MSN breaking my connection

[Lakitu]

Hopefully one of you can help me out quicker than BT ever could.

Since last night, when I sign into MSN, my internet connection breaks after a couple of minutes. I have to switch off the router, leave it a few minutes and switch it on again, but it breaks the connection after a few minutes again.

It only seems to be when I have signedinto MSN, I don't have it on at the moment and my connection hasn't broken.

This happened a while ago but sorted itself out after a while, but most frustrating in the meantime.

Have any of you had a similar experience or know what's going on here?

[Lakitu]

Anyone?

I really don't want to phone BT tonight :(

[ChuckFickens]

Hi Lakitu,

The reason that this hasn't been answered is that it is highly unlikely to be anything to do with MSN thats causing your router to drop the connection.

Are you sure the connection is dropping, does the internet light on the router go out? are you able to access the router admin page and check to see if it keeps a log, if so that may give an indication of whats going on.

If you haven't already got it could try downloading the latest version of messenger and installing it, if you already have it then remove it download and install again.

Also make sure your virus and anti spyware software is up to date and run a full scan on both.

I understand you not wanting to ring BT, they are useless!!

[Lakitu]

Hi Chuck,

It only happens when I have signed into MSN, if I stay out of it, my connection is fine, which is why I put it down to MSN causing the problem. It was the same before, only when I had signed into MSN.

All the lights on my router go green and still. How do I check the router admin page?

I think I will uninstall and re-install it and see if that helps, if not I guess I'll just have to phone them :(

Thank you for replying :)

[ChuckFickens]

if all the lights on the router go green and still it sounds like the router may have a problem and be crashing/locking up.

you access the router admin pages using a web browser, firstly goto the start menu and select run, then in the run box type cmd and hit enter, this will bring up a command line, type in here "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) and hit enter, in the information this brings up look for the default gateway and make a note of the number next to it, this is the address of the router, it should be something like 192.168.1.1 if you then type this number into the address bar on your browser it should take you to the admin page for the router.

it will require a username and passwod to login, these are often

Admin
Admin

admin
admin

admin
password

However if it is crashing chances are it isn't recording anything in the log.

My best guess now I'd you have a strange fault on the router, but like I said it is a guess. maybe somebody else can suggest something

Anyone??

[cado]

someone is hacking your computer thru MSN.

[Lakitu]

Wow, thank you very much!

I'll do exactly that when I get home. It sounds like it could just be a problem with the router, which is about 5 years old now, so maybe it's just had enough.

I want to go wireless but was holding off until I had finished all my home improvements, maybe I should just go ahead and do it now.

[Lakitu]

How do you know, cado?

[cado]

i'm psychic.

[Lakitu]

LOL, really?

Can you whisper to me what tomorrow's lotto numbers will be, please?

[ChuckFickens]

sod whispering, let us all know so we can all have a share :)

Lakitu,

Just as a long shot, if your router has more than one Ethernet port on it try plugging the network cable into a different one and see if it makes a difference.

[Lakitu]

I don't recall seeing more than one point, I'll check when I'm home :)

I called BT about getting wireless about a year or so ago, they told me I would need to get an Engineer out to install it and it would cost a further �50 for that service. Now, I'm not professing to be an IT guru, but I'm not that stupid either (I don't think), is it really necessary for an Engineer to install it??

[DrFilth]

have you ever had problems while making a phone call. like crackling on the line ????????

[ChuckFickens]

no not normally, all you need to know is your username and password for the internet, your usename would normally be the main email address associated with the account and the password you probably picked when you originally setup the account. Once you have these you just login to the router admin as above enter the username and password and it will connect..

Your 50quid would be better spent at pcworld on buying a decent wireless router (netgear or lynksys are about the best) and they will come with fairly easy to follow instructions on how to setup the connection and the wireless link.

[Lakitu]

No, I've not had crackling on the landline, but that's not to say there isn't, I rarely use it, opting to use the minutes on my mobile instead.

I'll try and sort out the connection issues for the moment, but I'll need to ask BT to resend my log in details again (I've never ever used the BT icon to get into the net, nor have I ever used the e-mail address they supplied) and go ahead and get a wireless router.

Thank you very much for your time, you've been great :)