MSN Messenger on a Lan

[geekender]

Can you use MSN Messenger on a LAN without connecting to Microsoft? I have a small office I want to connect for chat only between offices and dont want a server on the internet. Is there a better way of doing this?

 

[phatcow]

i would like to know that too....

 

[kermalou]

^

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Since a primary part of the MSN Messenger software is the MSN passport, I believe it has to "check-in" with the microsoft servers. Surely there are other options in the way of Instant-Message Clients.

 

[Czar]

You can only do it if you have a msn server, which I'm not sure you can get, though I sortof remember it being awailable in the windows server line.

 

[jaggrey]

You could try using NetMeeting instead.

 

[dakata24]

id like to know if there's any instant messenging software that can be used on a lan

 

[geekender]

Am trying "LanChat" now. It is ok, kind of cheesy interface though.

 

[Tripleshot]

Use netmeeting. It will work in a lan. It is good with exchange server too if you are setting it up for your office. Check microsofts site on the how toos.

 

[joohang]

You can set it up with Exchange Server.

 

[Slugbait]

<< You can set it up with Exchange Server >>

By that, she means that you can set up Exchange Conferencing Server for NetMeeting...this allows you to to have multi-point A/V as well as multipoint app sharing/chat/whiteboard, etc. W2K Advanced Server will also allow you to create your own internal ILS server for NetMeeting for easy-squeezy connectivity. But the bottom line is that you *can* use the chat function in NM without having to access the Passport servers. Plus, even without ECS, NM allows more than six people at a time to communicate via the chat feature, app sharing...anything that is data-only (Messenger allows a max of six, I believe...)

 

[geekender]

There are only 3 computers on the lan....don't need something that big. [as exchange server I mean]

 

[jaggrey]

You can use NetMeeting without having to use Exchange Server.

Or you can use "net send computer name message" from the command prompt, but it would put up dialog boxes instead of a dedicated window for you to scroll. That'd be the harder way to do things. BTW that will only work if you have an NT-based machine.

 

[n0cmonkey]

jabber.

 

[WarmAndSCSI]

MSN Messenger uses HTTP to communicate with the Microsoft .NET Passport servers, so you cannot use your .NET account when you're not connected to the Internet. If you want to use the MSN Messenger interface to IM on a private LAN, you'll have to invest in Windows 2000 Server and Exchange 2000 Server to host the RVP IM service.