BleepingComputer.com: NET SEND & RISK

I have finally my lan up and running, and I just started the messeges service that enables net send. But MICROSOFT writes on its web page:

"Caution Do not enable the Messenger service if your computer is connected to the Internet?"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/839018

Does anybodoy know why? Is it dangerous to have messenger service up and running while connected to inernet?

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P.S. My second problem with net send is that while the command "net send * message" works, the commands "net send IP message" or "net send NAME message" generally won't work. My two PC are conned via a router.

The reason why its best NOT to enable the messenger services is because anyone from the internet can send you spam messages via net send. This net send messenger service was used back on Windows xp Sp1 and is by default Disabled on windows xp sp2 and later versions to prevent spam and increase your privacy.


Also, you will need to enable the messenger service on both computers to succuessfully send messages back and fourth. Even though net send * message may appear to send, it will not sucessfully send to your other computer unless its messenger.exe service is enabled on both.

Ok, so it means that unless I experience any net send spamming I can keep netsend activated on my XP3?

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This is funny, net send * sends the message also to the other PC, but net send IP does not work. I can not even net send IP to myself.

if I do this

ping MY_PC_NAME

I get a ping on my own pc

but if I do this

net send MY_PC_NAME hello

I get an error 2273.

This is really strange!!!

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Finally, if I do net send * hello, will I send the message only to my workgroup or to the whole LAN or even the whole city? =)

I dont think you should have to worry about recieving spam messages, but if you do, then yes it would be to your advantage to disabling your messenger.exe service.

And you may have typed the wrong ip address into net send. If you goto Start>Control Panel>Classic View>Network Connections and goto the LAN connection, click properties, and goto IP/TCP properties, you'll see the ip address of your computer. thats the ip address you would use on your other pc to send message to your computer, and vise versa.
Note that you may not see your ip address if DHCP (automatic) is selected, so instead go back to your network connections screen, goto your LAN connection, right click and select "Status", and click the support tab, you'll see your IP address, however that may only be temporarily.

Yes, exactly this does not work.

I can go to Start/Run/cmd and then type hostname. The PC will return the name of my PC, which is say PC1.

Then I type net send PC1 hello and it does not work. It can not send a message to myself. (writes like I can not access such pc)

So next, I do ping PC1 the ping will execute with no problem. And the PC will return my IP address, which is say IP1.

Next, I type net send IP1 hello and I get again an error. (like I can not access such IP).

Next to make sure, that the net send commands works, I type net send * hello and finally I get the hello message (but everybody else in the LAN too).

Seems like my net send does not recognize my computer name or IP.

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other thing I dont understand, in the network settings I will indeed find my IP (which is IP1), but if I use the website (ip.apper.de) for telling you IPs the website claims my IP is different. I am sure you got this too, try to check your IP and then check ip.apper.de. You get two different IPs, but if you tracert this two different IPs you find out that both are allocated to your PC.

Yes, that is because the IP address the website is giving you is your Internet IP address. So its not always best to give away your internet IP address, because like i said, that would be the address anyone on the internet could send you spam or whatever.

On the other hand, the ip address you see "on" your computer is your computer ip address used for connecting to local area networks (LAN). And so your Internet Ip address (assigned by your router) is the one used for connecting to the internet.



In order to troubleshoot your problem with "net send [IP Address/Hostname] [Message]", i'll need you to perform the following:
1.Open Command Prompt
Start>Run>Cmd.Exe>ok
2. In the command prompt window, type "nbtstat -n"
3. If you recieve any results with the status as "Unregistered", then continue to step 4, otherwise tell me what your results are.
If you recieved a "unregistered" status result, One possible reason is that your network adapter was Disabled and Enabled.
4. Restart the messenger service, which can be done by typing "net stop messenger" to stop the service, and "net start messenger" to start the service.

After performing the steps, you should beable to type in your LAN IP address and it will send to your computer.

This post has been edited by Desion: 14 February 2009 - 07:15 PM

All right, great.. so if I use my internet IP address, or if I use my Lan IP, the net send does not work (unless I do net send *) See my post before the last post =)

You would want to use your LAN ip address to send messages with. (goto command prompt, type ipconfig, use that ip address)

I also would advise try these steps that i edited to my post, right after i got your reply. lol.

Desion, on Feb 14 2009, 06:48 PM, said:

OK, now I found the solution :-) My messenger service is set to start Automatically, so after I boot the PC the service will start automatically. I.e. it will be shown as running.

But when I use net send PC_NAME hello it will not work.

Then I need to run net stop messenger, wait until it stops, and then type again net start messenger.

There after when I type net send PC_NAME hello it will work and deliver the message.

The problem is that after booting the service starts automatically, but it does not work. Any idea why???

I need you to provide me with some information to determine your question. Provided the following steps:
NOTE:You will need administrator permissions to do this.

1. Open the "services" window.
Start>Control Panel>Classic View>Administrator Tools>Services
2. Scroll down to "messenger"
3. Right click, select properties
4. Click on the "Dependencies" Tab.
5. Post what items are listed in the first big white box.

This post has been edited by Desion: 14 February 2009 - 08:10 PM

All right, there are 4 services in the white box. But this will not be easy to interpret, as in my windows installation those services have German names.

Arbeitsstationdienst (sounds like Working Station Service)
NetBIOS Snittstelle
Plug and Play
Remoteprocesduraufruf (Remote process call?)

Hah, hate my german windows, but they told me there is no way to upgrade it to english without having to pay.

Yeah those are all correct and same as what i got. Just for information they are:
-Work Station
-NetBIOS interface
-Plug and Play
-Remote procedure call (rpc)


Ok, try to perform the following steps and make changes if needed:
1. Open Services window
2. Open messenger properties
3. Select the "Logon" tab, make sure "Local system account" and "allow services to interact with desktop" is checked as well.
4. Apply any changed you may of made. Click ok to close that dialog window.

If you made any changes to logon properties, try performing another "Net Send EEEPC Test", otherwise continue below.

1. Open Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
2. Type "Ping EEEPC"
3. You should get something like this:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version XXXX]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\USER>ping EEEPC

Pinging EEEPC [LAN IP ADDRESS] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from IPADDRESS: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from IPADDRESS: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from IPADDRESS: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from IPADDRESS: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for IPADDRESS:
	Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
	Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Documents and Settings\USER>

4. If you didnt get something like above, then tell me your results. If you recieved "Received = 4" as a result and still cannot use net send eeepc TEST, then try restarting computer. Try logging on with administrator permissions for better performace with messenger.

Yes that all is true. Those are checked. I get the ping right. I am logged in as admin. And after I restart the messenger service is started automatically. Ping of EEEPC woorks well. When I do net send EEEPC it does not work. When I type net stop messenger and then net start messenger it suddenly works (net send EEEPC works well). I think maybe there is something in my firewall setting, or something...

That sounds like a good start. GO into your firewall and check to see that the following items are listed and enabled under system services.

1. NetBios (Ports 137-139 (TCP))
2. Remote Procedure Call - RPC (Port 135 (TCP))

If they aren't listed, try adding them as allowed/enabled and try "Net Send EEEPC Test". I hope this works, lol.