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You manage SharePoint Workspace communications in the Communications Manager. To open Communications Manager, on the File tab, click Info, click Connection Settings, and then click Communications Manager.
Tip: You can also open Communications Manager by clicking the SharePoint Workspace taskbar icon, and then clicking Communications Manager.
What do you want to do?
Viewing data communications
Communications Manager reports on the overall communications status, as well as the communications status of individual workspaces and other activities such as messages and invitations. Data counters at the top of the window track the amount of data you are currently transmitting and receiving. A status message (to the left of the data counters) reports on the current state of communications. The following table describes the status messages you might see.
Activity |
Status |
Communicating Normally |
You are working online and no communications activities are paused. |
Communicating Normally (some activities paused) |
You are working online, but you paused at least one communication activity. |
Working Offline (since mm/dd/yy, hh:mm) |
You are working offline. The time indication lets you know how long you have been in this state. |
Preparing to Work Offline... |
You are transitioning from working online to working offline. |
Preparing to Work Online... |
You are transitioning from working offline to working online. |
Unable to communicate (since mm/dd/yy, hh:mm) |
SharePoint Workspace cannot detect a local IP address. The time indication lets you know how long you have been in this state. |
Not communicating (since mm/dd/yy, hh:mm) |
All attempts at communicating have failed. The time indication lets you know how long you have been in this state. |
Viewing communications by workspace or activity
In the Activity table, Communications Manager provides status information about your workspaces, messages and invitations, and about other accounts you might have on this computer.
The table below lists the activities and the status messages you might see.
Activity |
Status |
Synchronizing workspace name |
Idle: SharePoint Workspace is waiting to send/receive data for the workspace. Paused: The workspace is currently paused. |
<Data> left to transmit; <Data> left to receive: the amount of data currently being transmitted or received. |
|
Merging changes: SharePoint Workspace is assimilating data into the workspace. |
|
Paused: <Data> left to transmit; <Data> left to receive: you paused the workspace with data left to send or receive. |
|
Sending workspace name |
<Data> left to transmit: SharePoint Workspace is sending the workspace and has data left to transmit. |
Paused: <Data> left to transmit: You paused the workspace as it was transmitting and still had data left to sent. |
|
Receiving workspace name |
<Data> left to receive: SharePoint Workspace is installing the workspace and is still receiving data. |
<Paused: Data> left to receive: You paused the workspace as it was transmitting and still had data left to sent. |
|
Messages and invitations |
Idle: SharePoint Workspace is waiting to send/receive messages or invitations. |
<Data> left to transmit; <Data> left to receive: The amount of message or invitation data SharePoint Workspace is currently sending or receiving. |
|
Paused: The messaging feature is currently paused. |
|
Paused: < Data> left to transmit; <Data> left to receive: You paused the messaging feature with data left to send or receive. |
|
Miscellaneous communications |
<Data> left to transmit; <Data> left to receive: The amount of data being sent or received outside of workspaces and messaging activities. |
Pausing communication
You can pause communications for a selected workspace or for messages and invitations. You might want to do this if you want to postpone sending or receiving large quantities of data.
To pause communications for a workspace or activity, uncheck it. The status message for the workspace or activity changes to "Paused." To resume communications, check the workspace or activity.
You can also click Pause All to pause communications for all workspaces and message activity at once. This feature is most useful if you have a large number or workspaces, and you would like to pause communication for all but one (or a few) of them. In that case, you can select Pause All and then check specific workspaces to resume communications for them.
If you pause a workspace or communication activity, you will still receive incoming data if SharePoint Workspace clients are communicating via static IP address mode and:
-
Another member of the workspace you paused is running an earlier version of SharePoint Workspace.
-
A contact running an earlier version of SharePoint Workspace sends you a message or invitation.
Note: If SharePoint Workspace clients communicate through a relay server and you pause a workspace or communication activity, you will not receive incoming data.
Working offline
Working offline suspends all SharePoint Workspace data communications, and displays your status as "offline" to other SharePoint Workspace users.
Working offline is most useful when you want to work locally without sending or receiving any updates, and when you prefer that others view you as temporarily unavailable.
To start working offline, click Work Offline in the Communications Manager. The SharePoint Workspace icon in the Windows notification area changes to look like this:
To resume working online, click Work Online in the Communications Manager.
Tip: You can also switch between working offline/online by clicking the SharePoint Workspace taskbar icon, and then clicking Work Offline.
Viewing or updating network settings
You can view the network settings and diagnostic information for the identities in your account from Communications Manager. You may occasionally need to see this information for technical support purposes. You can also switch your network address between automatic (a device URL assigned automatically for your computer) and static (a device URL you specify).
Displaying your settings
To display and copy the network settings used by your identity to communicate with other SharePoint Workspace users:
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Open Communications Manager.
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Click Network Settings.
The Advanced Network Settings dialog box displays the network settings for the selected identity. To view the network settings for another identity, select it from the drop-down menu.
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Click Copy to Clipboard to copy the entire list of network settings so you can paste them into another application.
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Click OK.
Modifying your network address
The Advanced Network Settings dialog box also allows you to modify the network address of your computer.
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Click the setting Network address for <Computer Name> (This Computer) and click Modify.
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Click Automatic (default) or Static. If you select static, enter the new address in the space provided.
Note: If you select static, all your devices must use a static IP address.
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Click OK.
SharePoint Workspace validates the static address and warns you if it is invalid. If the address is valid, the list of devices in the Advanced Network Settings dialog will be refreshed to reflect your change.
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Click OK.
If you decide to switch to an automatic IP address, SharePoint Workspace removes the static IP address, restores the presence devices for the computer, and restores the previous relay server information.