exe are allowed?
To resolve this, you need to go into their Windows Firewall settings, press “Allow an app through the firewall”, locate “battleserver” in the list, press “Change Settings”, then enable the three tickboxes.
Let me know if this does/doesn’t help with the issue!
@JexBall: As in a FW protected LAN, we tried to disable Windows host FW. This does not help.
I’ll pass that info on. Thanks.
You should also attempt to whitelist vs disabling just to check. 
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@JexBall: see previous post, I first tried to enable AOEDE created rule then to allow both executables. Not better.
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Thank you for clarifying. For now, are you able to play multiplayer ok? Or is that down for you as well?
(Our devs are looking into the issue).
I just tried few seconds ago: I was able to join a lobby. I stopped before checking “ready”.
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Where can Aoede_s.exe and/or BattleServer.exe be found? I am unable to connect to a LAN game that I want to play with my daughter. Nothing appears in the lobby regardless of whether she or I create the game. I also tried disabling Firewall on both computers.
Check out the instructions for whitelisting here: https://www.ageofempires.com/support/aoe/#crash-after-launch
Windows Defender is not listed in “known AV with issues” !-)
As already written, disabling or whitelisting does not solve the problem.
Please note that *.exe are not readable when you want to add a FW rule.
Continuing the discussion from LAN play unavailable:
Same here since the last update to 28529. Before I was in 27xxx (do not remember the details) and I could play with my son LAN, which is not anymore the case today 
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Of course Internet is working from boths PC we are using and we both use the same AoE : DE version.
Also we could play together in LAN before the update.