Network Messaging

[sdss]

Hi All!

 

Im looking into a way to send messages to all users which are logged in to our Network so that a pop-up window appears displaying the message We have a windows 2003 domain with w2k and XP clients. I know about the Windows messaging service, which is disabled on most of the clients. I would prefer a more secure messaging solution where messages can be sent from certain users/workstations.

 

If anyone has got any ideas, it would be great to hear them

 

SDSS

[Geoff]

If you want a full blown IM solution. I'd suggest you look at Jabber.

If you don't. NET SEND is the way to go.

[MkII]

For what purpose?

 

You could do it in a login script...

[ChrisC]

Net send is fuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnn!!!!!!

 

I'm a big fan of old school dos-age!

 

Chris

[StewartKnight]

I haven't been able to get net send to work since we upgraded to XP!

[ChrisH]

I haven't been able to get net send to work since we upgraded to XP!

 

I think its turned off by default in SP2?

[Michael]

Yes it was turned off in SP2, however you can re-enable it very easily!

 

2000 SP4, XP Gold and XP SP1 all have the messenger service switched on by default. I'm unsure whether it's enabled or disabled in Server 2003, but I am guessing (more than likely) it would be turned off.

 

It was fun in the past being able to send April Fool jokes by net send

 

I remember at college they used Pegasus Mail. Not sure how good it is, but it did have the ability to send IM to users or groups on the network.

[krisd32]

in ad select the users gp and then login scripts etc.. then put a link to a java script file this will produce a nice little message for them once logged in. mine recently told them that they were getting all their music deleted.

[krisd32]

i'll have a look for the thread and post it up!

 

cheers kris

[sdss]

For what purpose?

 

You could do it in a login script...

 

Thanks for the reponse guys

 

but Im not looking for a message to be displayed during login

 

Say a file server needs rebooting and you need notify all users that are logged into the domain. I would like to send a message that appears on their screen. Pretty much what netsend does. However this requires the messenger service to be running on every machine and gives each machine the ability to send messages from any user that has access to a cmd prmpt

 

So i was wondering if there was any other alternative simple soloution out there which was more secure in the respect that the messages could only be send from, say my machine.

 

Cheers

[Geoff]

Personally I'd just bite the bullet and implement a Linux based Jabber server.

 

You can kill a few other birds with the same stone as well. For instance your able to to monitor IM traffic leaving the school because it'd all run through Jabber transports (MSN, Google talk, whatever) and you'd block everything else.

[ChrisC]

On our network it doesn't really effect us, because the only people with access to command prompt are staff.

 

Chris

[krisd32]

i know that net support school and imperata can message logged on users with netsupport you can also add interactivity to the questions(if you wanted too!)

 

give it a look

http://www.netsupport.com i think?

 

probably a bit overkill but its a really good piece of software!

[Disease]

NET SEND is your friend for sending messages acroos the network.

[pete]

You could use psexec to fire up the web browser on each client to open a webpage that says "I'm about to reboot the server" (and a countdown timer).

 

psexec is from http://www.sysinternals.com.

[Ric_]

NET SEND for me too plus Powerchute Network for automagically generating messages when the UPS is doing stuff (like shuttting down the servers when the stoopid joiners left the air con off in the server room and it got rather tosastie - at least I know that the environmental monitoring card works).

 

There is a seeting in AD for re-enabling the 'Messenger' service.

[Andrew_C]

Net Send is fine, unless you have explicetly killed it to stop the litle bggrs spending all lesson msging each other.

[Gatt]

just deny access to the run command and a DOS prompt to stop them getting near it