Allan Gengler

Q: iChat/iMessages quit working most of the time a month ago

This is more of an FYI. A little more than a month ago iMessages stopped working consistently for video conferencing and screen sharing.

 

I routinely help my Mom in Florida with issues so this became a concern.

 

I could still FaceTime and send messages but that was it.

 

So we called Apple Support and it was pretty quickly sent to a manager. After days of trying stuff and finally wiping and reinstalling Yosemite I got a little success. I called a friend in Florida and it went through, but I had not updated to ARD 3.8.4. My friend told me that him and many others in the Mac club there are reporting the same issue, but they had not called Apple.

 

I updated the ARD 3.8.4 and sure enough it stopped working again.

 

The Apple tech, who was great and whose name was Jeremy, has since sent the issue to the engineers.

 

If you've been having similar issues, call Apple, since he said they've had few reports.

 

Since then I have set up a work around with Teamview, but still.

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.4)

Posted on Jul 26, 2015 9:29 AM

Close

Q: iChat/iMessages quit working most of the time a month ago

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Allan Gengler,

    Allan Gengler Allan Gengler Jul 26, 2015 9:30 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 2 (325 points)
    Jul 26, 2015 9:30 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    I should add that I went through three different routers and still no joy.

  • by Dtinen,

    Dtinen Dtinen Jul 28, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 1 (85 points)
    Jul 28, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    What account type are you using for Messages?  Jabber, AIM, Google?

     

    I've been using iChat and Messages, on older OS versions, to screen share without problems for years using Google/Jabber and started having the same problem over a month ago, but could get around it by restarting.  Today, absolutely no way to screen share.  Looking around, it looks like Google may have tweaked their Jabber somehow so Messages/iChat doesn't work well?  We've messed around with ports, accounts, everything we can think of...one of us in Messages/Connection Doctor/Network Status shows "Router type: Unknown" or "Port Restricted" and the message "one or more devices aren't fully compatible with audio and video chatting".  However, neither router has changed, or any settings in them.  Both of us have fast upload/download speeds as measured by Speedtest.net.

     

    We're trying to use AIM instead, however, that has an issue today where even on their website it can't perform a text chat...it says "the other person appears to be offline" when they aren't.

     

    Why doesn't Apple have its own Jabber system that allows screen sharing through me.com?

     

    WHAT'S GOING ON????

  • by Allan Gengler,

    Allan Gengler Allan Gengler Jul 28, 2015 11:26 AM in response to Dtinen
    Level 2 (325 points)
    Jul 28, 2015 11:26 AM in response to Dtinen

    I have AIM, jabber (google) and appleid accounts

     

    interestingly, when I reinstalled system and reset up accounts, NO BUDDIE LIST showed up until I added the AIM account.

     

     

     

    Apple has messed up something in the last couple of months. The "IT JUST WORKS" motto has flown out the window.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 30, 2015 11:57 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 9 (73,217 points)
    Applications
    Jul 30, 2015 11:57 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    Hi all,

     

    AT present this issue is effecting both Jabber and AIM connections.

     

    If you use one account type between two Macs on the same LAN  it appears to work (I have used AIM accounts between Yosemite and iChat 5.0.3 in Snow Leopard).

     

    The Numbering system that apple have used with Messages since Mavericks leaves a lot to be desired.

     

    Mavericks called the app version 8 (to be expected as Mountain Lion's was version 7 and 7.0.1 when it was updated).

    Mavericks version remained at version 8 throughout.

    Only in certain Logs were there any clues it had been updated (it seems at least three updates)

     

    Yosemite is also calling the app version 8 despite many obvious changes that would get whole version number changes (Alerts and Formatting missing from the Preferences and Formatting Menu no longer there).

    On the other hand there is no evidence that t has been updated at all since it was released.

     

    This make it seem that Messages has not had an update since OS X 10.8.2 (when it is obvious that the Mavericks versions was different and the Yosemite one different again).

     

    This means we cannot be certain if Apple have changed anything.

    Add to that the fact that people with OS X 10.10.3 and earlier iChat versions are all reporting this.

     

    The closest thing I have seen before was at the release of iChat 3.

    Apple made minor changes to the protocols used for the Video and then found out certain parts of the Internet backbone had not be updated.

    It was supposed to use ports on internet servers that had been internationally agreed 7 years earlier.

    A large portion of  the United States east of the Mississippi (to Chicago) was affected and of course everyone they were trying to chat to.

     

    Apple got around this by releasing the only stand alone version of iChat since it went Video with the iChat 2.1 update.

     

    It is my belief that something along similar lines has happened again (changes to the Internet backbone this time).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:57 p.m.      Thursday; July 30, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by johnparks,

    johnparks johnparks Jul 31, 2015 7:50 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 31, 2015 7:50 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    I spent hours with 4 different Apple experts and then they told me to use Skype.  Apple has really let us down this time.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 31, 2015 12:01 PM in response to johnparks
    Level 9 (73,217 points)
    Applications
    Jul 31, 2015 12:01 PM in response to johnparks

    Hi,

     

    They could have said Teamviewer  and not a product owned by Microsoft .

     

    It is getting very difficult to even say what the issue is Re: Problem connecting on video chat AIM account/Messages

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:01 p.m.      Friday; July 31, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Dtinen,

    Dtinen Dtinen Aug 4, 2015 7:15 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 1 (85 points)
    Aug 4, 2015 7:15 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    Screen sharing is what I need.  And again today, for no apparent reason, can't do that with my client, even though it "fixed itself" for two days last week.  "There was a communication error during your chat.  iChat received no data...".  This time, renewing DHCP leases, making sure there were no duplicate connections to the Internet, and making sure his second display was at the same resolution as his main display, did not work.  This is via Jabber IM/Google.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Aug 6, 2015 12:25 PM in response to Dtinen
    Level 9 (73,217 points)
    Applications
    Aug 6, 2015 12:25 PM in response to Dtinen

    Hi,

     

    It appears it may be the Apple SNATMAP servers.

    These are involved in all Buddy List started A/V connections including Screen Sharing for AIM and Jabber.

     

    Until today I was not getting a response from this server.

    Today it says (the app I am using) that it is now dropping 3 out of 4 attempt to do  Port Scan.

    It is also refusing Pings  (that is understandable in today's climate).

     

    If we all tried to test the SNATMAP servers it would also look like an Attack so it seems we will have to wait on Apple to resolve this (if this is the issue)

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:25 p.m.      Thursday; August 6, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by rjburketx,

    rjburketx rjburketx Aug 8, 2015 12:11 AM in response to Allan Gengler
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 8, 2015 12:11 AM in response to Allan Gengler

    This issue [Unable to video chat or screen share]  is also being discussed in this thread: 

     

    Re: I can't video conference or screen share with Messages anymore!