Real-Time LAN Quiz Buzzer System Walkthrough

I have successfully finished building the complete LAN-based quiz buzzer system matching the ICPC Amrita styling.

What was built

1. Node.js + Socket.IO Backend: Fully real-time state management server handling connected users, the game lock logic, the question/timer broadcasts, and evaluations.
2. Participant Client UI: A dark-mode competitive programming-style dashboard allowing users to:
   • Login with a username.
   • View the active question and server-authoritative timer.
   • Access the First-to-click buzzer.
   • If they win the buzz, answer via the answer box.
   • Follow the global leaderboard.
3. Admin Control Panel: An interface for event coordinators to:
   • Push new questions dynamically to all clients.
   • Manage the round timer (start/stop triggers).
   • Evaluate answered questions (+10 Correct, 0 Wrong, -5 Penalty).
   • Monitor the current winner and leaderboard.
4. ICPC-Style Theme: Custom CSS featuring #0f172a backgrounds, #1e293b cards, blue #3b82f6 glowing buttons, and pulsing animations for the active buzzer lock.

Validation Results

We performed an automated browser test to verify the functionality of both the Client and Admin UIs.

How to use:

You can visit the created system at /home/p1ll3chan/Documents/Projects/Quiz_Sem. The system is currently running on http://localhost:3000.

• Admin: http://localhost:3000/admin.html
• Users: http://localhost:3000/client.html

You can simply stop the server and later restart it using npm start in the Quiz_Sem directory.

Here are the exact commands:

# 1. Navigate to the project directory
cd /home/p1ll3chan/Documents/Projects/Quiz_Sem

# 2. Start the server
npm start