need help on instant message

[goal44]

I am trying to voice instant message with my son. He is using a mac osx and I have a pc. I have America on Line he does not. For some reason we cannot voice communicate, just instant message each other. I also installed AIM and that does not seem to work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[jvaska]

my experience has been that it won't always work. does he have sound? perhaps there is a firewall issue...stuff like that...

sorry i don't have more, but good luck with it...v

 

[chv400]

I have never been able to get voice only to work i've always had to do a invite to one way video chat or a plain video chat. I have OS X and it worked fine with my friends who used AIM but i always had to do the one way video thingwith every one who didnt have a cam. the only way i know how to do the one way vidoe chat from the mac end. The one way video will still allow the one without the cam to talk using a mic.

 

[goal44]

I forgot to mention I am running Windows 98se. Not sure if that matters. Thank you.

 

[Timelessblur]

Well win 98 can cause some of the problems. Other problems come from firewalls, routers and ISP. I am running XP and I have problem dirct conecting with anyone. Here at home I think I traced the problem down to my hometown has problems in general with dirct connecting. But also I believe my router is a part of the problem but I dont know how to mess with it to get router firewall or ports set up on it. As for computer sice I drop my software firewall but that does not always work.

Try doing a dirct connect with him and seeing how that goes (sending files) if that works the trick is trying to figure out what port is trying to use. Either you ISP or his ISP could be shutting it down.

 

[ephramz]

Need Windows XP

From www.aim.com webpage:
Note: Live Video IM requires a computer running Windows XP or Apple iChat AV version 2.1 or later, a webcam and microphone. Performance is better over a broadband connection or Local Area Network. You may not be able to use Video IM if you or your buddies are behind a firewall.

so your Windows 98 won't work. Kinda sucks that it only works with Win XP, but, thems the breaks! I've never been able to get it to work even with other Win XP machines from iChat even when we both put our firewalls down. So there are a lot of variables.

 

[goal44]

I am only interested in audio. I am not looking for video. I remember years ago I was able to live chat over the net. There were certain websites you could chat with anyone available,
There must be a way to live chat only.
Thanks all.