iChat connection problems

Hi,

On the Mac.

System Preferences > Security > Firewall

IF On go to the Advanced Button

Allow Signed Apps should be ticked (Enabled) and iChat in the list.

DO NOT enable Stealth.

Router (Modem that Routes)

This should use a method to open the ports that allows multiple computers to use the same ports at the same time.

Port Forwarding normally Lists the ports you set but point them to one IP (Computer) excluding others.

UPnP is the easiest to set up if your device has it as it is an Enable Disable setting.

Finding it can be a trial and error thing.

Linksys have it in the Administration tab.

Netgears have a separate menu items for it (And it is Enabled by default)

Motorola and Netpoia devices don't have it.

D-Links have it tucked away in either Mics or Tools across the top tabs and Then Advanced down the side.

Zyxels have in it at the bottom of the middle of a three column menu.

(i.e.it can be anywhere)

If you don't have UPnP then Port Triggering (Special Applications) is the method to use.

This lists ports in sort of table.

Some ports iChat use "Listen" for themselves.

Others such as the port the visible part of an A/V Invite comes in on needs to be set to open (trigger) the A/V ports (port 5678 on UDP needs to open ports 16393-16402 on UDP)

8:54 PM Wednesday; June 15, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

It does very much depend at this point on how the router has been set up.

There are essentially four methods to open ports and not all devices have then all.

Most will have Port Forwarding (it is the oldest method)

Example Pic
Shows Listed Start and End ports. (Lists all iChat 3 ports)
List an IP that they go to (Computer)

Also has an Enabled tick box.

This Linksys also lists Protocols (Rare for Port Forwarding).
Tends to need the computer to stay at the same IP (Routers may have a way of assigning this or you may have to use Static Routing on your LAN)

This method will only allow the ports to one IP (Computer excluding others).

DMZ (Demilitarised Zone)
An Enable/DIsable setting that opens all 65535 ports to one IP (Computer)
Not secure but can be useful for testing

Port Triggering

This also uses a Table.

Ports you need open all the time are listed as Trigger and Range selection.

Tables can vary slightly in style.

Example 2 Pic
This one uses a Start and End port in both sections so port 5190 (for Login to AIM) is listed 4 times

Port 5678 (Visible Invite Part) then opens port 5060 for iChat 3
Port 5060 then opens 16384-16403 for the actual Video/Audio Chat

(for iChat 4 and 5 this neeeds to be port 5678 opens 16393-16402 (there is no port 5060 used) and the group is smaller as all Video and Audio data is on one port. )

With most devices Protocols are normally listed unlike this Linksys.
Allows multiple computers to access the same ports at the same time

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)

An On/Off setting.

Example Pic 3

Allows multiple Computers.

Apple Base Stations

These have Port Mapping Protocol
Using AIrport Utility access your Device using the Manually Configure Button

Go to the Interent Icon and then the NAT tab.

Again this is an Enable/Disable option and needs to be Enabled.
Works like UPnP

Other things

On the Mac.

Go to System Preferences > Network

Go to the Advanced Button and then the DNS tab

Are the servers listed on both computers ?

(Greyed out ones are Autodiscovered from the Router)

It may pay to add a Public DNS server (8.8.4.4 for exmple)

As iChat is making an IP to IP connection it make use of DNS.

In iChat

Open the Preferences > Accounts

Select the Server Settings tab.

Are both using SSL ?

Are they using the same Login port ?

If you log out you cna change these items

Try changing the Login port to 443 (If this account logs in to AIM (login.oscar.aol.com)
Toggling the SSL option and logging in again may also help. It needs to be reset if iChat lost the connection to the SSL server (slogin.oscar.aol.com).

10:05 PM Wednesday; June 15, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

One more thing.

Open the Video Menu then Connection Doctor.

In the capabilities option do both computers list the same things.

If you have red crosses fro Video chat then go to iChat > Preferences > Video Section > Bandwidth limiit and set it to 500kbps

10:13 PM Wednesday; June 15, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Ok,

Comcast supply Cable Modems on the whole.
Cable Modems do not route. (No set up to be done )

Airport Base Stations (including Time Capsules)

Go to Applications/Utilities

Open Airport Utility

Select your Airport in the list

Use the Manually Configure Button
Select the Internet icon across the top. (Some later versions may vary and you will have to tell me what you see)

First check the drop down at the Bottom of the pane

Does this read "Share a Public IP" ?

Of so across the top you will have three or four tabs depending on the firmware version of your Base Station.

Click the NAT one

In here you should find Port Mapping Protocol. (Apple's version of UPnP)

Tick the Box to Enable it

Apply Changes/Save Settings

10:42 PM Sunday; June 19, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

Hi,

Did your Base Station set up look like this ?

Does your Internet Connection tab show the DNS servers ?

Where I have Marked "These IPs" in red yours should show the IP you get from Comcast (most likely starts with a 69, rather than the 75 shown)

I just want to confirm that the Cable Modem is exactly that and is passing on the Public IP address Comcast gives you.

If you do have DNS servers listed are they greyed out text or black text ?

Do those same DNS servers appear in the Mac's System Preferences > Network > Advanced button > DNS tab ?

Is it the same on both Macs ?

You should be Ethernet or Wifi to the Airport Base Station NOT both at the same time.

7:35 PM Monday; June 20, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

Having a Domain name filled in the box is not that important.

It will pay to Copy and Add the DNS servers that show in the Airport in to the System Preferences > Network settings.

10.1.0.1 ? or 10.0.1.1 as you post is only the DNS to the Airport. This may not make the transition onwards and upwards to the internet. (Basically you are only resolving LAN IP names to IP addresses and for iChat you need to find the Internet IP of the Buddy)

It does not matter if one computer is Ethernet and one Wifi or whether both are using the same method.

What should not be happening is one computer using bother Ethernet and Wifi at the same time (or in fact both computers using both methods).

7:39 PM Wednesday; June 22, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

So those DNS server IPs have been entered in both Ethernet and Wifi in the Mac's Network settings ?

The Computer has an IP from the Airport Base station that starts with a 10

The normal format for this if the Base Station is using the 10 group is 10.1.0.x and I was trying to ask if that was the case when you typed 10.0.1.1

The Computer should get different IPs in the Configure IPv4 part (i.e the line underneath that) for Ethernet and WiFi/Airport.

Still in System Preferences > Network > Advanced Button > TCP/IP tab is the IPv6 item Enabled ?
Try turning this Off. (that is Turn it Off and try iChat)

After it starts reading "Connecting .." does it ever give you a pop up to send to Apple ?

7:24 PM Thursday; June 23, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hi,

Understood on the IP number and the IPv6

In System Preferences > Network you can use the "front Screen" to Add DNS server in the longer filed.

It is by using commas.

However the Advanced Button > DNS tab still woks and you have the Add Button.

The Log is very odd.

It does confirm that it took 4 minutes to get from "Connecting" to the Chat Ended point.

If this was between both your Macs then the end of the log should have said both the Remote router and the Local Router were Full Cone

It also seems to miss a lot of info, such as the To And From info with LAN IPs and such

(An example somewhat spread out and separated in to Sections with Comments)

Summary,

Cable Modem as using Comcast.
Airport Base Station now set to Enable Port Mapping Protocol.

Both Mac Firewalls sorted (Either Off or iChat is listed as an Allowed App)

Network Settings on the Macs may benefit from DNS server info

IPv 6 off (As well as only using one method of Network (WiFi or Ethernet) at a time.) (Any causes of iChat 'seeing' the Internet twice)

There is no evidence in the Log that the other end did more than Accept the visible Invite (You don't get a log at all if they don't).

The Log is supposed to show the process of an SIP invite and connection Process in the log

It should detail something like this as the cause

Video Conference Error Report:

4060.685129 @SIP/SIP.c:2719 type=4 (900A0015/0)

[SIPConnectIPPort failed]

4062.687224 @SIP/SIP.c:2719 type=4 (900A0015/0)

[SIPConnectIPPort failed]

(this means the SIP port appeared to be closed)

It would continue like this:-

Video Conference Support Report:

0.890540 @Video Conference/VCInitiateConference.m:1582 type=2 (00000000/0)

[Connection Data for call id: 1 returns 1

]

4.981522 @Video Conference/VCInitiateConference.m:1597 type=2 (00000000/0)

[Prepare Connection With Remote Data - remote VCConnectionData: 1, local VCConnectionData: 1

]

4.986559 @Video Conference/VCInitiateConference.m:1701 type=2 (00000000/0)

[Initiate Conference To User: u0 with Remote VCConnectionData: 1 with Local Connection Data: 1 conferenceSettings: 1]

5.810046 @SIP/Transport.c:2362 type=1 (00000000/0)

[INVITE sip:user@rip:16402 SIP/2.0

Via: SIP/2.0/UDP sip:16402;branch=z9hG4bK0a2c00216ddc9ea4

Max-Forwards: 70

To: "u0" <sip:user@rip:16402>

From: "0" <sip:user@lip:16402>;tag=70982180

Call-ID: 37293f8a-c541-11dc-80bf-c6454c894012@lip

CSeq: 1 INVITE

Contact: <sip:user@sip:16402>;isfocus

User-Agent: Viceroy 1.3

Content-Type: application/sdp

Content-Length: 614

rip is remote IP = Buddy

lip is you )Local IP

The attempted SIP Port (16402) should be listed (5060 in iChat 3's case)

CSeq = Call sequence and should move later from INVITE to MESSAGE depending how far it gets.

The Log should also List a PING

In System Preferences > Security > Firewall do you have Stealth Enabled ?
This would block responses to PINGs

(That would normally show in the log much later after the Buddy had done more of the SIP acceptance)

At this point I am a little lost as to why this is not working.

Was this chat to your Other Mac ?

If so you can go to your Home Folder/Library/Logs/iChatConnectionErrors and view old logs there as well.

<
8:04 PM Friday; June 24, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously