recently at my university everybodies msn has stopped working, a friend of mine has concluded that it has been blocked on the network how do i establish whether or not this is correct and if it is blocked, is there a way around this problem?

You should consult the people running the network at your University. If they are intentionally blocking it, then even if you found a way "around it" you would be violating network policies which could result in unpleasant things you would prefer to avoid. And, if they are not blocking MSN intentionally, but instead unintentionally blocking it due to some new network security procedure, then they will help you (and others) "get around" it without violating network user rules.

Just out of curiosity, how many people are at your University, and are you sure that EVERYONE has lost the ability to connect to MSN Messenger? Ditto above answer. Check with your University IT Office. "So won’t you give this man his wings What a shame To have to beg you to see We’re not all the same What a shame" - Shinedown