Shoutbox

I have a come-back message on my home machine which sends the current dynamically-assigned external IP address of my home machine to my laptop. That way I can, for example, remotely login to my home machine when I am on the road.  It works fine.  Among other things the IP address is sent only to my laptop and no other contact.

However, it works only once.  Is there some way to automatically renew the come-back message so that I can keep track of my dynamically-assigned IP address while on the road?

Thanks in advance,

Hi arch, see if this method works:

1)Create a personalised status:
Plus! -> Preferences -> Personalised Status -> Status Presets
You need to assign a Status internal identifier - I've called it Auto IP.
Assign a shortcut if you like.
Set the Auto-responder message as something like
Sorry! I'm not here, (!CN)

2)Set your custom name:
Plus! -> Preferences -> Contact List -> Custom Names
Select the contact that you use on your laptop, and set the alias as (!IP)
(It will still work even if Enable custom contact names is unselected - set the custom name, click apply, then unselect the checkbox)

3)Set the personalised status to automatically change:
Plus! -> Preferences -> General Options -> Miscellaneous
This method will only work while Messenger stays in the preset status. Check Automatically change status.. and select the preset as named in step 1 (Auto IP)
(this is not required if you change the status manually. But this could be useful, especially if you get disconnected from the server sometimes)

That's it! Anyone who messages you will recieve an auto reply like,
multimillionk auto-message: Sorry! I'm not here, arch
But when you send a message from your laptop, you will receive the reply,
multimillionk auto-message: Sorry! I'm not here, 262.181.53.9

I haven't actually used this method but I've done similar things - I'm pretty confident you won't have any problems with it. You can keep using the come-back message as well so you can try it out without worrying it might stuff up.

Hope it helps

That's a very good way.

Additionally, if you set the status via de menu (main MSN Messenger window => the drop-down in which you can select your status => More Statuses => Personalized Status... => pick your AUTO IP status => click filter => choose the account from where you'll be requesting the IP). This is in case you don't want others to see your IP.

Of course, I assume you added yourself to your list.



Edit: meh, I just re-read and yeah. Sorry. Meh, but it's another alternative, so I'll leave it here.

No-one else will see the IP, unless that contact decides to change their nickname to (!IP).
I didn't use the filter because it has to be set manually each time. If the preset statuses included saving the filtered list then the possiblities would be limitless - you would be able to execute anything remotely using the /run command safely.

Thank you.  This looks great!  I will try it out today or tomorrow.

It works well except that the status does not revert to "online" when I become active.

I stopped using auto ip a while back because I had a fixed ip address.  Now I am back to a dynamic ip address, and I would like to use auto ip again.  However, the latest Plus! does not have the same interface that it had in 2005.

Therefore, I have two questions:
How can I get something like auto ip running in the latest Plus!?

How can I make it my default signon status?

Thank you in advance.

quote:

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Originally posted by arch


How can I make it my default signon status?

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When you opt to sign-in as busy, away, etc etc it will stay at that setting until you change it . Unless you're talking about personal away messages.

Thanks Rebelsean.

Let's say that I create (again) a personal status "auto ip".  I will be able to set that status manually.  However, when Windows Live Messenger disconnects and, then, reconnects it will not be in the status auto ip, and I will have to reset it manually.  If I am on a trip, a manual reset will not be possible.  Since WLM does disconnect and reconnect from time to time,  this is a problem.  Therefore, I would like the status auto ip to be reset automatically each time there is a reconnect.

quote:

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Originally posted by arch
However, the latest Plus! does not have the same interface that it had in 2005.

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However, there is still a Windows Messenger compatible version of Plus!, that is MsgPlus! v.3, which you used to use before. Can't you just switch to Windows Messenger while you are leaving your home? I believe you don't need the funny features in Live Messenger while you are far away from your home while you need actually a special feature of old MsgPlus!

If you don't have Windows Messenger, I believe there is still an MSN Messenger 7.0 version (revised) on Microsoft's download pages. You can find it.

Can I use Messenger Plus! 3 and Messenger Plus! Live together?

There is no way to make Plus! Live to remember a personalised status, see CookieRevised's reply to [REQUEST] Remember Status

But if you insist on using Live Messenger, you can use Answering Machine Plus script which I found at Bots and Auto Talkers section of scripts database. It can send the (!IP) tag whenever you want (I suppose). Edit: You can customize the received message which will be replied with your IP, for example, givemeyourIPman, when your PC receives this message from any contact (guess who is that), it will send the IP .

However I know you want the IP is sent only to you  (personalised statuses have an filter option, so you can filter out everyone except yourself). So, it can also send an /autoip command, which you can set now for your preset "Auto IP" personalised status,  (which you don't receive in fact, it will be used to restore the Auto IP status), so that you can set again that status if you can't get your home PC's IP after your first query. On the second query, it must send the IP to your laptop. Edit: I am so sorry, my bad, I supposed there is a command option for preset personalized statuses,  if only there was really .

Hope this helps now.