Problems with router and Messenger

[DocNick]

I started using a router a few months ago, it's an eTEC, don't know much about it. It works fine, in general, we have two PCs connected and in terms of access, speed etc. seems great. The only problem I have with it is on Messenger (Yahoo and MSN) and in certain chat rooms. What happens is that posts go missing...the other person sees what I post, but I don't receive theirs. My hunch is that this is something to do with the fact that these applications need to be connected constantly, whereas for most webpages it doesn't matter...in other words, it may be that the router frequently drops the connection momentarily, but I only notice on messenger. The only flaw in that argument is that I've never noticed a problem with downloads, no matter how long it takes.

Any thoughts?

[chrisbliss18]

Unless you have ISP issues, your connection won't be randomly disconnected. The switching function of routers is like a traffic cop in that it "switches" access to the internet connection to whichever connection needs it for that moment. This process occurs very fast (thousands of switches a second). Routers don't randomly drop packets because it's too busy. If for some reason, information does get lost, it will be resent.

Your description of the problem is a bit vague. I would understand having problems if you were trying to receive files but not receiving portions of standard conversations doesn't make any sense. Frankly, I've never seen that happen. The reason that there are issues with receiving files is because you are behind a firewall and most of the file sending protocols of messengers were written when people were not behind firewalls, so they don't handle the presence of a firewall very well.

Do you notice any pattern with the missing information? Does it happen only at certain specific times?

Have you tried any other messengers (AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Trillian, etc) to see if you have the same issue with them?

[DocNick]

I've not tried the other Messenger programmes you suggest, but since all my contacts are on MSN or Yahoo, it wouldn't help. I've upgraded both Messenger programmes each time there's been an upgrade (twice each, I think, in the last few months) and the problem is still there. I've tried switching the firewall on and off, doesn't seem to make any difference. The problem is not strictly intermittent, but how bad it is varies, sometimes it hardly works at all. No obvious pattern to when it's worst. The only thing I have noticed is that it seems to happen less when the chat is really active i.e. both of us are posting back and forth, short messages, few breaks. That said, when it's really bad, even this makes no difference!

Sorry if it seems vague - it seems a unique prob, no-one else has come across it.

Unless you have ISP issues, your connection won't be randomly disconnected. The switching function of routers is like a traffic cop in that it "switches" access to the internet connection to whichever connection needs it for that moment. This process occurs very fast (thousands of switches a second). Routers don't randomly drop packets because it's too busy. If for some reason, information does get lost, it will be resent.

Your description of the problem is a bit vague. I would understand having problems if you were trying to receive files but not receiving portions of standard conversations doesn't make any sense. Frankly, I've never seen that happen. The reason that there are issues with receiving files is because you are behind a firewall and most of the file sending protocols of messengers were written when people were not behind firewalls, so they don't handle the presence of a firewall very well.

Do you notice any pattern with the missing information? Does it happen only at certain specific times?

Have you tried any other messengers (AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Trillian, etc) to see if you have the same issue with them?