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User profile for user: David Lawrence4
David Lawrence4 Author
User level: Level 1
39 points

iChat video chatting NOT worked consistently for WEEKS...seems like 10.4.8

ichat video chatting used to work consistently for me with multiple other uses running multiple versions of mac OS X.

I can't be 100% sure, but it seems as if ever since I did the 10.4.8 upgrade, that nothing is working consistently anymore with video chat...

I have to jump through hoops to get it to work. I try different computers in my house to video chat w/ my dad...reboot into different versions of the OS like 10.4.2, then try to go back to 10.4.8, etc etc

bottom line, it works like 2% of the time in 10.4.8 w/ people who have NOT changed anything else about their routers/connections/configuraions.

this is annoying me to no end. what got broken here? yahoo messenger works just fine for video with the same isights (but no audio support yet)

I have tried every combination of bandwidth limit and even changed my quicktime streaming settings to 1.5 in my system preferences

does anybody know what the **** is going on? did 10.4.8 break ichat video?

COMPLETELY INTERMITTENT.....BARELY WORKING!!! it just hangs there saying waiting to accept or says starting and doesn't start....doesn't even give me error messages, just hangs

G5 Dual 2 Ghz, Mac OS X (10.4.8), isight

Posted on Jan 17, 2007 3:56 PM

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25 replies
User profile for user: mooresdesign
mooresdesign
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jan 17, 2007 4:05 PM in response to David Lawrence4

yea man - same here - I truly hope someone can answer, cuz I've ripped ALL my hair out with going through my router / mac / different systems, but nothing - I COULD connect all the time a few months ago, and now... NADDA.

I am DMZ, port forwarding is turned on, my firewalls (all of them) turned off - I have no idea what else to do other than throw iChat out the window. aMSN video works fine, yahoo messenger like a charm... iChat - wants to ruin my life.

Someone - give us some tips - seriously - the program would be ROCKIN' if it would frickin' work.
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User profile for user: Jan Pieter Melchior
Jan Pieter Melchior
User level: Level 2
420 points

Jan 17, 2007 8:06 PM in response to David Lawrence4

1. Quit iChat

iChat > Preferences > Accounts > Server Settings.

2. Log into your router (enter the routers address in the address bar of your internet browser)
3. Look for a DMZ setting, possibly listed within the WAN SetUp section.
4. Disable DMZ
5. You may need to restart your router
6. Configure iChat's defualt port number to 443
7. Make your-self 'Available' on iChat
8. Start a video chat.
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User profile for user: hobartimac
hobartimac
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jan 17, 2007 8:52 PM in response to Jan Pieter Melchior

I am in the same situation. iChat used to work and now it doesnt with no changes other than updates. I just bought a new iMac core duo for relatives so we can ichat- they used to have a pc. We can't chat - this is a bummer for converting pc users to Apple. Not a good start Apple!!!
When ichat worked it was the best for quality and ease. Not anymore!
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User profile for user: merrickb
merrickb
User level: Level 1
18 points

Jan 18, 2007 7:38 AM in response to hobartimac

Ugh, this is frustrating.

My ISP claims the motorola unit on my roof (wireless broadband) is a pass through, nothing blocked. I have no ability to get into it, they have the passwd, I don't. That goes into a 5 port hub I have, one ethernet goes upstairs to the airport extreme base station.

I turned the firewall off, still doesn't work. It is set to distribute IP addresses and share a single AP, is that the problem? When I try to change that, it says I need to configure with static IP addys, switches to the internet pane with DHCP Client ID highlighted. Not sure what to put there, frankly.
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User profile for user: merrickb
merrickb
User level: Level 1
18 points

Jan 18, 2007 8:29 AM in response to Defcom-UK

I had it on before, I turned it off in the first place because it didn't work with it on, so I turned it off figuring that throwing things wide-open would work. Same -8 error.

When on (I just turned it back on and retried) I have it set to allow iChat Bonjour. With that off, it connects, but doesn't allow video, with it "allowed" it allows me to invite the test account to vid, but still gives the -8 error.

Still error log has blank vid conf reports. Of all my ichat error logs, only the first has the useful data inside those reports. It shows the wrong video/audio audio ports in use.
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User profile for user: David Lawrence4
David Lawrence4 Author
User level: Level 1
39 points

Jan 18, 2007 11:46 AM in response to Jan Pieter Melchior

though I completely understand that sometimes people have to make port-forwarding settings in their routers to allow certain kinds of internet traffic to successfully pass through, I don't believe that those things should have to be fixes in these situations.

I have successfully video-chatted with the same exactly configuration, and with other people whose configurations have not changed one bit through at least the past 2 Max OS's (10.3 and 10.4) I should not have to change settings in my router or tell everyone I know who has a mac to do the same thing in order for ichat to work. ALSO, the fact that it does actually work every once in a while means that the port-forwarding couldn't possibly be what's causing the traffic to not get through or else it would NEVER work at all.

yahoo messenger works with all of these people consistently every time with the same isights.

I suppose I can only pray that 10.4.9 fixes this awful awful problem
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User profile for user: merrickb
merrickb
User level: Level 1
18 points

Jan 18, 2007 1:02 PM in response to David Lawrence4

This was on AppleInsider from December 22:

For the first time in over three months, Apple Computer is asking its developer community to begin testing and providing feedback on a forthcoming update to its Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system.
People familiar with the matter say the Cupertino, Calif.-based company on thursday evening began distributing the first external software compile of Mac OS X 10.4.9 to members of its Apple Developer Connection.
Those people say the maintenance and security release was made available in two distinct distributions -- a bare-bones "Delta" updater and a more inclusive "Combo" version.
Apple reportedly asked developers to focus their testing efforts on system components such as .Mac connectivity, Bluetooth, Bonjour, FireWire, Graphics and USB.
Other areas of testing singled out by the Mac maker included Adobe Flash, Automator, Dashboard Widgets, Fonts, iChat video conferencing and iSync.

Macrumors says similar things. We can only hope it works, and comes quickly.
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iChat video chatting NOT worked consistently for WEEKS...seems like 10.4.8

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