Member Avatar for snowwolf

I would like to ask is anyone got a similar problem. My MSN is always offline without noticed. That really annonying. It is a bug or is it my powerbook problem. Thank You

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This thread describes a PowerBook where MSN keeps showing “offline” without warning. reported the symptom, pointed at possible service/ISP issues, and suggested an alternate client. Below are concrete, safe checks and steps that go beyond those brief replies to help isolate whether the problem is the service, the Mac, or local networking.

First isolate network vs account vs client. From Terminal try a basic reachability test: ping -c 4 google.com (general connectivity) and ping -c 4 msn.com (DNS/resolution to Microsoft). Use traceroute msn.com to find where the path stops. Try signing into your account from a different machine or web access to confirm the account itself is fine. These steps show whether the problem is an external outage or something local.

Mac-specific checks to try next: open Keychain Access (Applications > Utilities) and search for saved Messenger/Passport credentials — back them up and delete the entry so the client must re-authenticate. Open Console (Applications > Utilities) and filter for “Messenger” or “MSN” while attempting sign-in to capture error messages (authentication failures, DNS failures, TLS errors). Temporarily disable the Mac firewall in System Preferences > Security to test whether the client is being blocked. With the client closed, move Messenger preference and cache files from ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Caches to a safe folder (do not delete; just move) and relaunch to force a fresh config.

Router and NAT can also cause intermittent “offline” states. Test from a different network (tethering or another Wi‑Fi) to rule out router rules or ISP interference. If the Console shows authentication errors, ensure the saved password in Keychain matches the account. As a last step, install the latest Messenger build available for your OS or reinstall; always keep a backup of preferences and Keychain entries before removing them. If none of the above yields log messages or a fix, include the Console error lines when seeking further help — they will point to whether it is DNS, TLS/auth, or client-side corruption.

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Member Avatar for extofer

was this just recently or ALOT. I noticed it was down for a FEW hours in the last few days. I think maintenance maybe?? or it could be your ISP or computer

Member Avatar for yellow

Apparently this is a problem with MS's chat app. You might want to try Adium instead.

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