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Suddenly ichat video not working properly

I use ichat for work on a regular basis. For the last two days I've either been unable to make a video connection with my colleagues or it takes a remarkably long time to make the connection. Happens on 3 different computers from my office - one using ethernet and two using airport extreme. My coworkers are in different cities and not having any troubles making connections with each other. I called my internet provider and they said connection speed was fine. I ran some speed tests and agree, the problem does not seem to be with my connection.

I've not installed any new programs recently or changed settings. 3 days ago everything was fine. Anyone else having similar problems?

Thanks,

Tom

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Aug 9, 2012 3:06 PM

74 replies

Aug 13, 2012 12:52 PM in response to hakanfolkesson

Hi,

34.009680 @/SourceCache/VideoConference/VideoConference-454.1/SIP/Transport.c:2139 type=1 (00000000/0)

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

Via: SIP/2.0/UDP sip:34195;branch=z9hG4bK6ab9acac0cd5b2c0

Max-Forwards: 70

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

From: "0" <sip:user@lip:16402>;tag=1903681754

Call-ID: 1e1e5284a13b326-e528-11e1-9195-b1ba1e5f4012@lip

CSeq: 1 INVITE

Contact: <sip:user@sip:34195>;isfocus

User-Agent: Viceroy 1.4

Content-Type: application/sdp

Content-Length: 697

The Log says it is an SIP issue in the heading further up than the quote

rip= Remote IP = Buddy

lip = Local IP = You

The Call is "From" you as lip

This means you are the isFocus end.

Basically the Invite is saying it wants the call on port 16402 but for some reason it has shifted to port 34195

After several attempts it convinces the other end to try a different port as well

39.770873 @/SourceCache/VideoConference/VideoConference-454.1/SIP/Transport.c:2139 type=1 (00000000/0)

[INVITE sip:user@rip:57159 SIP/2.0

Via: SIP/2.0/UDP sip:34195;branch=z9hG4bK1dcd64c23764deaa

Max-Forwards: 70

To: "u0" <sip:user@rip:57159>

From: "0" <sip:user@lip:16402>;tag=1160016950

Call-ID: 1e1e5284c9d9710-e528-11e1-9195-a1d6a0834012@lip

CSeq: 1 INVITE

Contact: <sip:user@sip:34195>;isfocus

User-Agent: Viceroy 1.4

Content-Type: application/sdp

Content-Length: 697

None of these are the listed ports for iChat or Messages.

I cannot say if the Mac Firewall will allow these ports if it is On. It will allow ports used to login to AIM if you change them (AIM will allow a connection on almost any port)

You would also have to check if you router is allowing these ports.

UPnP would be the best method of doing this.

Having said that it looks like the Buddy's end

27.880616 @/SourceCache/VideoConference/VideoConference-454.1/Video Conference/VCInitiateConference.m:2218 type=5 (00000000/0)

[Remote Router]

[BAD TEST]

27.880628 @/SourceCache/VideoConference/VideoConference-454.1/Video Conference/VCInitiateConference.m:2220 type=5 (00000000/0)

[Remote CommNAT Result: 0x00000001

iChat cannot even tell what method this router uses to do NAT.

8:52 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 13, 2012 12:53 PM in response to broadway al

Yes,

But cut them Off at the "Binary Images..." line.

8:53 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Aug 13, 2012 12:54 PM in response to Tom Zarem

Hi Tom,

Are you getting the Error pop up with the Log revealed in the Details triangle ?

8:54 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Tom Zarem Author

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Aug 13, 2012 1:14 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,

No log errors on this one. Just an incorrect - " - declined to answer or, - ended the call." Mostly a very long time (up to 45 seconds) to answer after accepting a call. And this long connection problem seems to prevent successfully adding more people to calls.

Tom

Aug 13, 2012 1:24 PM in response to Tom Zarem

HI,

What Speeds are you getting at your end ?

http://www.speedtest.net/

Upload tends to be the more important.

It should be above 256kbps (0.256Mbps in round terms) for "Real World" use.

9:24 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Tom Zarem Author

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Aug 13, 2012 1:29 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Don't think this is the problem. I'm getting over 25 Mbps download and just over 5Mbps upload.

Aug 13, 2012 1:38 PM in response to Tom Zarem

Ok,

Is the Buddy getting their normal speeds ?

Are you both a vastly different speeds ?

9:38 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Tom Zarem Author

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Aug 13, 2012 1:49 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I've got two people I communicate with. Their speeds are probably faster (one uses fiber the other a university connection that has always seemed fast when I've worked there). We've never had a problem before and they're not having any problems communicating with each other and others. Is there any chance that the servers that ichat communications touch have intermittent problems that will clear up eventually?

Aug 13, 2012 1:59 PM in response to Tom Zarem

Hi,

University sites are prone to drastic changes due to Student and Tutors use and on the time of year.

The overall link may be fast but it is shared with however many are On line.

I have never known the issue be due the the Apple SNATMAP server that does the connection process (An I have been using it since 2004)

If you have iChat/Messages set to use the AIM server to relay Video then that is another matter.

Once Connected and not using the AIM relay the Chat is Peer-to-Peer

Some ISPs think this looks like File Sharing and will slow down the connection to make it a pointless activity.

Maybe the university is applying similar filters.

9:59 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Tom Zarem Author

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Aug 13, 2012 2:12 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

We've been using this for quite awhile - nearly 3 years - and never had this kind of trouble. Some of us do use AIM so perhaps that is a problem - but I think that it has not mattered weather we're .me accounts or aim accounts trying to connect. I recognize that sometimes our speeds can vary and create trouble and we're usually patient with that. This is different. We're consistently unable to make a normal connection. My hope is it will clear up within the next few weeks.

Aug 13, 2012 2:17 PM in response to Tom Zarem

It does sound odd and not in the usual run of things.

At present it does seem that Apple are having some sort of issue with the @mac.com names for some people - particularly with Messages. (As iMessages names)

It seems that some are also having issues uning it as a AIM valid Name (But then in Messages the entry method for the name is different)

Video chatting and Screen Sharing that were working tend to be down to Speed changes or something that changes about the network at either end.

I would check if the University has changed to a VoIP phone service.,

This uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) as well and some devices can shunt all the SIP data to one "phone" rather than to the IP it is addressed to. (Vonage Boxes to this as do some domestic routers)

10:17 PM Monday; August 13, 2012

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

Tom Zarem Author

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Aug 13, 2012 2:36 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I don't think it's the university. The person at the university is not having any troubles with his chats. I'm not at the university and I'm having trouble. Anyway. I'm guessing you're on to something. My account is a .mac account and my other stand by account is AIM. So maybe that's where we're finding the problems. I'll see if I can set up a new .me account. I didn't know there was any "real" difference between the two.

Thanks Ralph.

Aug 13, 2012 10:06 PM in response to Tom Zarem

Me too, started about August 7th also. An iChat appears to be about to start with an (I assume) acceptance but then after 30 or 40 seconds the message that the party "has left the iChat" appears. This is among me and my father (both directions), my sister (one direction, I can accept an invite and it works), my sister and her son (both directions), and my friend (at least one direction). Pretty well wiped out for everyone after years of being pretty stable. We are all in different provinces (Canada) with different service providers, different modems and wireless. I don't know much, but I don't think bandwidth, screen res or Lion is the issue. The problems are too broad for too many people and started on about August 7th for many of us.

Aug 14, 2012 4:11 AM in response to John Driedger

The problem appears to be widespread in Canada; but it definately extends beyond. Here's a few more datapoints.

As with everyone else, the problem started around August 7. Prior to that, everything worked fine (for years, through multiple OS X versions and patches). No changes in equipment, nor routers, no new software, no hardware updates.

In the following table, L1 is a Lion machine (macbook air, older), L2 is a Lion machine (macbook air, just purchased). SL1 is Snow Leopard machine (2011 Macbook Pro). SL2 is a Snow Leopard machine (2009 Macbook Pro), SL3 is a Snow Leopard machine (2008).

L1 and L2 were on AT&T U-verse in northern California

SL1 was on AT&T U-verse in northern California.

SL2 was on cable-lynx.net (a small ISP in Alberta, Canada)

SL3 was on Shaw cable (a large ISP in Alberta, Canada).

*ALL* machines were able to video chat on iChat via google talk/Jabber accounts prior to Aug 7.

Now:

S S S

L L L L L

1 2 1 2 3

L1 W W W F

L2 W W W F

SL1 W W W W

SL2 W W W W

SL3 F F W W

So, in my case, it *looks like* specific problem relating to Shaw Cable in Canada. I also tried moving the L1 and L2 machines to Comcast, and the problem remained.

What's even more interesting, however, is that FaceTime works between L1 and SL3. Flawlessly.

When I say "F", it fails in two different ways: First, like the others, I get an error -7 or error -8 while starting up the chat. Visually, when clicking the "accept" button on iChat, the video preview flickers brieftly, as if accepting the connection, then the connection eventually drops out, and produces the standard iChat connection fails message, and offers to send the failure to apple.

The second failure mode is an actual crash of iChat. Most often in thread 21.

Aug 14, 2012 10:28 AM in response to Dave Rand

Father's provider: Shaw (he can't iChat with either me or sister, both directions)

Sister and her son's provider: Sasktel (fails between them both directions, or if I invite Sister, fail. BUT they can invite me and works)

My Provider: TELUS

So in one case it's TELUS to Sasktel fails, but the same folks the other way, Sasktel to TELUS works.

Shaw could be a problem, but only looks to part of it, Is Western Canada the epicenter?

Suddenly ichat video not working properly