msn crashing router

[htid]

Just asking this for a friend who doesn't know what's going on.

It [msn messenger] works for like, a minute, and then (forgive me, my knowledge of computers is awful) my computer will give a sign to say 'limited wireless connection' and then our router freezes, and internet is cut off from all the computers in the house and once or twice my Dad's computer has frozen as well...

To start it up again we have to restart all of the computers, unplug the wireless thing and let it cool down for a minute or two and then plug it back in.

..if I log back onto msn, it happens all over again.

It's a D-Link router, anybody ever heard anything like this? Couldn't find anything by googling. Does it sound like the router is dying?

[GoNz0]

doesnt sound good, how handy are you with a screwdriver, open it up and clean it out ?

[htid]

doesnt sound good, how handy are you with a screwdriver, open it up and clean it out ?

I only know this person through the net, so I won't be doing any opening and I think judging by the fact that she calls her router a "wireless box thingy" I don't think she should be doing anything like that. I assume that means it's time for a new router, cheers.

[Funkstar]

Yeah i would say a new router is in order.

My trusty old Netgear router died a few months back. It would let me browse the internet as that was bursty, but continuous connection apps (like MSN, downloads, radio, etc) would jut kill it. Signal would drop very very low and then just disconnect. Even sitting next to the router with my laptop wan't enough.

Replaced it with a Dlink which I don't like as i can't find a way to permenantly bind an IP to a MAC address.

[peterb]

It is very difficult to diagnose things like this even second hand, let alone third!

MSN traffic is data, just like anything else, using specific ports on the computer making the MSN connection. What is he/she using the MSN connection for? Just IM, Voice, voice and video, file sharing? All these have different data rates. It could be that the router cannot handle all the open ports required for that, and is being overloaded, so while it may not be failing, it may not be up to the job.

Without knowing the make and model, of the router, I can't comment on it, but if it is a cheaper one, possibly supplied by the ISP, then changing it for something like a LInksys or Netgear (around £40) wouldn't do any harm - although it might not cure the problem. It would be worth knowing if the problem occurs with a wired connection, or on other computers.

The reason for that is that the computer itself might not be responding correctly and could be sending lots of ack packets itself, bringing down the wreless side and/or the router.

[htid]

Ok some more details.

When using msn, she doesn't even have time to start typing, using video or anything before it crashes the router (which I already mentioned is a DLink). Strange thing is, she can use skype for video and voice perfectly fine and it doesn't crash, which kinda throws your theory out of the window, Funkstar :S Hmm well I don't think she knows enough about comps to start messing about, so I'll just suggest she buys a new one, this current one is about 4 years old she reckons.

[GoNz0]

if you can get the exact model you could talk her through a firmware update if there is one

of course she may take herself off the net if she doesnt have her login details somewere safe