iChat firewall question
in [Mac Systems]
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From: bloomite on 10 Feb 2006 19:14 A coworker and I tested two iSight cameras at work with iChat. He used his .mac account and I used my AIM account and we connected fine. He was running 10.4.4 on a G4 tower and I had 10.3.5 on a G4 laptop. He said when he has tried in the past he cannot make an iChat connection to his son's .mac account when he is at work and his son is at home, it never makes the connection. So it made us wonder: 1. Does the firewall at work affect the iChat connection if one of the viewers is outside the firewall, but not if both viewers are inside? 2. When we are able to connect inside the firewall is all the video data packets going up to the Mac and AIM servers? We are concerned about security and having proprietary information outside the company. 3. Can Windows users connect to a Mac user who is iChat? Is there iChat for Windows or something similar. 4. My last question I just answered on my own, which is I can use my Sony Camcorder with iChat, it doesn't have to be an iSight camera. Any help would be appreciated, as you can tell I'm new to iChat. Thanks
From: Bob Harris on 10 Feb 2006 20:30 In article <bloomite-5778A9.19143210022006(a)newsclstr01.news.prodigy.com>, bloomite <bloomite(a)aol.com> wrote: > A coworker and I tested two iSight cameras at work with iChat. He used > his .mac account and I used my AIM account and we connected fine. He > was running 10.4.4 on a G4 tower and I had 10.3.5 on a G4 laptop. > > He said when he has tried in the past he cannot make an iChat connection > to his son's .mac account when he is at work and his son is at home, it > never makes the connection. > > So it made us wonder: > > 1. Does the firewall at work affect the iChat connection if one of the > viewers is outside the firewall, but not if both viewers are inside? Generally yes. The corporate firewall/proxy server is most likely blocking the iChat video connection ports. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208 iChat uses ports: 5060, 5190, 5297, 5298, 5678, 16384 through 16403 > 2. When we are able to connect inside the firewall is all the video data > packets going up to the Mac and AIM servers? We are concerned about > security and having proprietary information outside the company. iChat uses the AOL or .Mac servers to exchange contact information, and then iChat directly connects to the other Mac. All video or audio packets go point to point between the 2 Macs. Only text messages get routed via the AIM or .Mac servers. > 3. Can Windows users connect to a Mac user who is iChat? Is there iChat > for Windows or something similar. Text messaging via AIM is very easy. Video via AIM client for Windows-XP (but not older Windows versions). Not sure if iChat will do just audio with AIM on Windows-XP. I think there may be other services that may provide a similar service to iChat, but since I'm happy with iChat I have bothered to remember them when mentioned :-) > 4. My last question I just answered on my own, which is I can use my > Sony Camcorder with iChat, it doesn't have to be an iSight camera. Right. You might want to remove the recording media. Some Camcorders automatically turn off if not recording after about 5 minutes. Without the tape, it stays on. > Any help would be appreciated, as you can tell I'm new to iChat. > > Thanks Bob Harris
From: raggio on 10 Feb 2006 21:02 On 2006-02-10 20:30:26 -0500, Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob(a)remove.Smith-Harris.us> said: > In article <bloomite-5778A9.19143210022006(a)newsclstr01.news.prodigy.com>, > bloomite <bloomite(a)aol.com> wrote: > >> A coworker and I tested two iSight cameras at work with iChat. He used >> his .mac account and I used my AIM account and we connected fine. He >> was running 10.4.4 on a G4 tower and I had 10.3.5 on a G4 laptop. >> >> He said when he has tried in the past he cannot make an iChat >> connection to his son's .mac account when he is at work and his son is >> at home, it never makes the connection. >> >> So it made us wonder: >> >> 1. Does the firewall at work affect the iChat connection if one of the >> viewers is outside the firewall, but not if both viewers are inside? > > Generally yes. The corporate firewall/proxy server is most likely > blocking the iChat video connection ports. > http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208 > iChat uses ports: 5060, 5190, 5297, 5298, 5678, 16384 through 16403 > >> 2. When we are able to connect inside the firewall is all the video >> data packets going up to the Mac and AIM servers? We are concerned >> about security and having proprietary information outside the company. > > iChat uses the AOL or .Mac servers to exchange contact information, and > then iChat directly connects to the other Mac. All video or audio > packets go point to point between the 2 Macs. > > Only text messages get routed via the AIM or .Mac servers. > >> 3. Can Windows users connect to a Mac user who is iChat? Is there >> iChat for Windows or something similar. > > Text messaging via AIM is very easy. > > Video via AIM client for Windows-XP (but not older Windows versions). > > Not sure if iChat will do just audio with AIM on Windows-XP. > > I think there may be other services that may provide a similar service > to iChat, but since I'm happy with iChat I have bothered to remember > them when mentioned :-) I am trying to do the same thing now and have had some success. I was able to chat with my win 200 laptop running trillian pro (using an aol account) and my friend's mac running iChat / iSight. I was using a usb cam on the windows laptop and it worked fine. The video quality was not that great, but it worked. Oddly enough when I tried to use the actual AOL Triton client on the windows machine it did not work. This kind of stinks as trillian pro is $25. I'm pretty sure that the free trillian does not suport video. I'd prefer it if the native aol client worked since I can then install it or have friends install it on other machines more easily (free). > >> 4. My last question I just answered on my own, which is I can use my >> Sony Camcorder with iChat, it doesn't have to be an iSight camera. > > Right. You might want to remove the recording media. Some Camcorders > automatically turn off if not recording after about 5 minutes. Without > the tape, it stays on. > >> Any help would be appreciated, as you can tell I'm new to iChat. >> >> Thanks > > Bob Harris
From: bloomite on 10 Feb 2006 23:31 Many thanks Bob, that is a great help. Bloomite In article <nospam.News.Bob-9BBA13.20303010022006(a)news.verizon.net>, Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob(a)remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote: > In article > <bloomite-5778A9.19143210022006(a)newsclstr01.news.prodigy.com>, > bloomite <bloomite(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > A coworker and I tested two iSight cameras at work with iChat. He used > > his .mac account and I used my AIM account and we connected fine. He > > was running 10.4.4 on a G4 tower and I had 10.3.5 on a G4 laptop. > > > > He said when he has tried in the past he cannot make an iChat connection > > to his son's .mac account when he is at work and his son is at home, it > > never makes the connection. > > > > So it made us wonder: > > > > 1. Does the firewall at work affect the iChat connection if one of the > > viewers is outside the firewall, but not if both viewers are inside? > > Generally yes. The corporate firewall/proxy server is most likely > blocking the iChat video connection ports. > http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208 > iChat uses ports: 5060, 5190, 5297, 5298, 5678, 16384 through 16403 > > > 2. When we are able to connect inside the firewall is all the video data > > packets going up to the Mac and AIM servers? We are concerned about > > security and having proprietary information outside the company. > > iChat uses the AOL or .Mac servers to exchange contact > information, and then iChat directly connects to the other Mac. > All video or audio packets go point to point between the 2 Macs. > > Only text messages get routed via the AIM or .Mac servers. > > > 3. Can Windows users connect to a Mac user who is iChat? Is there iChat > > for Windows or something similar. > > Text messaging via AIM is very easy. > > Video via AIM client for Windows-XP (but not older Windows > versions). > > Not sure if iChat will do just audio with AIM on Windows-XP. > > I think there may be other services that may provide a similar > service to iChat, but since I'm happy with iChat I have bothered > to remember them when mentioned :-) > > > 4. My last question I just answered on my own, which is I can use my > > Sony Camcorder with iChat, it doesn't have to be an iSight camera. > > Right. You might want to remove the recording media. Some > Camcorders automatically turn off if not recording after about 5 > minutes. Without the tape, it stays on. > > > Any help would be appreciated, as you can tell I'm new to iChat. > > > > Thanks > > Bob Harris
From: David C. on 11 Feb 2006 16:41
bloomite <bloomite(a)aol.com> writes: > > 1. Does the firewall at work affect the iChat connection if one of the > viewers is outside the firewall, but not if both viewers are inside? Probably. Firewalls typically block all incoming connections, but allow most outbound connections. When you're text-chatting you typically connect to AOL's AIM server, as does the other party. So you're both making outbound connections. When you set up a direct-AIM text connection, or any kind of audio or video chat, one party opens a connection directly to the other party. Which means someone needs to have a firewall rule in place to allow the inbound connection. I think the protocols are smart enough to attempt the connection with either party playing the role of server, to allow the service to work as long as one party is not firewalled. If both are, however, the connection probably won't go through. > 2. When we are able to connect inside the firewall is all the video data > packets going up to the Mac and AIM servers? We are concerned about > security and having proprietary information outside the company. Audio and video should be going through direct connections. But if you're not sure, it should be easy to use a packet sniffer of some kind to be certain. > 3. Can Windows users connect to a Mac user who is iChat? Is there iChat > for Windows or something similar. There is not, but AOL makes Instant Messenger for Windows. It is compatible with iChat. I know text chats work just fine. It's my understanding that they also support audio and video (but only two-way chats, not multi-way.) > 4. My last question I just answered on my own, which is I can use my > Sony Camcorder with iChat, it doesn't have to be an iSight camera. Don't know for sure about this. It's my understanding that third-party cameras don't work out of the box, but they can be made to work with some minor software installation. -- David |