Too weird ... Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but on top of the fact that you need to connected online at all times while playing, Command & Conquer 4 won't have LAN or dedicated server support.
The reason being, as lead designer Sam Bass put it, is because of the global player progression system. This system is "across single-player, multiplayer and skirmish and all the information is stored in a server. So if you go to another machine -- friend
