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Can Someone Try This For Me Please - Extreme owners

M

meagain

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 18, 2006
2,571
26
I've been wrestling with some java based irc chats for a month to no avail.
I just got off the phone with Apple and they suggested this.

If anyone with an Extreme n router would be so kind if they have an extra minute or so.... I'd love to know if you can get into any chat rooms at Talk City. They use the same chat client as Realplayer but Realplayer is subscription.

http://www.talkcity.com/homepage.htm?flash=y
It's a quick sign in and free (orange area at the top), then just pick any room. I'm getting a weird java.io.ioexception error and cannot connect to any chats of this type on any site including this one.
If anyone could check this out and tell me if they can get in, I'd REALLY appreciate it. My Extreme is blocking this. Works fine if plugged direct into modem.

Thanks!

Lisa
 
I had a look at the html code that allows the java applet to load it looks something like :
name="server" value="chat.talkcity.com"><param name="port" value="21"><param name="roomkey" value="27830"><param name="height" value="99%"><param name="width" value="100%"><param name="language" value="X-EN-US-TC"><param name="webtag" value="tc-adults"><param name="eventID"
Click to expand...

It would seem that the chat takes place over port 21, which is normally used for FTP. Unfortunately I don't believe the AEBSn or the Time Capsule plays nicely with FTP, you can't port forward port 21 (or 53 for that matter). This might have something to do with your problem.
 
When will lazy corporate developers stop using ports for that are reserved for other uses. In my work network one of the large finance companies ticker programs uses one of the windows file sharing ports. And we block ALL of the windows/samba ports at our firewall.

EDIT: It only took 3 years, but I believe this is my 500th post...
 
Yep, I can confirm that the java applet is indeed attempting to connect with the chat server over port 21. I'd like to know whose bright idea it was to use port 21 for chat.

I tried hacking the page to force the applet to use other ports, but doesn't work.
 
Wow - Thanks so much for the responses so far!! Thanks for taking the time.

Stomer - this is a prospero.com powered irc java chat? (I think).
It's the same one used by my RealPlayer subscription. I can't use this chat at all. Java.io.IOException. It's really frustrating. So do you think I can get my Extreme to allow this through? It's fine if I hook up directly to the modem. I'm really pissed off about it. The router is blocking this and I cannot figure out a way (yet) to let it through. Real suggests opening port 21 and/or 6667. I "think" I did that properly but to no avail.

Why is their use of port 21 an issue here?

Think I can fix it?

Lisa
 
meagain said:
Stomer - this is a prospero.com powered irc java chat? (I think).
It's the same one used by my RealPlayer subscription. I can't use this chat at all. Java.io.IOException. It's really frustrating. So do you think I can get my Extreme to allow this through? It's fine if I hook up directly to the modem. I'm really pissed off about it. The router is blocking this and I cannot figure out a way (yet) to let it through. Real suggests opening port 21 and/or 6667. I "think" I did that properly but to no avail.

Why is their use of port 21 an issue here?

Think I can fix it?

Lisa
Click to expand...
I've no idea why their Java chat client is using port 21. It's completely dumb. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any way to modify the port used in the UI. They are also running the chat rooms on port 6667, but they seem to block connection attempts from normal IRC chat clients, because they can't serve them ads maybe?

Anyway, you won't get a connection through your base station on port 21, better just forget that idea. What you'd need to do, is to modify the page that contains the chat client so that it uses port 6667. Have you heard of Grease Monkey? Would you be capable of writing a small script that would change a 21 to a 6667?
 
I felt like a bit of a challenge, so I've written a Greasemonkey script that seems to work. In order to use this you have to use Firefox, version 2 or 3, I don't think it matters. I used version 3 beta 4. Anyway :

  1. If you don't already have Firefox, get it. http://getfirefox.com
  2. Install Greasemonkey, go here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
  3. Restart Firefox.
  4. You should see a little monkey icon in the bottom right hand corner of you Firefox window. Clicking on it will toggle Greasemonkey on/off.
  5. Click here to install my script: script
    Greasemonkey should recognise it as a greasemonkey script and install it automatically.
  6. Visit talkcity, and try it out.
 
Ah - Thank you. I think I set it up right. When I open it it and click on preferences, I see "talk city port rectifier" in the left pane of greasemonkey.

When I go to Talk City and open a chat, I just get a blank screen with a flash ad at the bottom. It would be really interesting if this works. Then I imagine I could just change the name to work with Realplayer superpass too! Hmm... or maybe not because it runs in an "application"?
 
Yes, Java is enabled. I did load the developer's version in an effort to get things working so maybe I need to revert it? Yes, I've been using Firefox and Safari. I tried all this in Firefox.

Are you able to see a chat?

EDIT: If I turn off the monkey icon, I'm still getting a white screen. Weird. Before it would give me the error.
 
meagain said:
Are you able to see a chat
EDIT: If I turn off the monkey icon, I'm still getting a white screen. Weird. Before it would give me the error.
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like the Java applet isn't being loaded for whatever reason.

As long as I have greasemonkey turned on, with my script loaded, and enabled, then yes, I can see the chat.
 
Well, IDK what's going on then.

I don't suppose I could somehow use an Airport Express to get a work around?
Or maybe hook up my old router to the express somehow to single out my computer to get Real's chat working?

This is crazy. I love Apple stuff but I must say this router has been a nightmare. I just don't understand why I can't make it deal with port 21 and why I'm forced to live with not being able to do things on the internet.
 
I tried pulling it up in Safari and got a Java Runtime Error. Wow. I've no clue what's going on cuz this worked before. I got the chat with the error, but now nothing. Firefox didn't say there was a Java error but Safari now is.
 
meagain said:
Well, IDK what's going on then.

I don't suppose I could somehow use an Airport Express to get a work around?
Or maybe hook up my old router to the express somehow to single out my computer to get Real's chat working?

This is crazy. I love Apple stuff but I must say this router has been a nightmare. I just don't understand why I can't make it deal with port 21 and why I'm forced to live with not being able to do things on the internet.
Click to expand...
As long as the AEBS router is sharing the internet connection, then you're not going to be able to connect. You could try forwarding port 21 to your iMac and see if that works.

I had a similar issue when I wanted to run a DNS server on my local network, they blocked port 53. The biggest problem from my point of view is that the chat client is using port 21. It should be using 6667, like any normal IRC chat client.

Here's a screencast of what I did to get it working. Might be worth a look, you might be doing something different to what I'm doing.

P.S. I downloaded a fresh version of Firefox from here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html
 
meagain said:
I tried pulling it up in Safari and got a Java Runtime Error. Wow. I've no clue what's going on cuz this worked before. I got the chat with the error, but now nothing. Firefox didn't say there was a Java error but Safari now is.
Click to expand...
Have you tried restarting?
 
I just quit/restarted firefox. My java got all screwed up despite me not touching it. I guess I'll restart the computer. :(

If a chat runs on 21, can one use an IRC client like Colloquy or mIRC to use it and would that convert it to 6667?
 
It works! You're brilliant! :D Thank you!

Now.... I have to figure out how to tweak this with my Realplayer. It's subscription and runs on an application? so it might be tricky.
 
meagain said:
I just quit/restarted firefox. My java got all screwed up despite me not touching it. I guess I'll restart the computer. :(

If a chat runs on 21, can one use an IRC client like Colloquy or mIRC to use it and would that convert it to 6667?
Click to expand...
It's not the outgoing traffic that's blocked, it's the incoming traffic. I tried using a 3rd party IRC client, irssi in my case, and although the connection was made, the server disconnected. I guess the server is set to reject all other 3rd party apps.
 
That particular one (TalkCity) has a paid format for IRC. I think.

I might not be able to make this work with Realplayer though. IDK. I'm going to sleep on it. Realplayer has kept asking me what browser I'm using so it must link somehow.
 
meagain said:
That particular one (TalkCity) has a paid format for IRC. I think.

I might not be able to make this work with Realplayer though. IDK. I'm going to sleep on it. Realplayer has kept asking me what browser I'm using so it must link somehow.
Click to expand...
If you can find out what IRC server being used, then maybe it you might be able to use a 3rd party IRC client.
 
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