[Morbiato]

Having happily used iChat regularly to talk with and see relatives in California we are now unable to get a picture from there. Can still talk [with picture] to folks in the UK but not link up to the US. Can see each others screens and talk but need picture as three year old grandson finds it difficult to talk to a blank screen!

This problem has arisen since Leopard has been installed. Can anyone suggest what the problem might be?

[JKT]

It might be a firewall issue (the necessary port(s) for AIM and video might not be open - check that you have iChat added to the list of apps in the Leopard firewall in the Security pane of System Preferences), or it might be a router problem. Whenever I have had this issue with my brother (when it works fine with e.g. my folks or with the Apple test video feed), toggling UPnP on and off on my router tends to solve it.

[Morbiato]

Have tried the Apple test site for iChat successfully and can get sound send/typed messages take control of screens etc. with my son in California and even see them on their own screen BUT we both still get a message saying the other isn't responding when we try to start a video conversation. I have been able to get system working with only other user I speak to in the UK! In fact, come to think of it, everything works on the link except the picture. MacBook Pro works when on other networks without problems but iMac won't at place it used to [pre Leopard] ....................

Am very keen to sort this out as second grandchild is expected within a week and want to see and talk to them and would appreciate help...........

[peeb]

Have you tried using Skype? For some reason Apple seems unable to make a chat client with video as reliable as Skype.

[Cold Warrior]

Skype, seconded. iChat would be nice if it could work reliably from behind NAT where I'm not a sysadmin and can't get ports forwarded (e.g., hotels, etc.).