There are many online instant messengers that let you chat and share files between users. However, when you are in an office or a school environment, there will be many restrictions on how and when you can access the Internet. In fact, those restrictions are needed to maintain the security of the network and the establishment itself. In those conditions you can use a simple software like Softros LAN Messenger that lets you converse and share files securely and privately.
Why Not Use Regular Online Messengers?
The regular messengers need an active Internet connection to work and are a pretty good choice for general purposes. However, when it comes to the environments like schools and organizations, you cannot allow the communication between your users to go outside. Not to mention, when you are using public instant messengers, you are trusting your data with a third party. In the event of hack attacks or leaks, there will be no way for you to know what data and how much data has been leaked to the outside world. To deal with this issue, you can use the Softros LAN Messenger. This simple software uses the local area network in your organization to send and receive messages between users within the organization. In fact, any and all communications done with Softros will stay within your system and will never go through the Internet.
Features of Softros LAN Messenger
Serverless Architecture: Though Softros LAN Messenger works within the local network of your office or school, you don’t have to set up and maintain a messaging server. Being a standalone peer-to-peer based application, it just works. Even when a user is offline, you can send messages, and the user will receive them as soon as they are online. Encrypts All Communication and Data: Softros LAN Messenger encrypts all your communication and other data like file transfers with the AES-256 encryption algorithm. Individual and Group Conversations: Obviously, you can chat and exchange information with individual users. If you want to, you can invite other users for group conversations. Moreover, you can also create groups and add or remove users from them. Message Broadcasting: Using the broadcasting feature in Softros LAN Messenger, you can send messages to all the groups or individual users at once. This feature is especially useful when you want to send a common message to all or multiple users in your organization. File Transfer Between Users: Besides sending and receiving text messages, you can also transfer files between users. All you have to do is drag and drop the file in the chat window, and it will be transferred. Remote Desktop Sharing: This is one of the best features of Softros LAN Messenger. With a single click or two, you can either use the remote desktop to access another user’s system, or you can request the other user to come and assist you. Support for Domain and Active Directory: Softros LAN Messenger perfectly supports Domain and Active Directory. In fact, the names you see in the user list are the full names retrieved from the Active Directory, and the respective SIDs (Security Identifier) are used to identify users. Selectively Restrict Features: Softros LAN Messenger gives administrators greater control and lets them selectively restrict most of the features. For instance, you can restrict file sharing, remote assistance, group management, etc. The good thing is Softros has a pretty good online guide where you can learn how to restrict features. Multi-Platform Support: Softros LAN Messenger supports multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, and Android.
Installation and Usage
Note: for this demonstration, I’m using the Windows version. However, you can follow the same procedure to use the Mac version. Installing and using Softros LAN Messenger is pretty easy and straightforward. To start, download the software, and install it like any other Windows software.
Once installed, launch it from the Start menu. Softros LAN Messenger automatically displays all the users on your network as long as the software is installed on the other systems and they are connected to the LAN network.
To start a chat session, click on the username in the main window, and the chat window will be opened. Here, you can type your message and click the Send button.
As soon as you click on the button, the message will be delivered instantly. You can invite other users for group conversations by clicking on the “Invite” button appearing in the chat window.
To transfer files, simply drag and drop the file into the chat window. By default, the target user has to accept the file to receive it. Click on the “Accept” link to receive the file. If you don’t want to receive the file, click on the “Cancel” link, and the file transfer will be canceled.
Once downloaded, click on “Open Folder” to locate the downloaded file.
As I said before, Softros LAN Messenger has the Remote Desktop feature. To open a remote session, open the chat window of the specific user, and then select the option “Remote into the User’s Computer.” Note: to request the other user to open a remote session into your machine, you need to select the option “Request Remote Assistance from the User.”
Now, enter the username and password of the target machine and click on the “Ok” button.
If the Windows login credentials are correct, you will see the active remote desktop session.
To manage users into groups, right-click in the main window and then select the option “Add New Group.”
Now, name the group. After creating the Group, you can drag and drop the users into that group to better manage them.
If you want the user to be in multiple groups, then right-click on the user, select the option “Duplicate user to” and then select the group you want the user duplicated to.
To broadcast a message to multiple users or groups, right-click on the main window and then select the option “Send Broadcast Message.”
Now, select the users or groups on the right panel, type you message and then click on the “Send” button. Unfortunately, you cannot use this feature to transfer files.
Conclusion
All in all, if you are running an organization, then using Softros LAN Messenger for your intra-office communication is a good idea. Considering how the software doesn’t need an active Internet connection and the communication stays within your network and systems, give it try and see if it meets your needs. Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using Softros LAN Messenger and how useful it is to you. Softros LAN Messenger
