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

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????

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).

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

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

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

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

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.

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)

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

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!