Vb.net client/server chat application trouble

[Flame_Warrior]

Hey everyone. My latest project is a chat client/server. I was surfing around lazily, and i came across a tut that seemed simple enough for my purposes, and it seemed to be something good to learn off of. Heres my question.

It seems that every tut that i looked at were only local chat applications, which doesnt really help me, considering the fact that i dont want to talk to myself. What im wondering, is if anyone could help me figure out how to make this program that i found host over the internet, as apposed to locally.

Server

Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.Text
Module Module1
    Dim clientsList As New Hashtable
    Sub Main()
        Dim serverSocket As New TcpListener(8888)
        Dim clientSocket As TcpClient
        Dim infiniteCounter As Integer
        Dim counter As Integer

        serverSocket.Start()
        msg("Chat Server Started ....")
        counter = 0
        infiniteCounter = 0
        For infiniteCounter = 1 To 2
            infiniteCounter = 1
            counter += 1
            clientSocket = serverSocket.AcceptTcpClient()

            Dim bytesFrom(10024) As Byte
            Dim dataFromClient As String

            Dim networkStream As NetworkStream = _
            clientSocket.GetStream()
            networkStream.Read(bytesFrom, 0, CInt(clientSocket.ReceiveBufferSize))
            dataFromClient = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytesFrom)
            dataFromClient = _
            dataFromClient.Substring(0, dataFromClient.IndexOf("$"))

            clientsList(dataFromClient) = clientSocket

            broadcast(dataFromClient + " Joined ", dataFromClient, False)

            msg(dataFromClient + " Joined chat room ")
            Dim client As New handleClinet
            client.startClient(clientSocket, dataFromClient, clientsList)
        Next

        clientSocket.Close()
        serverSocket.Stop()
        msg("exit")
        Console.ReadLine()
    End Sub

    Sub msg(ByVal mesg As String)
        mesg.Trim()
        Console.WriteLine(" > " + mesg)
    End Sub
    Private Sub broadcast(ByVal msg As String, _
    ByVal uName As String, ByVal flag As Boolean)
        Dim Item As DictionaryEntry
        For Each Item In clientsList
            Dim broadcastSocket As TcpClient
            broadcastSocket = CType(Item.Value, TcpClient)
            Dim broadcastStream As NetworkStream = _
                    broadcastSocket.GetStream()
            Dim broadcastBytes As [Byte]()

            If flag = True Then
                broadcastBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(uName + " : " + msg)
            Else
                broadcastBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(msg)
            End If

            broadcastStream.Write(broadcastBytes, 0, broadcastBytes.Length)
            broadcastStream.Flush()
        Next
    End Sub

    Public Class handleClinet
        Dim clientSocket As TcpClient
        Dim clNo As String
        Dim clientsList As Hashtable

        Public Sub startClient(ByVal inClientSocket As TcpClient, _
        ByVal clineNo As String, ByVal cList As Hashtable)
            Me.clientSocket = inClientSocket
            Me.clNo = clineNo
            Me.clientsList = cList
            Dim ctThread As Threading.Thread = New Threading.Thread(AddressOf doChat)
            ctThread.Start()
        End Sub

        Private Sub doChat()
            Dim infiniteCounter As Integer
            Dim requestCount As Integer
            Dim bytesFrom(10024) As Byte
            Dim dataFromClient As String
            Dim sendBytes As [Byte]()
            Dim serverResponse As String
            Dim rCount As String
            requestCount = 0
            For infiniteCounter = 1 To 2
                infiniteCounter = 1
                Try
                    requestCount = requestCount + 1
                    Dim networkStream As NetworkStream = _
                            clientSocket.GetStream()
                    networkStream.Read(bytesFrom, 0, CInt(clientSocket.ReceiveBufferSize))
                    dataFromClient = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(bytesFrom)
                    dataFromClient = _
                        dataFromClient.Substring(0, dataFromClient.IndexOf("$"))
                    msg("From client - " + clNo + " : " + dataFromClient)
                    rCount = Convert.ToString(requestCount)

                    broadcast(dataFromClient, clNo, True)
                Catch ex As Exception
                    MsgBox(ex.ToString)
                End Try
            Next
        End Sub

    End Class
End Module

Client

Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.Text
Public Class Form1
    Dim clientSocket As New System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient()
    Dim serverStream As NetworkStream
    Dim readData As String
    Dim infiniteCounter As Integer

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
        ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim outStream As Byte() = _
        System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(TextBox2.Text + "$")
        serverStream.Write(outStream, 0, outStream.Length)
        serverStream.Flush()
    End Sub

    Private Sub msg()
        If Me.InvokeRequired Then
            Me.Invoke(New MethodInvoker(AddressOf msg))
        Else
            TextBox1.Text = TextBox1.Text + Environment.NewLine + " > " + readData
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
    ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        If TextBox4.Text = "" Then
            MsgBox("Please enter your server IP")
        Else
            If TextBox3.Text = "" Then
                MsgBox("Please enter your name")
            Else
                readData = "Conected to Chat Server ..."
                msg()
                clientSocket.Connect(TextBox4.Text, 8888)
                'Label1.Text = "Client Socket Program - Server Connected ..."
                serverStream = clientSocket.GetStream()

                Dim outStream As Byte() = _
                System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(TextBox3.Text + "$")
                serverStream.Write(outStream, 0, outStream.Length)
                serverStream.Flush()

                Dim ctThread As Threading.Thread = New Threading.Thread(AddressOf getMessage)
                ctThread.Start()
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub getMessage()
        For infiniteCounter = 1 To 2
            infiniteCounter = 1
            serverStream = clientSocket.GetStream()
            Dim buffSize As Integer
            Dim inStream(10024) As Byte
            buffSize = clientSocket.ReceiveBufferSize
            serverStream.Read(inStream, 0, buffSize)
            Dim returndata As String = _
            System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(inStream)
            readData = "" + returndata
            msg()
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

Thanks in advanced.

[ReidE96]

Errm... what? You run your server, connect with your ip on port 8888, and the person you're talking to connects to your ip on port 8888 and it works.

[Fenryr]

wherever you put the ip address, put in the address of the server? i have a working version of a program that sends messages between client and server if you need more help.

[Flame_Warrior]

well it seemed like this chat service is client to server to client, so i want to make sure of a few things. The server is only run on one machine, correct? also the machine with the server running, do i need to forward the port 8888?? or just unblock it if it is blocked in a firewall. (ps, the ip is external ip correct?)

Thanks.

[The Maffyx]

Most likely you will need to forward the port.

[Flame_Warrior]

got it to work :]] had to forward the port. anyway now im wondering how to get the hash table into a textbox in the client, to let the user know who is online and who is offline. also i want a disconnect button. any ideas on how to do the hash table? Im going to mess around with the disconnect button, il probably be able to figure that out.

[zeeshangrw]

i need user to know who is online, offline and also want a disconnect button for client end. I am receiving an error message at server side when i close the client application. The session of client application donot disconnects from running sockets when i close. please paste the code if some one has the solution or send me at [email protected]. thanks

[EmiloZ]

Instead of having a computer running the server client 24/7, what about setting up a SQL database and link the chat client with MySQL module?