Ralph Johns UK

Error Messages in 10.4.7 and Above

This is going to be a long section. I have given a great deal of thought to whether to include it due to the complexity of trying to explain it.... But here goes....

In their usual manner of not actually saying they are aware of a problem, Apple have added a "Feature" to iChat at the 10.4.7 update that produces a Log file that can then be sent to Apple. It is specific to A/V chats.

What happens is the chat fails and a slide out window appears with a message about improving iChat with the info. There are two buttons at the bottom for Sending to Apple or not. Once the message is dealt with the pop-up disappears and you are left with just the Video Chat window (I say Video because that is where it is most reported) with the same message it always had. The actual message varies depending on the cause.

On the Log pop-up there is a "Details" reveal triangle. Clicking on this will show you the actual log and the eror code. They are made up of three parts - as coloured by me here.

Date/Time:      2006-07-05 21:11:03.403 +0100
OS Version:     10.4.7 (Build 8J135)
Report Version: 4

iChat Connection Log:
AVChat started with ID 485234091.
ralphjohnsuk1: State change from AVChatNoState to AVChatStateWaiting.
0x157a780: State change from AVChatNoState to AVChatStateInvited.
0x157a780: State change from AVChatStateInvited to AVChatStateConnecting.
[Edit Name]: State change from AVChatStateWaiting to AVChatStateConnecting.
[Edit Name]: State change from AVChatStateConnecting to AVChatStateEnded.
Chat ended with error -8
0x157a780: State change from AVChatStateConnecting to AVChatStateEnded.
Chat ended with error -8

Video Conference Error Report:


Video Conference Support Report:


Video Conference User Report:


Binary Images Description for "iChat":
0x1000 - 0x170fff com.apple.iChat 3.1.5 (436) /Applications/
iChat.app/Contents/MacOS/iChat
[EDIT]

... At this point the log goes on with all the bits loaded into action currently running the OS and iChat.

As you can see this one ends in Error -8 ( Chat ended with error -8 )

The above Log was also a failure where nothing but the invite got through, so just the titles got listed. This will depend on the statements in the green section above. A chat that connects but then Fails (normally Error 7) will show a line that reads [Edit Name]: State change from AVChatStateConnecting to AVChatStateConnected IT is not umcommon for incomming chats to show this line.

Video Conference Error Report:


Video Conference Support Report:


Video Conference User Report:

Often the Log report will show much more in each title area. See below.

There are four common error code numbers and these relate to the actual message on the failed Video Chat window.

Error Number	Message on Chat Window	Cause and Solution
Error -8	(User) Did not Respond	Generally a Port Problem somewhere. Can be a NAT related issue. Check the middle part of the Log for port Numbers (See below). This will tell you if the ports are the "Right" ones. Use Page 3 and Page 4 to help. Try to avoid NAT if you can.
Error -22	Not Enough Bandwidth	Generally this is caused by iChat being capped somewhere as to the Internet speed it has or can see. Check the Quicktime setting first. Then the Bandwidth Limit in iChat. Test the Internet speed you are getting.
Error-7	No Data Received for 10 Secs	Anything that ends the call other than the Red close button Make sure you are still on line and restart the call.
Error -21	Can not Get Video From Camera	Despite what it says this generally is a catchall for chats failing at the last stage of connection. You get the nsound you have allocated for A/V Connection and the change to the Picture in Picture Video chat window but then nothing. It normally points to not enough Bandwidth just at the point of Connection Treat it as a Bandwidth Problem. Check that other apps or computers are not using up your Bandwidth. Some starting a download or Mail asking for new mail from the servers are likely causes. See Also this Apple Discussions Thread

How to Read the Logs

As I said above, you need to be able to check the log to some extent. They are full of data that problemly means lots to a software engineer or an iChat guy or girl at Apple. I am going to show you here what I can make out of them. If you have problems that these pages can't answer then post on the Apple Discussion Pages in iChat 3. The Logs are also saved and can viewed in Console. Console is in Applications/Utilities. When it is open, click on the Logs icon top left. Use the reveal triangle on ~/Library/Logs (these are the ones for the current Mac User logged on the Mac). You will find another reveal triangle at iChatConnectionErrors. Use that to review your Logs for iChat. (or go to Users/(your account)/Library/Logs/iChatConnectionErrors change the view to list then select the youngest one)

First about what is going to be useful from the log.

1. The Error code
2. Some or all of the next part of the Log that starts "Video Conference Error Report:"
3. The first few lines of the Binary Images, like the editted example above. What we need to know is if there are iChat Add-Ons rather than all the info

A small sample of a middle section.

Video Conference Error Report:
3.324349 @:0 type=4 (00000000/22)
[VC_SIP_INVITE_ERROR]
[19]
3.324228 @SIP/SIP.c:2437 type=4 (900A0015/22)
[SIPConnectIPPort failed]
[]


Video Conference Support Report:
2.824908 @SIP/Transport.c:1218 type=1 (00000000/0)
[INVITE sip:user@u0en1.1 SIP/2.0
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP 192.168.1.100;branch=z9hG4bK567eedca227e0a8e
Max-Forwards: 70
To: "u0" <sip:user@u0en1.1>
From: "Name here" <sip:user@192.168.1.100>;tag=174545644
Call-ID: d2f87adc-0b95-11db-9fe2-9d41aeb913c4@lip
CSeq: 1 INVITE
Contact: <sip:user@192.168.1.100>;isfocus
User-Agent: Viceroy 1.2
Content-Type: application/sdp
Content-Length: 507

v=0
o=Ralph 0 0 IN IP4 192.168.1.100
s=name here
c=IN IP4 192.168.1.100
b=AS:2147483647
t=0 0
a=hwi:34:2:999
a=bandwidthDetection:YES
a=iChatEncryption:NO
m=audio 16386 RTP/AVP 12 3 0
a=rtcp:16387
a=rtpmap:3 GSM/8000
a=rtpmap:0 PCMU/8000
a=rtpID:-1574383262
m=video 16384 RTP/AVP 126 34
a=rtcp:16385
a=rtpmap:126 X-H264
a=fmtp:34 imagesize 1 rules 30:352:288
a=framerate:15
a=RTCP:AUDIO 16387 VIDEO 16385
a=pogo
a=fmtp:126 imagesize 0 rules 15:160:120:160:120
a=rtpID:-1178528325
]
[]
1.824612 @SIP/Transport.c:1218 type=1 (00000000/0)
[INVITE sip:user@u0en1.1 SIP/2.0
Via: SIP/2.0/UDP 192.168.1.100;branch=z9hG4bK567eedca227e0a8e
Max-Forwards: 70
To: "u0" <sip:user@u0en1.1>
From: "name here" <sip:user@192.168.1.100>;tag=174545644
Call-ID: d2f87adc-0b95-11db-9fe2-9d41aeb913c4@lip
CSeq: 1 INVITE
Contact: <sip:user@192.168.1.100>;isfocus
User-Agent: Viceroy 1.2
Content-Type: application/sdp
Content-Length: 507


		EDITED Repeats below until

Video Conference User Report:			(Which was empty in this case)

It has been edtted as to User names and repeats of information where iChat tries multiple times to connect.

The Indivual Lines
From: "Name here" <sip:user@192.168.1.100>
This bit shows you that you should be able to see your iChat name (sreen name) and the IP where you are currently situated. It can be handy to identify if you have two DHCP servers on your network if the IP listed here is not the same as on your Mac.

The "To:" and "From:" lines contain different info if it is anh incomming call. Depending how far it got it will identify yoyr Buddy as well as you.

a=RTCP:AUDIO 16387 VIDEO 16385
This line shows you the ports that iChat is asking the other end to send Audio and Video data to you on. If other port numbers come up it means that there is a NAT related problem somewhere. This tends to mean that there are two connection devices at one end and both are using a NAT based Port opening method such as Port Forwarding, triggering or DMZ on both. Try without a router (i.e. just the modem) at one end to eliminate this as a cause. Adjust you network accordingly. It is worth noting that some ISPs NAT the service to the end user. In some cases iChat counts this as one ocassion of NAT.

m=audio 16386 RTP/AVP 12 3 0 and
m=video 16384 RTP/AVP 126 34
The "m" value can be seen twice. Once for Audio and then again for Video. These should label the out-going ports. Again they should be from the iChat group of twenty (16384-16403). Normally they will be at the lower end of the group and between these two lines and the "a" line above you should have all 4 ports that are being requested. Again ports not in the iChat range either means you have a double NAT situation at one end or someone has not got the group of twenty ports open.

OK. A quick review of what we have so far.
We have new Logs in iChat failed chats with the 10.4.7 update.
These Logs can be opened up and read as they occur or in Console.
The error code number has a direct correlation to the message on the failed Video chat window.
There are several, but the 4 listed here are the most common.
The logs can be searched for specific bits of data that can help point to the problem.

Stages For Each Failure Point.

1. No Invite seen means the port 5678 is not open somewhere.
   
   
2. Invite accepted and a failed chat with an Error -8 log like the one higher up, with only titles, tends to mean that port 5060 is not open somewhere. This could, as with any of these, be at either end. It can also mean that port 5060 is either in use by some VoIP hardware or the ISP blocks it to try and get you to pay more for their own VoIP service.
   
   
3. Invited accepted and a log with more data points to a failure after iChat has reached port 5060. At this point it is using a third party server called "SNATMAP" to negotiate which ports are going to be used. If you can see ports listed in the log you can be sure that you have got to this stage. It now a question of putting the info in the logs into context with the other factors on how iChat works.
   
   
4. If, in the repeats, there are changes in the ports in the "a" and "m" values during the repeated attempts on longer logs, then it points to there being a NAT issue. This is where one end has two connection devices modem and separate router with each one using a method that use NAT as part of the process (Port Forwarding, Port Triggering or DMZ). As noted above this can be if your ISP NATs the service they give you and iChat can "see" this through your modem. Basically each device that does NAT add address information to the data packet. When there are two NAT devices at one end - for some reson the port numbers in this address data seem to get changed. As a consequence this makes the chat fail as it is sending to the "Wrong" ports. As in this Example
   

a=bandwidthDetection:YES
a=iChatEncryption:NO
m=audio 16317 RTP/AVP 12
a=rtcp:16318
a=rtpID:552219969
m=video 16315 RTP/AVP 126
a=rtcp:16316
a=rtpmap:126 X-H264
a=RTCP:AUDIO 16318 VIDEO 16316

These are moved only slightly outside of the iChat range but it is enough. I have seen them much higher and lower on ocassions like this one.

m=audio 29903 RTP/AVP 12 3 0
a=rtcp:29904
a=rtpmap:3 GSM/8000
a=rtpmap:0 PCMU/8000
a=rtpID:360478971
m=video 29901 RTP/AVP 126 34
a=rtcp:29902
a=rtpmap:126 X-H264
a=fmtp:34 imagesize 1 rules 30:352:288
a=framerate:15
a=RTCP:AUDIO 29904 VIDEO 29902

Here the ports have moves even further. I have seen no logic that I can fathom as to which way the ports will move. It is worth saying though, that if you are trying to a PC and the ports are in the range 1024-5000 the problem is more likely to be at your end. This is because iChat will tell AIM where it wants the data to come and AIM on a PC will oblige. If the ports are not set at your end, AIM will not change from it's default range.

Ok. That is essentially it for Error -8.

Error -22
With this error code the info in the first titled section Video Conference Error Report: tends to show repeats at first glance. Closer inspection shows it going through the SIP stages. You will egt things that look like [SIP/2.0 100 Trying or [SIP/2.0 100 Ringing. As SIP is a text based protocol that basically follows all the steps in making a phone call you will also see "ACK" for acknowledged. Because of the Low Bandwidth it is the other comments after this that you will not see. If your connection speed (In this ichat has a minimum between 50kbps and 100kbps) is around the minimum and is closer to the 100kbps you may see the "Ringing" and "Trying" several times in the log. The solution as documented above is to check all things that have anything to do with the Connection Speed/Bandwidth.

Error -7
With this error log you are not going to get anything new. The connection was made and failed for some reason after that. Effectly this is a Log of a successful connection even if the chat wasn't.

Error -21
With this error the Logs again are not that helful. The error is effectively a lack of Bandwidth at the moment the Chat gets connected. It means at the start of iChat that it could "see" or rather read from the Quicktime data that there was enough Bandwidth/Connection speed and no capping imposed by iChat's Bandwidth Limit. See Page 4 in Quicktime and Bandwidth. What the error message means is iChat is saying "Sorry Boss. I thought I could get there." and is falling short. Due to the catchall nature of the Video chat window message that goes with this error you are going to have to check everything and the Log in this instance is of no use.

If you have worked through checks when you have had an error log don't presume that the next one refers to the same problem. Quicktime (Error -22/Not Enough Bandwidth) faults are seen later than Error -8 (User Did not Respond) ones and are effectively hidden until the first is sorted.

If you are going to post on the iChat Discussions at Apple then please post the Log with only the last line in green, all the red and the amount of blue text shown in my example above.

I hope you have found this page useful.

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© 2005 Ralph Johns Edited 24/9/2005, 5/5/2006, 25/08/2007
Updated September 2006. Moved to Gargoyles and edited Mar 2007

Information Column

These Log explanations are a combination of the info that was or is know about iChat 2.x and it's error messages and it's fixes to point the way about these.

I acknowledge this is more than some people may want to know. Mostly it is here to give some of the back ground info needed on the Apple Discussion Forums without having to re-post the same info again and again which was my original reason for producing the web pages anyway.

After the intro the section at the top shows a coloured version of a log.
It has been stripped of the long bottom "Binary Images" info that plays little part in this. The colouring was added to point out the different parts of the Logs.

This highlights the fact there are titles within the Log.

From there I list in, a table, the four most common Log Error numbers

In the How to Read section I have a longer example and then highlight certain items or lines that are useful.

During this section I have two partial logs, or rather two sections of the same log to emphasie the point about the Port numbers changing.

It finishes off with a general idea about what you should do next for each error number.

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