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New to this? Read How Socketchat works first.
The quickest way to try Socketchat is on your own network: a computer at home or in the office runs the server, and people on the same Wi-Fi or wired network join it. It costs nothing and needs no router changes.
This only reaches people on the same network. A friend at their own home cannot connect. For that, use port forwarding, a cloud server or a private network.

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Set it up

1

Find the server's local IP address

Your router gives each device on the network a local IP address, usually starting with 192.168., 10. or 172.16. to 172.31.. Find the one for the machine that will run the server:
en0 is usually Wi-Fi on a Mac laptop. If it prints nothing, try en1, or look in System Settings, Network, then your connection’s Details.
2

Set up the server with that address

Replace 192.168.1.20 with the address you found.
3

Allow the connection through the firewall

The first time socketchat server run starts, your computer may ask whether to let it accept incoming connections.
  • macOS: choose Allow when asked whether socketchat may accept incoming network connections. If you chose Deny, change it in System Settings, Network, Firewall, Options.
  • Windows: Windows Defender Firewall asks whether to allow socketchat.exe. Tick Private networks and choose Allow access.
  • Linux: most desktop systems have no firewall on by default. If yours uses ufw, run sudo ufw allow 7444/tcp.
4

Invite people

Join with that link from your own computer, then use /invite in a room for each friend. See the Quick start.

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Keep the address from changing

Your router hands out local addresses with DHCP, the protocol that gives devices an address when they connect, and it can give the server a different one next week. Invite links and members’ apps keep the old address, so they would stop reaching the server. A DHCP reservation tells the router to always give the server the same address. Routers differ, but the steps look like this:
  1. Open your router’s admin page, often at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, or in the router maker’s phone app.
  2. Find the list of connected devices or the DHCP settings. It may be called DHCP reservation, Address reservation or Static lease.
  3. Pick the server machine and reserve its current address.
Do this before you invite anyone.