MSN Messenger FAQ

  There's a great deal of confusion about making Messenger work - especially behind a router. Here's some tips that I've compiled from different resources and experiences to help you make it work.It's vital to lay a good foundation for MSN Messenger to work from and if you follow these steps you will have it!

All Microsoft Operating Systems

  • Be certain you are using the latest MSN Messenger release. You can download the latest version here.
  • Confirm that the people you are trying to connect to are using the same latest version - this is very important.
  • Ensure that your computer and the computer that you are connecting to have the latest Windows Updates installed. They can be found here.
  • Be sure that you have the latest Direct X installed. It can be found here.

If You Are Behind a Router Trying to Use MSN Messenger

  • Follow all the steps outlined above!
  • Check to make sure your router is running the latest firmware. Firmware updates are released regularly for most router brands and often include Messenger fixes. Install the latest firmware.
  • Find out if your router supports Universal Plug & Play. Make certain that the router's Universal Plug & Play functionality is turned on. For LinkSys routers you can usually find this option here.
  • If Universal Plug & Play is not a supported configuration for your router then chances are it won't work without manually opening a large variety of ports. This will make your firewall look like Swiss cheese. It's probably easier for you to replace it with a LinkSys BEFSR41 or similar.
  • If you are using Windows XP make sure that QoS is turned off. QoS is known to cause audio problems with MSN Messenger. To turn off QoS follow these steps;
  1. In Windows, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Click Network and Internet Connection, and then click Network Connections.
  3. Right-click the network or Internet connection that is currently enabled, and then click Properties.
  4. Clear the QoS Packet Scheduler check box.
  5. Restart your computer.
  6. Sign in to MSN Messenger and try again.

  If you are using Windows XP check to ensure that Universal Plug & Play support for your O/S is installed as well as Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control Client. To add these features to your Windows XP O/S follow these steps;

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Add/Remove Windows Components.
  2. In the Components list, click Networking Services, click Details, and then click the Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control Client check box. Then click the check box labeled Universal Plug and Play.
  3. Click OK, click Next, and then click Finish.
  4. Restart your computer.

  If you are using Windows 98 be sure to install NetSetup.exe (This is the Service Pack 1a version) and will add Universal Plug & Play support to Windows 98 and it's variants.

  If you are running Windows ME install Universal Plug & Play support. To install the Universal Plug and Play feature in Windows ME, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Click Add/Remove Programs.
  3. Click Windows Setup.
  4. Click Communications.
  5. Click Details.
  6. Click to select the Universal Plug and Play check box.
  7. Click OK, click OK, and then enable Windows to install the component.
  8. Re-start your computer

  If you are running Windows 2000 make certain all the latest updates are installed as well as the latest Direct X. Windows 2000 does not support Universal Plug & Play but Direct X will help as it contains some UPNP code.

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