Cannot connect to certain buddy

Question

ERROR: FAILED TO START VIDEO CHAT BECAUSE “I” DID NOT RESPOND
Hi I am in New Zealand and am unable to connect via iChat AV with my sister (in USA). I can connect to someone in Australia, USA and UK. I am incredibly frustrated as I bought the iSight so I could see my brand new nephew who I have never met.
My system specs are as follows:
* Mac iBook, G3, 900MHz Power PC, 640 MBSD ram
* OSX 10.4.6
* Connecting via WiFi to Linksys Router BEFW11S4 802.11b, Firmware v 1.52.02, it obtains the IP automatically
* Modem connecting via PPPoA
* The D-Link modem tells me that I am running connecting to the internet at 350Kbps (attenuation 31dB) download and 160Kbps (63dB)
I have tried the following approaches to no avail:
Quicktime prefs
Change the connection speed in the quicktime preferences.
a. Go to System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming tab
b. Set the drop down to your Connection speed download speed or to a max of 1.5 meg
Port change in iChat prefs
Make the port change for iChat to log on to AIM in iChat > Preferences
a. Accounts > Server Settings tab
b. Change it to 443 (FROM 5190) (you have to be logged out of AIM to do it)
c. Go to iChat preferences
d. Click Server Settings.
e. Unlog from iChat.
f. Change port to 5060 (FROM 5190)
g. Log in to iChat and start audio / video chat with your friends.
Update the firmware on your router and modem
Turn on UPNP on your router
a. If you happen to have the Linksys WRK54G turn on UPnP (browser)
b. Copy: 192.168.1.1 and paste it into your browser, like a URL
c. user: admin
d. password: admin
e. click the administration tab and enable UPnP
f. Exit your browser.
Open ports in internal firewall
UDP: 5060, 5190, 5678, 16384-16403
TCP: 5190
Take down internal firewall
Set up port forwarding on Router
Set up port forwarding on the following ports:
a. iChat1, 5060 – 5060, UDP, 192.168.1.100
b. iChat2, 5190 – 5190, both, 192.168.1.100
c. iChat3, 5297 – 5298, both, 192.168.1.100
d. iChat4, 4099 – 4099, both, 192.168.1.100
e. iChat5, 5193 – 5193, both, 192.168.1.100
f. iChat6, 16384-16403, both, 192.168.1.100
g. ichat7. 5678 - 5678, both, 192.168.1.100
h. ichat8. 5353 - 5353, both, 192.168.1.100
DMZ
a. Set up DMZ on Linksys router, 192.168.1.100
b. Set up DMZ on D-Link modem, 10.1.1.3
From what I have read, it sounds like our two routers are having trouble communicating and so I will try and get my sister to do the same as me with regard to port forwarding (I think she has airport extreme or express).
Apart from that I just can’t think of anything else I can do? Can someone offer me any advice?
Tom
iBook G3 900MHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)
iBook G3 900MHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Answer 1

Hi Supertommonz,
Ok iChat like a LAN with only one DHCP server.
It may be possible to put the Modem in Bridge mode.
see my message about my confusion!
It may be possible to put the Linksys in Access Point
mode (same thing but different point on LAN).
Alternatively you can set the modem to allow Static
addresses and then set the Linksys to have a Static
address to the modem.
From the Linksys to the computers can be DHCP or
Static.
As the Linksys has UPnP use it as ichat also only
likes one event of NAT (Port Forwarding or Port
Triggering or DMZ)
So I should disable my port forwarding?
With the modem in Staic addressing to the Linksys you
could do Port Forwarding or DMZ if you wanted to
catch every port.
If the D-Link can also do UPnP I would use that.
I can't seem to find an option for turning on UPnP on the D-Link modem. On the Linksis router I have just noticed that it has UPnP on/off under Administration, but also UPnP Forwarding under Gaming. Are these two different things or do you need to use both (i.e. is the on/off like a master switch)?
Tom
iBook G3 900MHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)