iChat MAC to PC Video Freeze after 6.5 min

Come on.. if there was a problem on the ichat side of things then we would have it with all PC's... no I really think it's in the configuration of the PC's. How could iChat deferentiate a block of numbers comming from one type of PC or another. this is a piece of hardware doing this on the PC side. I have no clue what it is though. My father built his own PC so who knows what he put in there.

I am saying that either the PC starts sending corrupted packets, or the Mac stops being able to interpret them. The bug could be on either side.

Anyway, not all software bugs will manifest for all users - it's not that uncommon. Take my word for it, I develop complex multimedia software for a living and the worst bugs to track down are the ones that happen for only a handful of users whilst the majority have no problem

Regards
Dave Waugh
Muon Software Ltd
www.muon-software.com

Hi Ralph,

The current post: http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@@.68a19802 got me looking back at this.

Have you heard anything further about the Apple Engineers' look at this that you mentioned in your post above: msg # 18.1.1.1.1.1: Posted Nov 14, 04?

Is there anything on-going, or has this just been declared a mystery for now?

EZ Jim

I have not heard anything.

I think it is moving into the field of being a mystery.

The one about a TV card is the closest to a Fix but it only effected a very small number.

It would be interesting to know how many people are using Rendezvous at the same time ?

OR how often com.apple.ichat.pictures updates or checks the Buddy List for new icons. It seems to work from the server end with the AIM server broadcasting the new pics. This would make me wonder about the interval - although changes do seem to be 'instant'.

That's just thinking out loud though.

More likely there is some timing part to iChatAgent that comes into play. But we still have to consider why it effects only certian links. That would possibly move it to the routers involved.

Ralph

Thanks, Ralph.

good thoughts.

No TV or Rendezvous on my Freeze with my PC friend from another state, though.

Good possibilities re: server issues or iChat Agent. Maybe ....

If you hear anything, I will be interested on what happened to the data I gathered, though.

Thanks,
EZ Jim

I'll ask our friend

Ralph

Dear James,
I have a similar 5 min 40 sec problem. After reading the replys to your post I have a question. Can a "offending PC" hold up an extended video connection with another PC?

Hi Robert,

Welcome to the Apple Discussion Pages

That is a good thought.

However This thread started on the 17th September and I don't know ho many of the posters are still subscribed to receive emails about new postings.

EZ Jim may came back about his experience with this.

Ralph

Hi Robert,

At Ralph's suggestion and FYI, here is my response.

My PC Freeze Friend, John, has tested (and had freezes) with another PC. He now has two different PCs at his end and has connected with me, another Mac, and other PCs. All freeze.

This thread is getting so long that it is hard to remember everything in it, but I did report John's freeze with another PC at my msg # 18.1.1.1.1.1.1.1: post above dated Nov 15. If you are interested, I have also posted as many specifics as possible concerning my freeze experience in several other posts in this thread.

All John's freeze times are different, even when he uses the same PC to chat with different people. Moreover, using the same LAN at his end, John's freezes with me (when I am using the same Mac) occur at a different time if he uses his desktop PC than when he uses his laptop PC. !! ??

John has changed EVERYTHING except his ISP, Cable Modem, and webcam. (and the AIM server, of course) Freezes continue.

Hope you can solve it or at least suggest
b where
the problem might lie.

HI EZ Jim,

Does your friend John's modem act as a DHCP server ?

Does it distribute IP addresses to his LAN or does he have another router for that ?

IF the modem is doing this what is the lease time on the IP addresses ?
Normally it is in days rather than secs. Some let you set it to infinity. On some it is referred to as the Time to Live (TTL) setting.

Your post would definitely appear to put your experience at the PC end.

Ralph

Hello Ralph,

Does your friend John's modem act as a DHCP server ?

No

Does it distribute IP addresses to his LAN or does he have another router for that ?

He has another router. He, during our testing, bought a new router of a different brand. Changing routers made
b no difference
in the freeze time, or anything else we could determine.

IF the modem is doing this what is the lease time on the IP addresses ?

Not Applicable. Router is handling the DHCP duties.

Your post would definitely appear to put your experience at the PC end.

Agree it is on the PC
b end,
but it does not appear to be dependent upon
b which PC
John uses. It is puzzling to me that the TTF (Time to Freeze) is different when John uses different PCs. Moreover, the TTF is also different for each of John's
b video chat "buddies."
The freeze still happens in all cases with him, however.

EZ Jim

Is it possible that the ISP has put a cap on the bandwidth for videochats? I know for a fact that my ISP has put in a cap when they detect if you are using a P2P or Bittorrent client:

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/nerd/techbittorrentpod.mp3

Hi Asmack,

It could be possible.

What that would not explain is why this happens between only two users.

Most people report it only happens with one of their buddies and that those Buddies can contact everybody else ok as well.

AT one time a Safari Pop-up blocker called Pithelmet used to cause a similar problem. Removing Pithelmet and using the Safari Pop-Blocker seemed to cure this but you had to make sure Pithelmet was unistalled properly.

Ralph

Ralph,

Have you heard any recent word on this?

Jim

Hi Jim,

Not since Galye and James passed info to each other.

Ralph