"Lost connection with AIM" error message

Question

Hi all,
I've been a long-time iChat user — I've had very few problems, but now, at home, whenever I've been connected for about 10-15mins, iChat just disconnects with the simple iChat Connect Alert that the app has "Lost connection with AIM. The connection with the host was unexpectedly lost."
My Buddy List collapses to a "disconnected" header and I diappear from my Buddies' buddy lists. If I'm in the middle of a chat (video, audio or text), the chat continues uninterrupted, but I still disappear from people's lists as if I'd disconnected manually. Weird.
The net result is that I have to keep checking to see if I'm connected and then reconnecting all the time. A real pain in the proverbial.
It only happens at the house. My laptop doesn't disconnect if I'm at the office, for instance.
I have cable, coming in to Netgear 814v2 router; out to an 8-port gigabit switch, which then feeds my three main machines. All via ethernet cabling.
All machines have the same problem described above.
I've made the usual Quicktime setting changes.
I've listed the necessary ports in my Mac firewall settings (even though the firewall is turned off).
Each machine has a dedicated IP issued by the router (10.0.0.2 thru 10.0.0.5)
The router firmware is up to date.
What else is there?! I have no problems initiating or joining any sort of chat with my buddies around the world. I have excellent bandwidth. My internet and email are never interrupted 24/7.
Can someone help me? Pretty please?
17" Powerbook G4 & Dual G5 2.5Ghz   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

Hi
Try this log on to AIM on port 443 rather than port 5190
Go to IChat > Preferences > Accounts.
Log out of AIM and then use the Server Settings tab
Set the port to 443.
Log back in again.
Tony