FireWire Networking: Some issues...

FireWire AND AirPort Networking: Some issues...

Hey guys!

My parents just bought an iBook G4 for my brother, and I decided to connect it to the web via FireWire web sharing/networking, through my iMac G5. Cross volume mounting works without a glitch, but I haven't tried printer sharing yet... However, I ran into an issue:

iChat and MSN Messenger just won't work on the guest machine (everything runs fine on my iMac G5, as usual). They just won't connect to the server, period. Is this normal?

At first, I was trying to do it just for fun, since now we've got a pair of iSights, and I wanted to have a video chat with myself (yeah, I'm a narcisistic ba$tard, I know ) ...However, it's not uncommon of my brother to sign in to Messenger, and I certainly wouldn't mind extinguishing his user account on my iMac, since it's almost redundant already

Anyway, do you know of any workarounds for solving this problem?

Thanks!

simpilest would be to get a router instead of sharing the connection via firewire.

sandals1621 said:

simpilest would be to get a router instead of sharing the connection via firewire.

Click to expand...

Sure, it makes sense... however, my brother is living in the Netherlands, which makes this a temporary setup for when he's around (at most, some 90 days scattered throughout the year). And I happened to have a long FW cable lying around (I bought it to transfer my stuff from my old iMac G4 to the new one).

Anyway, this issue doesn't make much sense! Safari works fine, as iTunes sharing, printer sharing (works like a charm), volume mounting... (I don't know about p2p stuff, haven't tested those yet). And why should I have to use a router? It actually IS easier to just use a FW cable. If I was to use a router, I'd have to configure it! So much for plug'n'play simplicity...

So, if anyone knows what can be wrong with iChat and MSN protocols *AND* FireWire networking, and can actually suggest an efficient workaround, that'd be much appreciated


[edit: oh, and btw, I also have a 4-port router lying around, and I know how to configure it... However, it never worked very well, but I guess that was my old PC's fault, since I could never get Winblows to connect properly. Yes, maybe the router will work just fine for a Mac-Mac setup, but I'm not touching that router with a 10m stick (I guess either I'm REALLY lazy, or absolutely hate its configuration utility, or both), and besides, I'm very attached to FireWire ]

[edit 2: one more thing... First I thought that issue might be related to having iChat and MSN running on both computers, but then I tried closing them on the host (iMac), and they still wouldn't connect to their servers on the guest (iBook). Besides, you can actually connect with multiple usernames, with the same IP, to the same IM service (I used to do that with aMSN), so that shouldn't be an issue anyway!]

try connecting via ethernet?

macAttack said:

try connecting via ethernet?

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I was already told that... And it involves using that obnoxious router, since my iMac obviously only has one ethernet port. And yes, there is a strong reason for me to want to use a FireWire connection: I'm not going to waste a power outlet with the router's power adapter or fiddle with my setup everytime my brother comes around, just so he can use MSN Messenger. And I don't want to deny him that either, and, as I already said, I want to shut down his account on my iMac, since he has a Mac of his own now...

And for me, it's a PITA to configure that router, and this setup involves using 4 different cables (3 ethernet cables and a power supply!)... As opposed to ONE FW cable!

So anyway, what frustrates me even more is the fact Safari works *like a charm*, so does file and printer sharing... It is teh snappy™.

Again, and I don't mean to be rude, but... I'm explicitly asking some advice about FIREWIRE networking. I know about ethernet, I'm just a little bit stubborn, that's all... So, if any of you knows how to make Messenger and iChat work on a setup like this, please tell me (I'm figuring it'll work on an ethernet setup, but that's not the point here...). Thanks!

Same issue, different connection!

It's been a while... yep, this time, we're doing it via AirPort. The AirPort Extreme Card that I installed on my Rev.A G5 iMac works like a charm... Again, my brother can browse the web, yadda yadda... AND HE STILL CAN'T SIGN IN TO MESSENGER!!

I checked all the settings, and everything seems to be ok. We're using WEP Encription, my firewall has the default settings (I do have a port open for Messengerm apart from having - duh - personal web sharing activated), etc. etc. etc...

Any suggestions? Or will you tell me that I'll have to buy an AirPort Extreme Base Station, or an AirPort Express or whatever? Please, tell me I won't, because we're on a tight budget here, and besides, the signal strenght detected by the iBook, in my brother's room, while poor, is still more than enough for his needs while here at home (he certainly doesn't have to have video chats with us ).

Honestly, WHY can't iChat and Microsoft Messenger (or aMSN, and probably Mercury for that matter, even though I haven't tried them yet) work properly over a bare-bones wireless network? Skype works just fine, Safari too, I don't get it! If anyone knows what may be keeping them from connecting to their servers, please tell me. Many, many thanks!

Mainyehc said:

It's been a while... yep, this time, we're doing it via AirPort. The AirPort Extreme Card that I installed on my Rev.A G5 iMac works like a charm... Again, my brother can browse the web, yadda yadda... AND HE STILL CAN'T SIGN IN TO MESSENGER!!

I checked all the settings, and everything seems to be ok. We're using WEP Encription, my firewall has the default settings (I do have a port open for Messengerm apart from having - duh - personal web sharing activated), etc. etc. etc...

Any suggestions? Or will you tell me that I'll have to buy an AirPort Extreme Base Station, or an AirPort Express or whatever? Please, tell me I won't, because we're on a tight budget here, and besides, the signal strenght detected by the iBook, in my brother's room, while poor, is still more than enough for his needs while here at home (he certainly doesn't have to have video chats with us ).

Honestly, WHY can't iChat and Microsoft Messenger (or aMSN, and probably Mercury for that matter, even though I haven't tried them yet) work properly over a bare-bones wireless network? Skype works just fine, Safari too, I don't get it! If anyone knows what may be keeping them from connecting to their servers, please tell me. Many, many thanks!

Click to expand...

I am new to OSX myself, but have you tried having him connect while the firewall is disabled? If it then works, look up OSX firewall rules on Google. I'd say ask someone here, but, you already are! :mac:

That was going to be what i suggested, to check your firewall status and ask you if you have added any third party security software. Disable it and try. Also try to use Adium (www.adiumx.com) and see if you can use the services you want using that program. I can't see any other reasons why this would not work besides that, but I will give the simple always suggested quick fixes for you to try any way..
zap the pram (sometimes fixes random un-explainable problems that I have)
repair permissions (using disk utility, or system discs)
try different user names on both the imac and the ibook and see what happens, if it works it could be one of the computer preferences, try the ibook first because that one is most likely the problem if it is the case that it is a preference file that it is that of the ibook, but it could be the imac too, so check that one as well..