Messages Cannot Connect To Jabber Client, Says UN/PW Incorrect

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Messages Cannot Connect To Jabber Client, Says UN/PW Incorrect

We use a Jabber service for in-house instant messaging at my office. We performed some Windows Updates on the server that the service is hosted on and rebooted. Since rebooting, I cannot log into our IM through the Messages app on my Macbook Pro running El Capitan 10.11.4. We can log in on all the office workstations and I can log into it from my iPhone using IM+ Pro. Every time I try to log in via Messages, I get an error that states:

"Messages can’t log in to drew@xxxxxx because your login ID or password is incorrect."

My credentials for logging in have not changed. A co-worker of mine also uses a Macbook Pro and he lost the ability to connect via Messages as well. He gets a similar error. Since I can log into IM through our office workstations as well as my iPhone without changing anything, I assume this is something Mac/Messages specific. I do have a GTalk account that I can still log into without any problem. Its just the Jabber service.

Things I have tried:

Deleting the account and re-adding it
Deleted Keychain entries
Rebooted the server again

I've scoured the threads and the internet but haven't really found anything concrete to help with the problem (most posts are about GTalk or Facebook).

Kind of stumped as to where else to look to solve the problem. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Drew

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Apr 28, 2016 6:40 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Ralph-Johns-UK

Level 9

76,795 points

Apr 28, 2016 12:48 PM in response to drewfromwest reading

Hi,

Messages will attempt to sign in using either port 5222 if it is not using SSL and port 5223 if it is.

In Messages > Preferences > Accounts > the Jabber account > Server Settings you should be able to see which is using.

If the settings are some what Manual in their set up the Authentication method can also be an issue.

There is of course an Automatic (Find Server and Port) settings

You may need to play with these or check exactly how other app are Signing On

8:48 pm Thursday; April 28, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

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Answer 2

Apr 28, 2016 3:47 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I did try using the auto-find setting but it simple won't find anything. We connect via port 5222 and use an IP address to as the server. My user id follows the protocol name@servername. The settings are exactly the same in Messages as it is in IM+ Pro on my iPhone. Very bizarre. Can't seem to figure out why it won't connect.

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Answer 3

Apr 29, 2016 11:45 AM in response to drewfromwest reading

Hi,

So the server does not actually have a name ?

As you say the normal format is name@servername.

Messages and iChat before that would take the bit After the @ and state that as the Server name.

The only exception to that is Google which is why since iChat 4 there has been a separate Google Add option.
Are you then changing the info in Server Settings to the IP address ?

7:45 pm Friday; April 29, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

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Answer 4

Apr 29, 2016 11:50 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

The server has an actual name on our network as well as an IP address (and a static public facing IP as well). The basic setup is:

Username: drew@servername

Server: xx.xx.xxx.xx

Port 5222

I have also tried drew@xx.xx.xxx.xx with no luck either. It seems no matter what I do the program keeps saying my username/password are incorrect and prompts me to enter a new one. When we rebooted the server that the XMPP service resides on, nothing changed on the Messages side of things. Just all of a sudden, the two Macbook Pros in question couldn’t log on. Workstations are fine, iPhones are fine.

It seems like the Macs want to connect but they just can’t or do not recognize the password.

Drew

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Answer 5

May 1, 2016 2:16 PM in response to drewfromwest reading

HI,

There used to be an Apple article about Turning Off Bonjour in later OS versions also turns off DNS.

I can only find this now http://osxdaily.com/2009/09/15/disable-bonjour-by-turning-off-mdnsresponder/

Does this apply ?

Also from reading (some while ago) in the Server section I seems to remember that the DNS set up needs to be also "reversed"

Now this is outside my experience as I have never set a Server and I don't know if it applies to other servers or just OS X server.

10:16 pm Sunday; May 1, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

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Answer 6

May 3, 2016 1:46 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I gave this a try (I assume this is sort of like stopping/restarting a service in Windows) but nothing really seemed to be affected and it didn't fix the problem. I even went so far as to restart my firewall at the office but that didn't make a difference either.

I'm not sure I know what you mean about reversing the DNS.

Drew

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Answer 7

May 3, 2016 12:57 PM in response to drewfromwest reading

Hi,

This might help. Re: OS X Server DNS Best practice?

Basically the server needs to be able to use DNS in both directions

Another that might help Reverse DNS

It is right at the edge of my knowledge and it has been a while since a server related issue popped up outside of the Server Communities.

8:57 pm Tuesday; May 3, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

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Answer 8

May 4, 2016 9:41 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Well, I think we are making some sort of progress (I think).

When we try to login, we first get a warning (that we have always saw before) that it can’t verify the identity of the server. We click continue and get a non-secure jabber login (about sending passwords unsecure). When we click continue, IM moves to a disconnect state. Sometimes we get a prompt to enter our password (which doesn't seem to ever save) but the end result is the same.

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Answer 9

May 4, 2016 12:35 PM in response to drewfromwest reading

HI,

I am not sure this will cover quite what you need but there is a fair amount of detail listed in what Tim Harris was trying to do.

Having problems with DNS which stops me creating home directories

From my own experience, a few years later than that Thread, was that Tim became quite accomplished at sorting this area of the Server out.

Here is a later one he was helping out with ichat federation with Ichat - authorization not coming through

8:35 pm Wednesday; May 4, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

Reply

Answer 10

Jun 22, 2016 3:28 AM in response to drewfromwest reading

Well, I believe some progress was made. I can get the two MBP's to "hit" the Jabber service. However, we cannot login. We end up in this endless loop of "username/password incorrect". I've tried deleting the .plist entries, deleting/adding the account, deleted keychain entries, etc. Just seem to be in this endless loop of username/password incorrect.

We can log in using a local client on the network (in-house xmpp app) using our credentials but can't get in from a Macbook Pro inside or outside of the network.

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Answer 11

Jun 22, 2016 11:34 AM in response to drewfromwest reading

Hi,

Double check the "Less Secure apps" Setting on you Google account.

In the Keychain remove the " com.apple.account.Google.oauth-token " item (there others with a similar name but this one is the Login one.

Restart Messages and the Google account.

7:34 pm Wednesday; June 22, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

Reply

Answer 12

Jun 22, 2016 11:39 AM in response to drewfromwest reading

I can log into my Google chat via Messages with no problem. Will what you suggested help if I am not trying to log into gTalk?

Drew

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Answer 13

Jun 22, 2016 12:35 PM in response to drewfromwest reading

Hi,

In the first post you said "Since rebooting, I cannot log into our IM through the Messages app on my Macbook Pro running El Capitan 10.11.4. "

GoogleTalk was a Jabber server until recently. (i.e. it supported XMPP). (Facebook stopped theirs in June '14.)

A little while back I did have an issue (probably in Yosemite) where nothing I changed in the Settings for the Google account would get me logged in.

After checking my settings at Google including checking Hangouts and changing it back to GoogleTalk I delete this oauth-token in the Keychain.

That allowed me to actually delete the account (which it have been refusing to do - the minus button was not working for it).

I then re- added the account and it has worked since (well up to the current apparent server change).

That's between April and now that the server has changed.

When I clicked on the Email about your reply it took me to the end of the thread so I missed the bit about the Server login to Google.

The deletion in the Keychain will help Messages and a Google Login.

If the issue is still the Server and logging into that it will probably pay to post in the Server area.

Servers and Enterprise Software This lists all the Server versions Communities.

8:35 pm Wednesday; June 22, 2016

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone and an iPad (2)

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