wireless network, messenger and zonealarm

Toxteth_OGrady

Might be clutching at straws here but before you got your wireless router did you previously use the desktop as the ICS gateway?

:cool:

TOG

Rex_Mundi

Just a thought. Have you tried turning ALL your firewalls off (just for a moment) and then connecting with MSN messenger? If the internet and everything else works and messenger doesn't, then surely it would be a setting in the messenger rather than anything else?

Toxteth_OGrady

Loads more info here for you to work thru.

:cool:

TOG

jazzeeeee5

Toxteth_OGrady wrote:

Might be clutching at straws here but before you got your wireless router did you previously use the desktop as the ICS gateway?

Erm,
I think so!! (sorry, very new to networking), It acted as the server for wired network. Desktop is XP - was wired directly to an upstairs PC (not yet on new wireless network at all as is not currently running) and to be honest this network was set up using trial and error method !!

If this is the prob - might you be able to tell me what I need do next?

Thanks

Toxteth_OGrady

It's a shot in the dark but as earlier posters alluded there are known problems with Zone Alarm and ICS. If you used ICS previously on the desktop you may have a legacy registry key that is screwing up the connection for MSN Messenger.

Try stopping/disabling the ICS service: Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> scroll down to Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing -> right click for Properties then select Disable and then Stop the service.

:cool:

TOG

p.s. Have you tried Windows Messenger as well as MSN Messenger??

Browntoa

if it is a registry problems is it worth running a cleaner like ace utilites from www.acelogix.com to see if it straightens that out ??

Toxteth_OGrady

Could be - I use Registry Mechanic. However when you use ICS it assigns ICS NAT IP addresses to specific ICS registry keys. So they will not in themselves be erroneous or orphan entries but just legacy values that are causing a specific downstream problem. In that case it's unlikely a Registry utility would pick up the problem.

I've got a detailed breakdown of ICS registry changes somewhere. I'll try dig it out.

:cool:

TOG

jazzeeeee5

Toxteth_OGrady wrote:

It's a shot in the dark but as earlier posters alluded there are known problems with Zone Alarm and ICS. If you used ICS previously on the desktop you may have a legacy registry key that is screwing up the connection for MSN Messenger.

Try stopping/disabling the ICS service: Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> scroll down to Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing -> right click for Properties then select Disable and then Stop the service.

:cool:

TOG

p.s. Have you tried Windows Messenger as well as MSN Messenger??

Hi again,
OK - Tried to go in where you described but that option is not there in the list. I will have a go at looking at that through another route....Windows Firewall in the control panel maybe? However, if you already know another route.....:D

Am I right in thinking that becuase the desktop has not got wireless card installed (which is why it is wired to the wireless router) I cannot take out the old REALTEK network card? That is sitll showing in the properties box of the 'on' wiress network icon. It is the router that is giving the desktop its internet connection, right? What you say makes sense with the messenger service thinking that it is still connected to the internet that way.... (confused).

No, not tried other messenger, but I dont use MSNs, my sons do - to speak to their school / college mates.

Toxteth_OGrady

Oops - my bad. Missed out 'Services' after 'Administrative Tools'

:cool:

TOG

jazzeeeee5

Right,
I am nowbanging my heading against the monitor!!

Tried that - (thanks, I got there and still same problem "your gateway appears to be offline") then I tried their help pages http://messenger.msn.com/Help/

and tried this http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/natfw.mspx#EGAA (though I am running version 7.5)

Still not joy. Still no ZoneAlarm and frustrated teenagers waiting to speak to their mates on MSN

What next?