diff --git a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-01-echo-bot/dotnet-01-echo-bot.csproj b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-01-echo-bot/dotnet-01-echo-bot.csproj
index e6271195..a43734c6 100644
--- a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-01-echo-bot/dotnet-01-echo-bot.csproj
+++ b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-01-echo-bot/dotnet-01-echo-bot.csproj
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
     <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticWorkbench.Connector" Version="0.4.241125.1" />
+        <!-- <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\libraries\dotnet\WorkbenchConnector\WorkbenchConnector.csproj" /> -->
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-02-message-types-demo/dotnet-02-message-types-demo.csproj b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-02-message-types-demo/dotnet-02-message-types-demo.csproj
index ac2abaae..7d9a2058 100644
--- a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-02-message-types-demo/dotnet-02-message-types-demo.csproj
+++ b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-02-message-types-demo/dotnet-02-message-types-demo.csproj
@@ -12,8 +12,12 @@
     <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="Azure.AI.ContentSafety" Version="1.0.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.13.1" />
-        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" Version="1.26.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" Version="1.30.0" />
+    </ItemGroup>
+
+    <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticWorkbench.Connector" Version="0.4.241125.1" />
+        <!-- <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\libraries\dotnet\WorkbenchConnector\WorkbenchConnector.csproj" /> -->
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/Properties/launchSettings.json b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/Properties/launchSettings.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b8f34920..00000000
--- a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/Properties/launchSettings.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "$schema": "http://json.schemastore.org/launchsettings.json",
-  "profiles": {
-    "http": {
-      "commandName": "Project",
-      "dotnetRunMessages": true,
-      "launchBrowser": false,
-      "environmentVariables": {
-        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
-      }
-    },
-    "https": {
-      "commandName": "Project",
-      "dotnetRunMessages": true,
-      "launchBrowser": false,
-      "environmentVariables": {
-        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot.csproj b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot.csproj
index 83dd6ccc..6d176abe 100644
--- a/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot.csproj
+++ b/examples/dotnet/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot/dotnet-03-simple-chatbot.csproj
@@ -12,8 +12,12 @@
     <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="Azure.AI.ContentSafety" Version="1.0.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.13.1" />
-        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" Version="1.26.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" Version="1.30.0" />
+    </ItemGroup>
+
+    <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticWorkbench.Connector" Version="0.4.241125.1" />
+        <!-- <ProjectReference Include="..\..\..\libraries\dotnet\WorkbenchConnector\WorkbenchConnector.csproj" /> -->
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/Webservice.cs b/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/Webservice.cs
index 26f64eb8..1b841b62 100644
--- a/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/Webservice.cs
+++ b/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/Webservice.cs
@@ -461,7 +461,6 @@ private static IEndpointRouteBuilder UseCreateConversationEventEndpoint<TAgentCo
                         case "assistant.state.updated": // TODO
                         case "file.created": // TODO
                         case "file.deleted": // TODO
-                        default:
                             /*
                             {
                                "event":            "assistant.state.created",
@@ -476,7 +475,20 @@ private static IEndpointRouteBuilder UseCreateConversationEventEndpoint<TAgentCo
                                 }
                             }
 
-                            {
+                           {
+                                "event":           "assistant.state.updated",
+                                "id":              "9ea3f9e2923045599f3ecfdbb07713b2",
+                                "correlation_id":  "26c74d31a35b4a2aa301720af2615196",
+                                "conversation_id": "483f6253-b5e1-478a-ac9e-4d1a58499c9d",
+                                "timestamp":       "2024-11-26T19:01:54.446203Z",
+                                "data": {
+                                    "assistant_id": "9e58298d-dbe4-4ed3-bfdf-422d1c275de4",
+                                    "state_id": "history",
+                                    "conversation_id": "483f6253-b5e1-478a-ac9e-4d1a58499c9d"
+                                }
+                           }
+
+                           {
                                 "event":           "file.created",
                                 "id":              "9b7ba8b35699482bbe368023796a978d",
                                 "correlation_id":  "40877ed10f104090a9996fbe9dd6d716",
@@ -522,7 +534,11 @@ private static IEndpointRouteBuilder UseCreateConversationEventEndpoint<TAgentCo
                                 }
                             }
                             */
-                            log.LogWarning("Event type '{0}' not supported", eventType.HtmlEncode());
+                            log.LogInformation("Event type '{0}' not supported [TODO]", eventType.HtmlEncode());
+                            break;
+
+                        default:
+                            log.LogWarning("Unknown event type '{0}' not supported", eventType.HtmlEncode());
                             log.LogTrace(json);
                             break;
                     }
diff --git a/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/WorkbenchConnector.cs b/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/WorkbenchConnector.cs
index 3dd3288c..6340ec98 100644
--- a/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/WorkbenchConnector.cs
+++ b/libraries/dotnet/WorkbenchConnector/WorkbenchConnector.cs
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public virtual void DisableInitTimer()
 
     public virtual void EnablePingTimer()
     {
-        this._pingTimer?.Change(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(PingFrequencyMS), TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(PingFrequencyMS));
+        this._pingTimer?.Change(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(PingFrequencyMsecs), TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(PingFrequencyMsecs));
     }
 
     public virtual void EnableInitTimer()
@@ -410,16 +410,28 @@ public virtual void Init()
     {
         this.DisableInitTimer();
 
+        this.Log.LogTrace("Initialization in progress...");
+
+        // If the connector endpoint is ready (to be passed to workbench backend)
         if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.ConnectorEndpoint))
         {
-            this.Log.LogTrace("Init complete, connector endpoint: {Endpoint}", this.ConnectorEndpoint);
+            this.Log.LogTrace("Initialization complete, connector endpoint: {Endpoint}", this.ConnectorEndpoint);
+            this.EnablePingTimer();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // If the connector host is set via configuration, rather than autodetected
+        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorHost))
+        {
+            this.ConnectorEndpoint = $"{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorHost.TrimEnd('/')}/{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorApiPrefix.TrimStart('/')}";
+            this.Log.LogTrace("Initialization complete, connector endpoint: {Endpoint}", this.ConnectorEndpoint);
             this.EnablePingTimer();
             return;
         }
 
+        // Autodetect the port in use and define the connector endpoint
         try
         {
-            this.Log.LogTrace("Init in progress...");
             IServerAddressesFeature? feat = this._httpServer.Features.Get<IServerAddressesFeature>();
             if (feat == null || feat.Addresses.Count == 0)
             {
@@ -434,13 +446,13 @@ public virtual void Init()
                 ? $"{uri.Scheme}://127.0.0.1:{uri.Port}/{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorApiPrefix.TrimStart('/')}"
                 : $"{uri.Scheme}://127.0.0.1:/{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorApiPrefix.TrimStart('/')}";
 
-            this.Log.LogTrace("Init complete, connector endpoint: {Endpoint}", this.ConnectorEndpoint);
+            this.Log.LogTrace("Initialization complete, connector endpoint: {Endpoint}", this.ConnectorEndpoint);
             this.EnablePingTimer();
         }
 #pragma warning disable CA1031
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            this.Log.LogError(e, "Init error");
+            this.Log.LogError(e, "Initialization error: {Message}", e.Message);
             this.EnableInitTimer();
         }
 #pragma warning restore CA1031
@@ -461,7 +473,7 @@ public virtual async Task PingSemanticWorkbenchBackendAsync(CancellationToken ca
                 name = $"{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorName} [{this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorId}]",
                 description = this.WorkbenchConfig.ConnectorDescription,
                 url = this.ConnectorEndpoint,
-                online_expires_in_seconds = 2 + (int)(PingFrequencyMS / 1000)
+                online_expires_in_seconds = 2 + (int)(PingFrequencyMsecs / 1000)
             };
 
             await this.SendAsync(HttpMethod.Put, path, data, null, "PingSWBackend", cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
@@ -474,7 +486,7 @@ public virtual async Task PingSemanticWorkbenchBackendAsync(CancellationToken ca
 
     #region internals ===========================================================================
 
-    private const int PingFrequencyMS = 20000;
+    private const int PingFrequencyMsecs = 20000;
 
     public void Dispose()
     {
diff --git a/tools/run-app.sh b/tools/run-app.sh
index 4674b860..29461169 100755
--- a/tools/run-app.sh
+++ b/tools/run-app.sh
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ cd workbench-app
 
 # Check node version, it must be major version 20 (any minor), otherwise show an error and exit
 NODE_VERSION=$(node -v)
-if [[ $NODE_VERSION != v20.* ]]; then
-  echo "Node version is $NODE_VERSION, expected 20.x.x."
+if [[ ! $NODE_VERSION =~ ^v(1[8-9]|[2-9][0-9]).* ]]; then
+    echo "Node version is $NODE_VERSION, expected 18.x.x or higher."
 
   # Attempt to source nvm
   if [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ]; then
@@ -19,18 +19,18 @@ if [[ $NODE_VERSION != v20.* ]]; then
     export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
     . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
   else
-    echo "nvm not found. Please install Node 20 manually."
+    echo "nvm not found. Please install Node 18 or higher manually."
     echo "See also README.md for instructions."
     exit 1
   fi
 
-  echo "Installing Node 20 via nvm..."
-  nvm install 20
-  nvm use 20
+  echo "Installing latest LTS Node version via nvm..."
+  nvm install --lts
+  nvm use --lts
 
   NODE_VERSION=$(node -v)
-  if [[ $NODE_VERSION != v20.* ]]; then
-    echo "Failed to switch to Node 20 via nvm. You have $NODE_VERSION."
+  if [[ ! $NODE_VERSION =~ ^v(1[8-9]|[2-9][0-9]).* ]]; then
+    echo "Failed to switch to Node 18 or higher via nvm. You have $NODE_VERSION."
     exit 1
   fi
 fi