A method wherein a first user obtains an identifier for a desired
destination user, makes a request to a server for a data communication
with that desired destination user, retrieves a computer network address
from a directory entry for that desired destination user, retrieves the
source computer network address from the request packet from the first
user, and sends requests to the computers of both users for return of
respective stored unique identifiers. When these respective unique
identifiers are received at the server, a check is made to see that they
correspond to only one respective entry in a database, and the server
then sends a message to one of the computers to make a data call to the
other computer. Users register initially and download a helper
application which stores the user's respective unique identifier together
with, in a preferred embodiment, a unique password, which is also stored
in the respective entry in the database. The helper launches a NetMeeting
application passes its associated user's names.