LAN Messenger

Getting in touch with friends or colleagues connected to the same local network can be done in several ways, but perhaps the simplest is through a dedicated messenger. There are many tools of this kind out there and in case you don't want to use the Internet connection, like it is required with some of the chat tools you are familiar with, a utility like LAN Messenger is definitely what you need.

Especially tailored for use on a local network, this program allows peers to communicate through written messages, exchange files and more. The interface is quite simple and easy to use, so there should be no problems in getting along well with this application, not even for beginners.

LAN Messenger will display in its main window all the online users, so anyone can easily choose the contact with which to start a conversation. If you just want to send a file to someone, simply right-click its screen name and choose the appropriate command from the menu that appears.

The same context menu can be used to retrieve information about a certain user and view details like the IP address, the current status, the host name and even the version of LAN Messenger that person is using.

While in a conversation, users have the possibility to use chat sounds, customize the background color and the font. It is also possible to set the program to remain in focus to avoid other applications from getting on top of LAN Messenger's window.

Thanks to a well-thought feature set that is not overwhelming or too basic, this utility is quite suitable for network use among many peers. The ease of use further adds value to the package and only the austere interface can be seen as somewhat of a drawback for LAN Messenger.