Winsock maybe?

[Shizzell]

Hey guys,

I'm in a situation here.

I'm not asking you to do this project for me, but i need some help.

I need a program that will do the following things:
Does not use the Mapi control.

Does not require the client typing in an ip. (I am on a dsl network that changes it ip frequently )

Sends text messages to me.

Gets the information to be, no matter how many people are using the program at the same time.

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I'm pretty sure i have to use a winsock, but, i cannot host a chat in winsock for some reason.

Shizzell

[rory]

why cant you use winsock, or are you asking how to do this with winsock?

For the IP thing if you have a router you can just get a Free DDNS account at something like www.DynDns.com, create a dynamic service name then enter that and the account login into the router, then you just use the DDNS name when you want to connect as the router updates the Ip to the DDNS name when the IP changes.

[Shizzell]

Yes I can use a winsock control, but i don't know how to use it without the client typing in an ip. Does it work the same if i use a web address (DDNS)instead of an ip? Also, aren't winsocks usually used for just 1 to 1 chatting? I need probably 4 clients at a time talking at the same time. I would need some help with that also. I also can't seem to host a winsock server, but i can connect to a client. It probably has something to do with my router. But i have port forwarded all the ports i'm using?

And how would i do whatever you did up above?

Thanks,
I seem to be getting this now.

[Al42]

I also can't seem to host a winsock server, but i can connect to a client. It probably has something to do with my router. But i have port forwarded all the ports i'm using?

How you have to set that up depends on the router but, as a general rule, use a static internal IP on the computer you're forwarding ports to. It'll work with routers that forward to leased addresses but using a leased address won't work with routers that don't forward to leased addresses.

Also, you can have only a single device doing network address translation if you want to forward ports, so if your modem is doing it and your router is doing it, you have to emasculate one of them. Either run the modem in bridge mode (call your provider to set that up) or use the router as a hub (turn off DHCP and make ALL connections to LAN ports).

The Winsock and INet controls work for any resolved or resolvable address (IOW, dotted or canonical). (And you can use a DynDNS service whether you use a router or not.)