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Couldn't get Facetime working on AT&T store demo units...

Figbash Acrobat

Figbash Acrobat

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 15, 2009
635
0
Alphaville
When I tried using Facetime on two demo units at the AT&T store, they just read "connecting" but I never actually got Facetime working. Anyone know why not?

Does it have something to do with being on the same wifi network? Or something else?
 
2 people just connect through Wifi after the call, ya prolly know that but no not same wifi

i never tested iphones on floor do they let you just call anybody? lol
 
bobright said:
2 people just connect through Wifi after the call, ya prolly know that but no not same wifi

i never tested iphones on floor do they let you just call anybody? lol
Click to expand...

I just looked up the phone number in phone settings, then placed the call, hit facetime button on each. "Connecting..." but failed. Didn't bother asking an AT&T employee though.
 
Why won't it work on two phones on the same network? I'd imagine some enterprise users, businesses in large buildings would like the ability to do so.
 
My wife's and my iPhone were able to Facetime on my single WiFi network. Just did it a couple hours ago.
 
might be a restriction on the in store units...as a precaution of not letting little Susie be exposed to the world of Chat Rouletters.
 
Maybe they put some sort of lock on the phones where you can only do it between the demo units on the floor. Because I was able to use the facetime b/w the units they had provided. Each phone was numbered and was on the contact list. So all you did was place a call to say "phone 3" and hit facetime. Did you try and do it with your own phone?
 
iPhoneHome said:
might be a restriction on the in store units...as a precaution of not letting little Susie be exposed to the world of Chat Rouletters.
Click to expand...

When I was playing with the iphones at AT&T yesterday I noticed they were on some sort of restricted wifi.
 
djgulia said:
When I was playing with the iphones at AT&T yesterday I noticed they were on some sort of restricted wifi.
Click to expand...

Works fine at Apple stores. In fact, Apple has done a really good job making it easy to setup. THey have numbers by each phone and favorites setup to make it easy to call another phone at the table to try out facetime.
 
I tried the same thing. Wouldn't work.

Facetimed two demo units and it worked.

I decided to go the windows route and reboot my phone.

It worked. :rolleyes:


edit: this was at Apple Dadeland, Miami


.
 
The wifi networks in the AT&T stores are locked down pretty good. The necessary ports have to also be open to pass the traffic so its possible their firewall is preventing face time from working.
 
SCOfoshO said:
Maybe they put some sort of lock on the phones where you can only do it between the demo units on the floor. Because I was able to use the facetime b/w the units they had provided. Each phone was numbered and was on the contact list. So all you did was place a call to say "phone 3" and hit facetime. Did you try and do it with your own phone?
Click to expand...

Don't have one yet. I think the others are right, possibly restricted/limited network access within the AT&T store. We wouldn't want to expose Susie to the dangers of the interweb, would we now? :)

Oh, well. Seems like something they'd want you to be able to demo. There were only two units on the floor. And they were nasty as hell, all greased up (even with screen protectors). I guess they're not like the Apple stores, where they seem to regularly wipe down iPhone and iPad demo units.
 
I couldn't even make a folder for apps on the demo model at my local AT&T store. I'd say they pretty much lock up everything so you can't do much with them.
 
cocky jeremy said:
I couldn't even make a folder for apps on the demo model at my local AT&T store. I'd say they pretty much lock up everything so you can't do much with them.
Click to expand...


I noticed that too! I was trying to make folders and nothing happened when pressing and holding on an app.
 
The ports that are used by FaceTime were probably either blocked altogether or not configured properly for allowing two devices behind the same router to talk to each other. The problem is that, to the outside Internet, both devices have the same IP address so there are several potential problems that could arise.
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
That's just not true.
Click to expand...

Well, it is true, but what's your explanation then if mine is apparently wrong?

I don't know for a fact how AT&T configures it's demo units' WiFi, but generally speaking, devices that share an Internet connection over WiFi (or wired) appear to have the same IP address to the outside internet, which is translated by the router using a process called NAT into the distinct LAN IP addresses of the individual devices on the LAN. This can cause problems when multiple LAN devices are trying to run the same service.
 
admanimal said:
Well, it is true, but what's your explanation then if mine is apparently wrong?

I don't know for a fact how AT&T configures it's demo units' WiFi, but generally speaking, devices that share an Internet connection over WiFi (or wired) appear to have the same IP address to the outside internet, which is translated by the router using a process called NAT into the distinct LAN IP addresses of the individual devices on the LAN. This can cause problems when multiple LAN devices are trying to run the same service.
Click to expand...

But there's no server that the phones are trying to connect to, so they're really just connecting to each other. This isn't like AIM where each person is just talking to one server and the server relays information, this is more of a direct connection. Each device gets a unique IP address. Besides the Apple Store demo units connect on the same wifi connection and I can connect for FaceTime at my house on the same wireless network.
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
But there's no server that the phones are trying to connect to, so they're really just connecting to each other. This isn't like AIM where each person is just talking to one server and the server relays information, this is more of a direct connection. Each device gets a unique IP address. Besides the Apple Store demo units connect on the same wifi connection and I can connect for FaceTime at my house on the same wireless network.
Click to expand...

Clearly it's possible for it to work, but it is also possible for it to have problems. You are right that the phones eventually connect to each other, but that means that the phones are acting as both clients and servers, which the other phone must connect to. There is also a server that they must connect to first to translate the phone number into an IP address. As I said, both phones will appear to have the same WAN IP to this server, which could potentially confuse Facetime into thinking it is trying to connect to itself unless the LAN router is setup correctly.
 
One of the phones may have needed a wifi toggle off and on. I've had the "failed to connect" before when the wifi symbol was clearly visible. Turned out that I had a bad connection because I couldn't load pages on safari. Toggles wifi off then back on and all was good.

Oh and my girlfriend and I have made FaceTime calls on the same network all the time.
 
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