# Instant Message Software

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203 "2002-07-16T06:31:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203/1 "2002-07-16T06:31:51Z")

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I have a friend who uses a dial up connection. He has AIM installed and it was working just fine. Suddenly, a few days ago, he can’t login to it. It tells him "“The AIM service can’t be reached.”

He gets this error whenever he tries to connect. He can browse just fine, so he has connectivity.

He tried reinstalling AIM, but it didn’t change anything. He also tried installing Yahoo Messenger, but it tells him he can’t connect to the server.

For the sake of argument (because I forgot to ask) let’s assume he’s using Win98.

Have any of you had this problem? Better yet, do any of you have a solution? Any help is much appreciated.

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**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203/2 "2002-07-16T06:55:08Z")

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Is he using a firewall, like Black Ice, Norton Personal Firewall or Zone Alarm?

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**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203/3 "2002-07-16T06:59:38Z")

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This question I actually asked him. No firewall, no proxy server.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203/4 "2002-07-16T12:32:59Z")

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Make sure he hasn’t accidentally changed his login host. It should be “[login.oscar.aol.com](http://login.oscar.aol.com)”

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**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-message-software/119203/5 "2002-07-16T15:47:26Z")

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I will check to make sure that the host is still correct. That wouldn’t have affected Yahoo Messenger though, would it have?