I am very much a novice, but I am comfortable with my knowledge in computers to have hooked 2 computers at home together through networking wire. Our internet connection is still 56k, and therefore we run the internet through my computer, acting as the server. Now my question is, is there any possible way I can use a messenger program, i.e. msn messenger or AIM, when we are offline, to comminucate between our two computers. If I can do this, please explain how.
DK,
Most IM programs require communication between a client computer and a
(centralised) messenger server, for text communication with a second client
computer. Some IM programs setup direct communication between two client
computers for audio and / or video, but this makes communication behind a NAT
router (or ICS router) more complex, as the program has to be NAT aware.
Microsoft has created an IM infrastructure for MSN / Windows Messenger that
supports the use of local IM servers, for use in enterprise networks behind
firewalls. Theoretically, you could install a local IM server on your LAN, but
that might require more resources, a different operating system, etc, than what
you currently have.
For articles about the Microsoft IM server infrastructure, try this list:
<
http://search.microsoft.com/search/...w=en-us&qu=Session+Initiating+Protocol+server>
If you are, however, simply looking for a quick text-based communication between
two computers on a LAN, why not try the Net Send command, run from a command
prompt window? That is, assuming that you haven't Shot The Messenger
<
http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm>.
There is a gui version of the Net Send command. I haven't used it, so I can't
recall the name. %-)
And DK, please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address
mining viruses. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a
bit safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the
internet - never post your address unmunged.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm
Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.
