Messenger appears connected, but really it's not

[Steven]

I have the latest version of Windows Messenger (4.7.2009)
and I have noticed a strange problem. The Messenger icon
in my system tray shows that I am connected and when I
right-click, it continues to behave as though I am
connected, but if I try to do something I get the
following error:

The operation failed because the service is not
available. Please try again later.

So, then I click to reconnect and I can do anything
without problem. What seems to happen at some point,
however, is that the connection is lost without my
prompting and without my knowledge. I can be sitting at
my computer all day long with the presumption of being
connected and others will tell me that I am always offline.

Perplexing still is that I have chatted with people and
while I am chatting the other person will tell me that I
appear off-line to them.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing
such an issue? I am connected via a LAN. Could the LAN
configuation cause something querky like this?

Thanks much!

 

[Bob]

I have the identical problem. The situation may have
started when I recently changed routers. I found some info
at the D-Link site (my router brand) but it seems to be in
reference to MSN Messenger, not Windows Messenger. Is
there a difference?

 

[Steven]

Bob,

I'm not sure of the difference between MSN Messenger and
Windows Messenger (my inclination is that other than
perhaps their interface, they are the same), but I do know
that I have the same problem when connected via LAN and
via modem on the same computer. This would lead me to
believe that this is not related to particular routers or
networking equipment.

Does anyone have any ideas? I have seen others post with
similar problems but with no replies.