Eagerly awaited SP2 to fix voice probs

[...D.]

I lost count of how long I have waited for SP2, because I was told that it
would address my voice problems, and many others too, I am not alone.

OK. SP2 now installed. Trying once again. Here is the deal, when trying to
talk with a friend, I can hear him, my meter moves for me when I talk, but he
cannot hear me (both in California about 90 miles apart). Trying with another
friend, she accepts, I see "connecting to so & so", and it never completes the
connection, saying the remote computer is experiencing problems after it
eventually aborts. (She cross country).

I am behind a Netgear router. My 1st friend who cannot hear me & I hear him,
is also behind a Netgear router. My second friend who we cannot even connect
voice, I do not think is behind a router, but I could be mistaken.

Also I've tried Windows Messenger with the 1st friend too, (he still using
MSN) and get the "connecting to so & so", but it never does connect voice and
eventually aborts.

Now - if anyone tells me, especially now with SP2 here, that I have to do
this & that & this & enable this port or that port, I am going to puke my
guts. How many millions of people are behind routers now in a little home
network? With more each day joining the club. I just read over 50% of
Americans are now on broadband, so routers are becoming very common in
households.

I have absolutely no voice or video problems with Yahoo Messenger. 6I never
have had any. I am guessing 6 months or so ago I was told in one of these NGs
by what I remember as some official looking name for a Microsoft guy, that SP2
would handle this stuff differently & all would be fine. Well I now have SP2
and the same ol' sh*t..

My friends I am talking about - we're all Yahoo Messenger people now. I do
not understand what the problem is with Microsoft on this one thing here.
Firewall shmirewall,, I honestly do not think that is it. But even if it is,
I should not have to do anything to fix it. How can a company like Yahoo
out-do Bill Gates like this?

Yea my main chat client is now Yahoo Messenger, but I still would like to get
this resolved. We use MSN Messenger for files transfers, because in this it
is superior to Yahoo Messenger for this. (Yahoo has size limitations, for one
thing).

...D.
---
OT : The steel knights (st33l-Kn1ghts) is a small Yahoo Messenger based
chatroom club. Whether you are techie or a newbie, they're looking for some
new blood. It's nice to know the people you chat with in a chatroom
environment. http://www.steel-knights.com . (you can run Yahoo Messenger &
Windows/MSN Messenger at the same time with no conflicts).

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Greetings D,

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is a great step up for Windows XP and like any new release of
anything (including Messenger), there are some great changes and plenty of issues as the
result of these changes (especially the built-in Windows Messenger client in SP2 with regards
to Hotmail support).

However, except in some very limited scenarios (issues with the built-in Internet Connection
Firewall in SP1/Original XP come to mind), SP2 is not going to help any connectivity problems
with regards to audio/video. Certainly the idea of "the next big thing will solve all your
problems" is nothing new, but I'm really not sure where this specific idea that SP2 would
solve all Messenger connectivity problems came from, although I have heard it mentioned in
passing that it will cure various deadly diseases (your experiences may vary of course).

Enabling ports in your router (which by the way, are 5004 through 65535 UDP for audio) will
probably do nothing with regards to Messenger (there are some limited instances where it
will), as since Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger 4.0's release, Messenger has made use of
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) within Internet Gateway devices (like routers). UPnP allows
Messenger to automatically open and forward the necessary ports on its own, thereby making
file transfer, audio and video connections and simple as pressing a button. But UPnP isn't a
fix all either, for this to work, the router needs to support UPnP and have it turned on
(Linksys for instance, turns UPnP off by default). However, with the newer releases of MSN
Messenger 6.x, even further support has been expanded to routers which don't support UPnP
(although UPnP is still strongly suggested), but as always, does not work with every router
or possible network scenario.

Yahoo Messenger has one type of functionality that MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger does
not, and that's the ability to simply have your audio conversations sent through the Yahoo
Messenger server (thereby bypassing any need for a direct connection). Although future
versions of Messenger may have similar support, at the moment, such support is limited to the
Webcam and file transfer only, so if a direct connection can't be established, it will simply
fail (as you've noticed). However, just to point out, I'm not sure if you've ever
experienced Messenger voice conversations, but quality-wise they are far greater than Yahoo
Messenger's.

I noticed you mentioned that Yahoo had limits on file transfer; it does, but *only* if you're
sending the file through the server. As such, Yahoo isn't establishing a direct connection
to your contact, it's simply sending all your data through the Yahoo server, therefore
bypassing your router all together. This might sound fine to you, but certainly isn't
reliable and speed-wise is rather poor.

As for some troubleshooting for MSN or Windows Messenger, I'd suggest you first turn off QoS;
to do so, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Network Connections. Right
click your network/internet connection, then click Properties. Uncheck the QoS Packet
Scheduler,and try again. Also depending on what Netgear router you have, you may want to
check that you have the latest firmware that supports UPnP and that it's turned on in the
router configuration.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[...D.]

As for some troubleshooting for MSN or Windows Messenger, I'd suggest you first turn off QoS;
to do so, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Network Connections. Right
click your network/internet connection, then click Properties. Uncheck the QoS Packet
Scheduler,and try again. Also depending on what Netgear router you have, you may want to
check that you have the latest firmware that supports UPnP and that it's turned on in the
router configuration.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert

You know, I have not tried your suggestions yet, but I want to thank you. In
the 6 months, or however long I had voice problems, you are the 1st one to
suggest, in checking in this NG from time to time, something other than
"enable so & so ports in your router". So thanks again, even if it does not
work. I have had voice problems pre-router too, but it was on & off.

...D.

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi,

You're very welcome; although I've been posting here everyday since November 27th, 2001, so
I'm unsure why you have not seen this before =)

Let us know how it goes!
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[devdeep]

Greetings D,

As for some troubleshooting for MSN or Windows Messenger, I'd suggest you first turn off QoS;
to do so, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Network Connections. Right
click your network/internet connection, then click Properties. Uncheck the QoS Packet
Scheduler,and try again. Also depending on what Netgear router you have, you may want to
check that you have the latest firmware that supports UPnP and that it's turned on in the
router configuration.

I tried to do this - under LAN or high-speed internet, I have Local
area connection and 1394 connection. Neither of these have a QoS in
their properties.

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Greetings,

Then QoS isn't the problem for you =)
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[...D.]

Hi,
You're very welcome; although I've been posting here everyday since November 27th, 2001, so
I'm unsure why you have not seen this before =)
Let us know how it goes!

Well, I have only tried it with my friend, both of us behind a Netgear
router. He uses Firefox, & I told him to do the QoS thing, and also the we
both did the UPnP with our routers, which by default was disabled. But the
same problem, I can hear him, but he cannot hear me, even though my meter
moves for me when I talk. I have to try it with a few others though. I
have not gone and put anything back, so I still have QoS unchecked & still
have UPnP enabled in my router - I do not know what any of this is - with
UPnP, Netgear suggested a 30 minute setting for I guess my router is
supposed to send out "something" 4 hops for UPnP ??? - if I set it at 60
minutes instead, could this be bad - what is QoS packets & UPnP anyways ?

So, so far it looks like I have to wait for that major upgrade of MSN
Messenger..

...D.