MSN keeps disconnecting

[p0ng0]

Hey,
my MSN (Windows Live Messenger) continiously keeps disconnecting from the Internet, it says "connection lost...reconnecting in x seconds..."

I have 8mb Bulldog Broadband connection with 3 PCs connected via a NetGear DG834 ADSL Router.

I've tried opening the ports on the router but it still seems to disconnect from the Internet.

All of the systems disconnect at the exact same time on Windows Live Messenger (formly known as MSN Messenger).

I read on a forum that the Anti Virus (i'm obviously using Avast ) may be blocking the port or something with a PROXY Shield?

Wheres the PROXY SHIELD and how do i turn it off? Or does anyone else know how to stop MSN from disconnecting like so?




Many thanks,


KRIS

[neal62]

I had the same problem I believe with MSN messenger version 7.5 etc.
The chat window would come up but when I tried to sign in it would disappear.
     I sent MSN tech support an e-mail about this problem. They DID not and were not able to give me a solution that corrected it. What I did do at the time was un-install I.E. 7.0, Beta version, go back to using I.E. 6.0. When I went back to MSN.com to download MSN messenger I was given the only choice of downloading "Windows Live Messenger" in Beta form. I did this and now I don't have the problem of the Messenger program disappearing.
   So, don't know if this could be your problem but I don't believe my problem was with MY pc, but instead something on MSNs end that they couldn't find or didn't tell me about. 

[alanrf]

I'm not entirely sure that the problem referred to by Neal63 is the same as that reported by p0ng0 - maybe we can get an update.

I got involved in testing MSN Live Messenger because one of the folks I support was having difficulty in getting it to work with a friend of his in the UK. I have now done quite a bit of testing of it.

All of the testing has been with users of avast except for the UK user who has McAfee and was also running behind a Netgear combined ADSL modem/router. None of the problems encountered in getting MSN Live Messenger to work have involved, in any way, an antivirus product.

All of the problems were related to NAT addressing (where routers are in use) and to blocking by firewall software where that was used.  The firewalls we tested with were the Windows XP firewall and with ZoneAlarm (current free version).  The routers involved were Netgear in the UK and Linksys in the US.

MSN Live messenger has a number of subfunctions IM chat, voice chat, remote assistance and others that all work slightly differently.   However, the very simplified net of the testing is:

1) if behind a NAT router then I have found no way to set up port forwarding/triggering that works - analysis of the network traces suggests that the way MSN Live messenger has been written makes it not possible.  The only way to get it to work is to turn on the SSDP Discovery and Up-n-p services and allow MSN Live messenger to use the Up-n-p functions of the router.

2) if using the Windows XP firewall then allowing the application is all that is needed. If using ZoneAlarm then certain subfunctions of MSN Live messenger will require that the IP address of the person you are communicating with be added to the list of trusted IP addresses (ok if they have a static IP address - a pain if their IP address changes each time they connect).  Other firewalls may vary. 

The firewall issue and NAT addressing issue are not related to one another.  A user   of ZoneAlarm will still face the trusted user issue even if not using a NAT router.   

[alanrf]

Quite a bit more detail in this article:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/worki01.mspx

[p0ng0]

Well yeah, i'm using the Router and i've done the UPnP device thing, on all systems... this doesn't help :S
as for what the other dude said, about his windows disappearing, i don't believe this error was to do with the version of the Windows Live Messenger nor any anti virus/firewall software. I used the Beta when it first came out... this didn't happen to me. Maybe there was an error in the file that you downloaded... depending on where you downloaded it (if not from offical live.com beta site).

I would of reinstalled the Windows Live and if not then i'd go back to the old Messenger while the new came out into offical. If still the same i'd of formatted my pc! MSN is like a lively hood! lol.

[neal62]

Well my problem I HAD with MSN messenger probably wasn't the same then as yours. But, I on numerous times had uninstalled the MSN version 7.5 from my pc and then downloaded it again with the same results when I tried to sign in to the chat service window. By changing browsers, then going back to the MSN. com home page and finding that the Windows Live Messenger was ALL I could download seems to solve my problem for some reason. I do use a Linksys Router, and am on Cable ISP. But I just don't understand why my problem was accidentally solved and by what method? Oh well it works now and that is all I am asking for.  Thanks for the input from both of you.

[p0ng0]

no problem!  it's good when others can resolve other's problems from their own experience. i'm doing computer engineering in college (soon.. im 16 now..) and i always come across new stuff that i find a way to fix, so i can put it down as experience, so when helping someone else, it helps me too! lol.