If you are at your workplace or at your office and want a free communication source in your office so that you can stay in contact with all your employees and can have a conference within your office – or maybe have some instant small chats with your employees without any internet connection, then you should read on to know about top 3 LAN (Local Area Network) messengers who will enable you to do so.
Free LAN Messengers for Windows 11/10
LAN Messengers are applications or utilities that enable you to chat within a local area network without any Internet Connection – but a wired LAN is a must. There may be many freeware LAN Messengers available for Windows 11/10/8/7, but these are among the best ones, in my opinion.
1] LAN Messenger
This is another free & open source cross-platform instant messaging application for communication over a local network. It does not require a server.
Some of its features include:
- Instant Messaging
- Message History
- Personal and Group Messaging
- File Transfer
- Broadcast Message.
It is available here for download.
2] Squiggle
Squiggle is a free and open-source application meant for LAN chatting. Squiggle also operates in peer-to-peer mode and hence does not need any server. The application is rather good-looking and offers the following features:
- Server-less peer-to-peer LAN chat
- No installation required
- Group chat
- Broadcast chat
- Private chat
- Bridging option for connecting two LANs across subnets or WAN.
- Localized i.e. translated client available in German, French, Arabic, and Chinese
- File transfer
- Spell Check, Buzz, Emoticons, Audio Alerts, Tray Popups
- Contact groups, Display message, Display Pic, Chat commands, Message aliases
- Chat history, Status History.
Get it here at squiggle.codeplex.com.
3] Tonic
Tonic helps you to carry out your simple chats within your office via the LAN network. It is a very useful program with a user-friendly interface that is easy to understand by all.
The program operates in peer-to-peer mode and hence does not need any server. That’s why also it is very easy to operate. Here is the feature list that will give you an idea of the features of the program:
- Easy to use – no server.
- Tonic automatically finds other Tonic users inside your network.
- Different user availability status.
- Image avatars
- File transfer support
- Chat history
- Announcement mode
- Quick poll + poll results.
Tonic is a complete LAN messenger, and it is full of those ultimate features that you always require in your office or workplace at LAN.
PS: Tonic is no longer under active development and has been Archived. Please also read the comment below.
So this was all in the list of top 3 LAN Messengers for your Windows PC. If you wish to recommend other free LAN Messengers, please do so in the comments section.
Your suggestions and feedback are always most welcome!
Borgchat http://borgchat.softnews.ro/
CD Messenger is my favorite office messenger. Really all in one office tool. Now i don’t need to download separate application of sticky notes, to-do list, event alert, group messaging, notice board and conferencing.
http://www.cdmessenger.com/downloads/
Have you ever tried Outlook Messenger? Its the best http://www.outlookmessenger.com
I did check out CD Messenger, but it is a paid software and not Free as stated in the article above.
From a quick look CD messenger seems to me best. But check out ShixxNOTE program http://www.shixxnote.com and try it. This is best program for LAN communication in company or at office. ShixxNOTE is network enabled sticky notes program. Great work and neat program. Must have for me !
Great piece of software is ShixxNOTE 6.net simple and neat but if you are advanced user like me than you can change everything. I really like sending notes to others ! Also I was impressed how easy you can send one note to a 5 computers in my LAN and to my private e-mail to have that note on my home notebook. Keep doing good job Ozren !
Helo,
I’ve installed ShixxNOTE version 6.net latest release from September 2012. I must admit that now I can’t work without it anymore. My and my buddy in next room are using sending notes everyday. Sometimes to send funny notes and sometimes some important notes. So now I will decide if I will register 5-Users License. Price is $25. Does anybody have registered version ?
Regards,
Andrew
When you’re spread over a couple of floors, it’s great to have something that you know your workmate is going to see appear on their desktop. Means you’re more likely to get action than it sitting in amongst a bunch of internal emails. So people really this ShixxNOTE program is great piece of software, also works on Windows 8.
I find out that ShixxNote is also working on a Windows 8. It is listed on site Windows8Downloads.com so I also agree that this program is great LAN messenger, better that those three listed above. But it is not freeware so I will decide at the end of a 30 days trial period will I register program or not. Right now I think I will. Also it is very cool program. Network neighborhood is automatically read at the program start. So later you can send note to other computers just adding them on recipient list.
But i think BORGChat (appnee.com/borgchat) is the most complete LAN IM application, better than IPMSG!!
Squiggle Is good but you need Microsoft.NET Framework 4 installed you can get it at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851 don’t use the link the program gives you as its a redirected page.
Outlook LAN Messenger is the best.
These apps are quite well. But in our office we use softros http://messenger.softros.com cause our network is complicated and we use terminal service.
Great list of messengers. I personally like CD Messenger. I found CD Messenger one of the best office messenger.
Yes ShixxNOTE can not workk in environment when few users works over terminal service on one computer. Maybe an author of the ShixxNOTE program which I use will implement sending notes to computer (servername) and to list of users logged on computer currently. That would solve your problem. But for complicated network you should use complicated messanger. ShixxNOTE is great LAN messenger for small to middle companies which have up to 100 computers in theirs LAN. But still those other program like Squiggle or Tonic are simple text messenger program with ugly interface and they are all using Windows commands NET SEND or Window Messaging service. ShixxNOTE works on all Windows versions ! So again I reccomend it. Check by yourself, download program on site http://www.shixxnote.com and decide.
In this post there are three LAN messengers listed and I agree with you only that CD Messenger is best of those three programs listed. But I assure you that there are much better programs for communication in your LAN. As I said before ShixxNOTE 6.net is my favourite program for communication in my office, between colleagues. Sending and receiving notes is so simple. When you want to send you do not need to know user IP address, program will list you all computers in your LAN and only you have to do is to select computers and add them to recipient list.
Yes, but what you fail to realize is, this is about FREE programs. Not pay, and for all your hype about shixxnote it’s still a paid application and does not deserve mention.
Devesh Prabhu said:
“I did check out CD Messenger, but it is a paid software and not Free as stated in the article above.”
Didn’t you read all comments ? Devesh installed CD Messenger which is for me also best of those three program listed here and he said that CD Messenger software is also paid software.
So that is the reason why I mentioned ShixxNOTE as better choice for non free software.
TSR Lan Messenger is also free and works on windows 7,8 & 8.1
http://tsr-soft.com/products/lan-messenger/default.aspx
Lan Messenger not mentioned. Of these three Squiggle is easily the best. Tonic is dead, no further development.
dont send error msg. come in tonic. os. is windows xp.
What is the best free lan messanger for windows xp?
Try OMessenger (old name is Outlook messenger). It has better features than the above mentioned software. http://www.omessenger.com
How to uninstall Windows LAN Messenger in windows 7
check out this.. http://lanmsngr.sourceforge.net/ Im using this from years for sharing files and folders within my wifi network. this has good for chatting also..
Out of 3
above LAN messengers I found CD messenger best for me because of its handy features.
The working of CD messenger made my
work very easy and speedier. The sticky notes features also help employees to
send messages across to each other in our IT network. The advance feature we opted
from CD messenger that helped us in planning events and managing work and task
with ease. Messenger has completely transformed our working system at office.
The CD messenger service has enabled my small workplace and employees to work with perfection by planning everything. The great feature offered by the CD messenger is “to do list” which makes it quite easy for all our employees to remember everything. We also saved a lot of time by having conference with the messenger.
CD messenger is the second software which I am using in my office. In previous one there were less
features compare to this new software and price was also high. It is saving time and money both.
Cd messenger is a perfect instant messenger for office purpose due to its impressive features and price. I am using it to communicate in my office and surely recommend it to others also.
If you want desktop notes program and LAN messenger in one then install ShixxNOTE 6.net because program is a network enabled desktop sticky (post-it) note application. Running in a server / client mode. Reads your LAN. And also it is perfect tool for office communication. With two mouse clicks you can send note to group of recipients.
Being in the corporate firm, I have used so many live messengers but the response I have got from CD Messenger is simply incomparable. Due to the demand of my workplace, I needed a messenger, which can help me to stay connected to my staff and my boss. Apart from the wonderful instant messaging, it gives you some extra features like sticky notes, event alerts and task management. I will definitely recommend it to all the people who want a stress-free professional life.
CDmessenger yeah 40 dollars per user per year, talking about milking a cow. That is $7000 in 10 years for 5 users
Have you tried BeeBEEP? It’s freeware for windows, linux, macosx. Give it a shot! http://beebeep.sf.net
Try BeeBEEP. It’s simple and freeware. Give it a shot: http://beebeep.sf.net
BeeBEEP it’a freeware p2p lan messenger. Give it a shot! http://beebeep.sf.net
please add for number 3-Squiggle – supporting Voice-chat over LAN and .NET requirement
finally someone talking some sense in here
Have you tried Output LAN Messenger! Its the latest and the best http://www.outputmessenger.com
Oi Max
HI
It’s not free
I have read all comments and about to try CDMessenger due to the features everyone has mentioned.
I nearly didn’t try it because of this comment.
I had a look at their pricing and as of today it is only $2 per user per month (Paid in Annually)
Maybe they reduced their pricing.
It is now $24 per user per year.
I will post back after we try it out and let you know my thoughts.
You can try our Output Messenger, the office LAN messenger, with all above feature flavored with desktop sharing, voice calling and video conferencing etc, to make you feel as you are in comfort zone.
Guys if your company budget is OK for paid software I would recommend you to try Softros LAN Messenger it gives more feature rich messaging abilities (conversations, mass messages, multiple user chat rooms, file/folder transfer, active directory integration, remote desktop assistance, centralized logging and settings deployment) than Squiggle, Tomic and LAN Messenger reviewed above
We moved to Softros LAN Messenger
Many customers use Bopup. It is not free but offers great management and full message history stored for all users on the server.
so you become 2nd idiot as this article is all about free intranet messenger.