Video chat wont work!!!

[Macsforcollege?]

Got my macbook last aug.... Anyways, it never lets me connect with anyone. EVen mac to mac. Occasionally it would work with my dad when i was at school and he was at his office, but it wouldnt work most of the time. I go to prefernces and always play around with the video options but it never works. Could it be from my internet at home?? But it wouldnt work at school too? I dont know why. I tried to connect with two friends yesterday and both times it said it couldnt connect... Any suggestions?

 

[iLog.Genius]

I'm assuming you're trying to video chat through iChat? If you are and you're unable to connect or initiate a video chat, it's a network problem. Are you connected directly to the modem or are you connected through a router? If a router, then you're going to have to forward your ports.

You can go to this website for instructions on how to do it on your router.

http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm

 

[gauchogolfer]

iChat I assume?

http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/page1.html

 

[Macsforcollege?]

Yes ichat..

is forwarding ports safe? can anything bad happen from it? will it fix all problems? If i want to connect to a friend who has a dell, should it then work?

 

[GoCubsGo]

Most likely a port is not opened.

 

[holidaypf]

I recently had a problem with iChat only showing me in the video window rather than my friend on the other end. That was caused by a Perian software install. I deleted it and then installed a different version and now it works again.

 

[Macsforcollege?]

Most likely a port is not opened.

If i open a port will that fix the problem? Should it then work if i want to connect with a friend who has a dell? also can anything bad happen from opening a port? and from that site i was given?

yet, it occasionally has worked from this network.. rarely though

 

[tman07]

I had that problem not to long ago, and what i did was just delete all the ichat settings (com.ichat.plist) and anything similar (with ichat in the name) and re launch ichat.

You lose your settings, but its not that difficult to re-do.

worked great for me!