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"Ask To Share Screen" Greyed Out in Messages

In Messages, when I am chatting with my brother, I am unable to ask him to share his screen. The reverse is also true (he is unable to offer to share his screen with me). If we click "Video" all the "enable" options at the bottom are checked on both machines. We have done screen sharing in the past, it's how I offer tech support to him. But for some reason it's not working now.


We are both running the latest version of OS X, 10.8.4 and we both have good (18MBps+) internet speeds. I've seen posts involving iChat and earlier versions of OS X, but nothing with Mountain Lion and Messages.


Any ideas on how I can get this working?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Aug 27, 2013 3:50 PM

Reply
20 replies

Aug 28, 2013 1:26 PM in response to groberts1980

Hi,


You don't say what account you are trying this from.


It will work with any AIM to AIM or Jabber to Jabber connection.


Obviously your AIM account could be a Valid Apple ID that ends with either @mac.com, @me.com or @icloud.com as well as a regular AIM registered name.


Jabber include Facebook and GoogleTalk as well as many other Jabber servers and will work as long as the other end is using iChat or Messages.


The iMessages account, which also uses an Apple ID invokes the FaceTime app to do Video.

The Yahoo Account if you have one set up only does Text messaging.


The Bonjour Account will Video and Screen Share but it is only on your LAN.


In broad terms a Screen Share in Messages/iChat is an Audio Only Chat with a VNC connection along side.

The Audio part uses the same ports as a Video chat and you need the same Minimum Internet Speed to do a Screen Share or Video chat.


So...

The Screen Share will be greyed out if you are using Yahoo or iMessages.


NOTES

The Screen Share does use a Random port for the VNC bit.

This means you have to use UPnP (or Port Mapping Protocol in Apple Base Stations) to allow the use of the port.


When the Messages App or iChat starts up it "reads" the Internet Speed.

If it starts up when the Mac starts up this "reading" can be "wrong"

The App Writes the Speed to the .plist involved and uses it until the app is restarted.



User uploaded file
9:26 PM Wednesday; August 28, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 29, 2013 4:15 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph,


Thanks for the response. We are both using Jabber to be signed into Messages. If I go into Settings, I see both Google Talk and iMessage in the Accounts section. I imagine iMessages is for iOS integration and allowing me to respond to iOS iMessages from OS X. Google Talk is there as well. I'm just not sure why screen sharing is no longer an option. We're using iMessages because of iOS integration. I would assume Screen Sharing would automatically use Google for voice and VNC. Do we need to turn off iMessages to re-enable Screen Sharing?


-Greg

Aug 30, 2013 7:48 AM in response to groberts1980

I would also be interested in other ways to do remote access for tech support. I am of course the tech support person for my whole family. Only my brother has another Mac, so that should make it easy to remote in. Messages has apparently failed me, so what else are my options?


I see Screen Sharing, under Sharing in System Preferences. It shows an IP address, but that's a local LAN IP. How would I use that to screen share over the Internet?

Aug 30, 2013 12:30 PM in response to groberts1980

Hi,


When Messages on the Mac starts up for the first time you are encouraged to add your Apple ID for the iMessages "registration".


Depending how you go to Mountain Lion you may have iChat IDs listed in System Preferences > Mail, Contacts and Calendars and made active for Messages.


This should mean any AIM or Jabber IDs are already in Messages as Accounts.


From there it tends to depend on how you use the Messages window and the process of Starting a New Message.

You can use the New Message icon that then makes the Blue + icon appear on the right.

This in turn can be used for Contacts or Buddies.


Or you can just type in the "To" spot and then chose the option you want that refer to that person.


Example of typing "ralph" in to the "To" spot.

User uploaded file

It lists iMessages IDs and thinks any telephone number is a potential for iMessages.

My List is actually longer than shown and several Jabber accounts are listed as "Google Talk" like the one shown.


Messages will not switch Services mid chat to so Screen Sharing per se.

If you have the iMessage contact listed and are sending iMessages then using the Video icon will invoke FaceTime and not the older iChat Video that a Google Talk/Jabber or AIM Chat will do.


However clicking the Video icon will show you FaceTime and other Accounts Options (Depending on the info on the Address Card)

User uploaded file


Google Info (not linked to and Address Card)

User uploaded file


As you can see I prefer to use the actual Buddy Lists that are the background to this pic.

For me having the Buddy List displayed offers an One Click start to a Chat.

The icons below a Buddy List can be used to start the Chat type you want.


I will come back with another reply about Screen Sharing.


User uploaded file
8:30 PM Friday; August 30, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 30, 2013 12:51 PM in response to groberts1980

Hi,


You can use the Messages app and possibly FaceTime in a mixture of text and Video chat to do support.

However as you know this does miss out on the option of "Just doing" and gets around that gap in understanding in what the other person is describling (or thinks they are seeing)


You can use the System Preferences > Sharing > Screen Sharing.

You start this in the Finder > Go Menu > Go to Server.

Instead of asking to connect to an IP address with SMB (windows) or AFP (Apple File Protocol) you use VNC.

This means starting the request with VNC://


On your own LAN this is a similar IP address to the one you are using.

Such as VNC://192.168.0.4


Doing it over the Internet require you use the person's Public IP address

You can find out yours by going to http://www.whatsmyip.org/

If your brother goes there he finds out his.


Basically when you make a "request" now you get as far as his router.

His router needs to be set up to forward the data to his computer.

As it is all based on the Apple remote Desktop App this should be on port 5900.

In his router setting this ports needs to be "Forwarded" to his Computer's IP.


Skype has Screen Sharing http://www.skype.com/en/features/#sharing

I have not used Skype in a very long time and this is an addition since I did. (See the last two paragraphs before the Contents Panel)

You would have to read about Skype to find out if it is one of the Free Features.

It is of course now owned by Microsoft.



User uploaded file
8:51 PM Friday; August 30, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 31, 2013 6:19 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I had him turn on Screen Sharing on his end and go to whatismyip.org but my Finder wouldn't VNC to that address. Would I need to give his iMac a static IP on the network and forward requests on port 5900 to his static LAN IP? I'm wondering if that's why Finder on my machine wouldn't connect to his iMac, because I was simply hitting his router when I tried to VNC to his IP address. Or should the VNC request go to all IP's on the router, but only his should respond beause he had Screen Sharing enabled and waiting for the request?

Aug 31, 2013 11:10 AM in response to groberts1980

Hi,


It would be best if the Router had DHCP turned Off and the Mac was set to use an IP "Manually" as Apple calls Static Routing.

The router then does need to be forwarding that port. It needs to pass on the data arriving on that port to the computer so that his computer "answers".


You can't Port Forward the ports to all IPs that might be attached to the router.

On most devices there is a table that can be filled in.

Most have somewhere between 12 and 20 lines in the table.

A port is then Listed (in some cases a group of ports) and linked to an IP that you want the data to go to.

Example Pic of the old iChat 3 Ports set up in a Linksys.



Did you have any joy with checking you were chatting via Google Talk first ?







User uploaded file
7:10 PM Saturday; August 31, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Aug 31, 2013 1:33 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I can give his iMac a static IP on the router and route all hits to port 5900 to his IP. Sounds like I need to do that in order for screen sharing to work (ie. for me to be able to VNC://<his router's IP> and his computer to respond). I should be able to figure out how to do that on his Cisco router. With Apple's router it was easy to set to DHCP with static routing. Hopefully his router has something similar to that. I need DHCP for other devices that connect wirelessly, but I need a static IP for just his computer.


He does make sure his Jabber says he's available when we're chatting. Does that mean we're using Google Talk for chat?

Aug 31, 2013 2:33 PM in response to groberts1980

Hi,


If you want to use the DHCP with Manually set IPs as well then the DHCP server needs to be On but the range of IP address used under DHCP needs to be reduced.


Cisco on Linksys so this pic and Instructions may help

http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/iChatPicsFolder/8%20modem-router/Linksys%20Router/sl ides/2_Router_Modem-DHCP.html


Basically on this Linksys the DHCP could be Off as in the Pic.

However if Left ON the first issued IP was 192.192.1.100

This means the other 98 between the router's own 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.99 can be used as Static Addresses.


Google Talk.

If he is using iChat then he should be using Buddy Lists to start chats.

IF he is using Messages and typing your Name in the "To" spot he need to make sure he picks out your Google Talk ID when Chatting.


Example if I type in "ralph"

User uploaded file


I have three Addreess Cards. One refers to me on this computer. One as Me on my G4 an another for me on my MacBook Pro.

In theory each computer has it's own AIM name at least and possibly a Jabber ID as well.

In practice some accounts are set up in iChat and Messages on the various Computers.


The "To" spot tends to think any phone Number is a potential for iMessages

It also gets confused over Jabber/Google IDs as you can see with the longer ID.


If I hit enter to accept the highlighted name then I start an iMessage chat.


User uploaded file
10:33 PM Saturday; August 31, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Sep 2, 2013 5:55 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

He's using Messages. I've noticed I sometimes have multiple conversations with someone, one with their phone number and the other with their email address, buth with the same contact card. You're saying I need to ensure the conversation is over Google Talk before we can do screen sharing? That would explain a lot, actually. I'll try screen sharing with a conversation that was started with and is using Google Talk.


He does have a Cisco/Linksys router and I do have experience with their web interface. I just didn't remember if they had a DHCP with static IP option like my Airport Extreme has. I'm not sure what you meant about those settings. I don't want to turn off DHCP because then guests wouldn't be able to log into his network, and I would have to program his phone's and wife's computer with static IPs. What should I set up for port forwarding if DHCP is on and I don't know what IP his iMac happens to have assigned? With a Linksys router, can you not assign a specific IP address to a specific MAC address, and dynamically assign everyone else on the network?

Sep 2, 2013 9:29 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Problem is now solved. It was as simple as the conversation not being Google Talk based. His contact card on my machine identified him as having a GTalk address, which is what I was using. I could initiate screen sharing, but he could not. I checked my contact card on his computer and it listed my GMail address as Jabber. Once I changed that to Google Talk, he was now able to initiate screen sharing. Thanks for your help Ralph!


I'm still not sure how to set his system up to let me VNC:// into his computer. If he had an Airport Extreme I could assign his iMac a static IP while leaving DHCP in place and port forward 5900 to his IP. But with his Cisco router (with Linksys web interface) I just don't see it. Not the end of the world since I'm able to do screen sharing through Messages again, but I'd still be curious as to how to get that working.


My wife's business has an iMac with the Server software installed. She has a static IP for her business internet account, so it's easy for me to VPN into the server and log in with VNC. But without VPN on my brother's iMac, and him not having a static IP, it makes it more difficult.

Sep 2, 2013 1:04 PM in response to groberts1980

HI,


There are literally thousands of different routers.


I chose a random Cisco device at the Port Forward site (http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Cisco/870_Series/AIM_Talk .htm)


It seems they call Port Forwarding "Virtual Servers"

You have to enter the IP (of his computer) in one of the Boxes and then the Port (Start and End Port being the same) in two other boxes.

Protocols also seem to be listed in this (you would normally chose between TCP and UDP but it gives an option for "Both").


There is s then a box for a Description of what it is for. (the sample page is listed for AIM Talk which is only one port). i.e. ignore the port 5190 in the 5th Pic.





User uploaded file
9:04 PM Monday; September 2, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Sep 3, 2013 11:47 AM in response to groberts1980

HI,


Address Reservations are a sort of halfway house affair.


If you had a router and only one computer the computer would always end up with the same IP even when it had been off for a fer days (or at least longer than the lease period).


The Address Reservation makes use of this.


Nominally a router can have 254 devices connected to it.

The Linksys I used to have used to list only some of the IP addresses as being Available for DHCP

The Pic for DHCP from an earlier post

Although at 2) the DHCP is actually off you can see at 3) it starts the DHCP Range at 192.168.1.100

This means that there are 98 IP addresses that can be used by Static routing.

On the Mac in System Preferences > Network > Advanced Button > TCP/IP tab you have the option for Manually with DHCP (i.e. a Static IP to a router that is also doing DHCP to other devices.)


The Linksys in the pic did it this way by default but you can reduce the DHCP IP addresses if the current list is for all of them.


Once the computer has what is effectively a permanent IP address with the router you can Port Forward to that IP.





User uploaded file
7:47 PM Tuesday; September 3, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

"Ask To Share Screen" Greyed Out in Messages

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