Usually, the IPs are exchanged over the server. This is convenient because:

• You dont have to do anything, and as long as the server is up it works fast & reliable.
  
• All Information is sent to the server encrypted, so only the server knows everybody.
• The server will hide you: People do have to know your name, otherwise the Server will not give out any information.

However, there are disadvantages:

• The server knows your ip
• The server could be logging your traffic, who you know etc. (the preconfigured server does not, but others might)
  
• When the server is down (like right now) nothing works.

So here are some methods.

Entering the ip directly

Another approach is to get the ip with any method and opening the Contacts Tab. There the field IP can be edited. Just enter the new ip number, press enter.  Should also work with addresses.

Now whenever the contact changes his IP, you will have to update it there again. 

Dyndns approach / entering only once

If you have a dyndns account, or a static IP people dont need the server to resolve you.

In case you have dyndns, open the Settings tab and click on Connection. The setting named "Override the standard IP with this String:" There you can enter your dyndns account or your static ip. For example: example.dyndns.org

Now when you have done that, select Copy my Contact String in the Tasks Menu. This string contains all the information your buddies need to find you in the internet. Send this string to a friend using email / another messenger.

Tell him to do this: 

Use the Add Contact Wizard from the Tasks menu to add you. Check "Enter it with a ContactInfo-String". After clicking next you enter the previously mentioned Contact Info. Check the checkbox below: Do not update this ip address over the server.

From now on, the program will use the given address and will not ask the server to deliver information about this person.

Making your own Server

Now the best option is to make your own server. This is currently a bit tricky.

The php server is easy to set up. Just get http://tcpfile.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/*checkout*/tcpfile/Webserver/Advertiser.php and put it on a php Server. 

Give this server adress to all your friends and it will update the IPs for you.

You still have to tell the client to use this server. For that open the Settings Tab and click on Connection => Advertiser in the left tree. There check "Use PHP Server" and fill in the php server(s) you want in the field below. You can enter as much php servers as you like, each of them will be checked.

Everybody on the server will be connected. So only give this adress to your closest friends.

However, it is not using encrypted connections and is easily fooled (the program though authenticates the user anyway, so it will tell you if anything fishy happens)

The jsp server is a bit harder to set up and currently not recommended unless you know what you are doing. Also it needs a mysql server.

 Disabling the standard Server

Open the Settings Tab and click on Connection => Advertiser in the left tree. There uncheck "Use JSP Server".

If you do this:

• The port will not be checked if it is open and manually updating the port status will not work.
  
• The IPs have to be updated another way
• You will get no server info like the number of people on the Server.