Can't make video-conferencing work

Actually, I spent most of my life -- up until about six years ago -- in the newspaper business, so maybe I can bring out that gun.

While your at it, ask them if they'll send me a free router.  ha. ha.

http://www.dlink.com/products/DVC-1000/setup2.asp
Here are the directions from the manufacturer.  I would see if these directions work with your router.  They should work as they are from the manufacturer of the device.  While many things seem hard at first, if we stop and read the directions they become quite simple.

Here are the instructions:


"First, access your router's configuration settings.
Note: You will need the IP address, User Name and Password of your router. (This would be a good time to fill out the included Quick Find Card so that you will always have the key information for your router and i2eye for future reference). Each router has a different way of accessing the configuration utility. Please refer to your router’s manual or manufacturer website. A typical example for this function is D-Link's DI-604 Broadband Router, whose configuration utility is accessed by typing in the router's IP Address into a web browser, and then entering the router's User Name and Password.

Now you are ready to forward the necessary ports.
Note: Depending on your router's manufacturer it will typically forward ports under "Virtual Server", "Firewall Rules" or "Port Forwarding", which are generally located under an "Advanced" or "Firewall" tab or button.

 Select Enabled
 Give the Virtual Server a Name (i.e. i2eye)
 Under Private IP enter the IP Address from your i2eye (you wrote this down on your Quick Find Card)  
 Under Protocol Type, choose Both (TCP and UDP)
 Under Private Port and Public Port, enter 15328
 Under Schedule, enter Always
 Click Apply

Repeat Steps  thru  for the following individiual ports: 15329, 15330, 15331, 15332 and 15333.
Repeat Steps  thru . For Step , under Protocol Type, choose TCP

For Step , under Private Port and Public Port, enter 1720

For Step , under Schedule, enter Always, then , click Apply

You have now successfully forwarded the necessary ports, using virtual server, and you are now ready to start using your i2eye!"

Monitoring out of curiousity.

Paul,

Thank you... I've done all of that. At this point, I'm beginning to think the problem is on the other end -- that my colleague doesn't have his set up correctly, even though he can reach me. The issue is that I don't know what to tell him to look for... *wince*

Guesses are truly appreciated, if only because DLink's support doesn't seem to be much help.

ep

It wasn't a guess.  I had similar problems using Microsoft Messengers web cam and file sharing issues myself.  It turned out to be an issue with my router blocking access to certain ports.  So, you have tried putting your conferencing system in the DMZ?  Sorry I couldn't help here.  It would appear that someone is blocking access to these ports.

These are all wild guesses, I've never used a Dlink DVC 1000.  I usually don't even buy their network cards.  But,

From  http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=2016
The D-Link wireless i2eye can be set to display video calls in either picture-in-picture or full screen mode and automatically adjusts contrast levels for a perfect picture. Privacy controls are set at various levels using i2eye's simple onscreen menus. Video Privacy allows callers to hear but not see the receivers, Audio Privacy allows callers to see but not hear receivers and Do Not Disturb will reject incoming calls altogether. When an inbound call is detected by i2eye the incoming caller's information is displayed on screen while either the integrated ringer sounds or a connected phone rings. Users can then accept or reject the call, which is displayed full screen or picture-in-picture.

If you can ping everything, then it sounds to me like maybe somebody on the other end isn't right.

A.  Busy Signal
1.  Do you know if A has a dsl filter installed on the incoming phone line?
2.  Was A possibly in another videoconference at the time that you called?
3.  If you were talking to A at the same time that you were trying to videoconference him on the same line as the videoconferenceing machine, is it possible that your conversation compromised the connection?
4.  Does the DVC require a dedicated line even though it's DSL?
5.  Does A have Do Not Disturb turned on?

B.  Rings but no answer
1.  Does B have internal ringer on or is he connected to phone with ringer that is turned on.
2.  If you were talking to B on same line as the VNC, was the phone he was talking on the same phone set up to ring on the VNC
3.  Does B have Do Not Disturb turned on.
4.  Since others couldn't connect to B but B could connect to others, are B's incoming port settings correct.
5.  If B can talk to others, maybe ask B what his outgoing configuration looks like, including port settings.
6.  Somebody wake B up, he's asleep on the job again.

Also, did you use their Directory Service or did you try to make a direct connection (assuming that's possible).  I read this thing doesn't work with AOL because AOL constantly changes your ip address.  Not sure how thats different from any other dynamic ip isp vendor, but what I did notice was that if both you and the other corresponder are both on dynamic ips from your isp's then your ip's can be changing without notice.  Ordinarily, to run a website from a dynamic address you would need an updater that forwards your new dynamic ip address to a dynamic dns service who then, I presume, forwards the updated ip to the domain name server, which in this case, I guess, is the Directory Service.  I guess also that the machine automatically forwards this info to the Directory service such that your telephone number (equiv to domain name I guess) continues to work when your dynamic ip changes.  If you tried to make a direct connection and the other persons dynamic ip had changed, then it wouldn't work.
Also noticed that in D-link FAQ's about DVC-1000 behind nat router that there was no info.   Blank page.
Sorry I couldn't find the magic bullet.
 

Other sources of significantly more credible assistance.
http://www.wainhouse.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000188.html
http://support.dlink.com/faq/results.asp?Page=1
http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=1154
http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=1156
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=8
http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DVC%2D1000

These guys might have more hands on experience with the equipment.
http://www.dlink.com/products/installation.asp

Paul,

My apologies -- I didn't mean to imply that you were guessing; I meant to say that I've followed their installation instructions to the letter (given the difference in routers), with only marginal success, but that I was quite willing to do something you came up with that was outside that box -- for example, putting it in the DMZ. I understand that you might not be specifically familiar with the control software for the Netgear modem/router, but given that, can you give me an idea of where I might look to put the device into the DMZ? I understand the concept, but I've never done it...

Timothy,

New information: Another colleague set his equipment up yesterday on a DSL-based system with a router. As with "B" above, he was able to connect to me while I got the "nobody home" stuff. During a conference, he told me he had yet to specifically open the ports required, so I suspect that's the issue with that particular portion of our problem.

A1. No, I don't know. He might; he's rather security/virus obsessive.
A2. I'm sure he wasn't -- we were talking on the telephone trying to solve the problem (we're both on cable)
A3. See above
A4. Couldn't tell you, although I don't believe so from reading the documentation
A5. I don't believe so, but anything's possible.
Note: It's an extremely brief busy signal -- a tenth of a second, perhaps -- followed by a message on the screen that says "Unable to establish connection"

B1-6. I'm convinced that this is a configuration issue on B (and now C).

There's no way I've found to directly access their directory service, which is nothing more than a translator that takes the IP address and converts it into some easily recognizable (and memorable) "number". All of us use our home telelphone numbers. When my DLink is turned on, it finds the IP address of my router and sends it, along with my directory number, to DLink's database. If A has me on his address list, along with my "phone number", he can just click my name, which uses my telephone number to "dial" the IP of my router. At my router, the "call" is then sent to my DLink based on the information I included when I set up the DLink.

In my case, the fact that my router is given a new number every time it's reset is not an issue, because that information gets resent every time I log in. The fact that the DLink is also dynamically sent is also not an issue, because my router knows which is the DLink and which are the computers.

At this point, your first suggestion (that I pull out the press card and hold my thumb over the expiration date), and Paul's idea of moving it into the DMZ, are a lot more reliable than anything DLink has told me...

ep

I have the DVC1000 i2eye and have emailed ericpete and can call and connect to him, but he cannot call me.  I am able to contact another on my Confernce list, but he too cannot call me and connect.

The Router I am using is a D-Link DI-624 wired/wireless, on setup from 192.168.0.1 - I clicked on Advanced and have the following ports open:

DVC-1000 192.168.0.102 TCP 1720/1720 always (This is the only Virtual Server checked, and have deleted Netmeeting)

On the DI-624 Router Firewall setup from the same screen, I have:

Allow Video2 WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.100 TCP,15328-15333 (In and Outbound)
Allow Video1 WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.100 TCP,1720 (In and Outbound)
Allow DVC1000   *,*    *,* IP (0),15328-15333 (In and Outbound)
Allow DVC-1000 WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.102 TCP,1720
Allow NetMeeting_ADV WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.102 TCP,1503
Allow Allow to Ping WAN port WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.1 ICMP,X
Allow msmsgs (192.168.0.102:XXXX) 636 WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.102 UDP,XXXX-XXXX
Allow msmsgs (192.168.0.102:XXXXX) 46 WAN,* LAN,192.168.0.102 TCP,XXXXX-XXXXX (X= Hidden numbers)

Internet WAN Connection: Dynamic IP Address  Choose this option to obtain an IP address automatically from your ISP.(For most Cable modem users)

Dynamic MAC Address is set and the Host is Di-624

Set 802.11g Wireless LAN Connection = Default on Channel 6

Set 802.11g Wireless LAN Connection
If you wish to use encryption,enable it here and enter the encryption Key Values. WEP Able/Disable  Encription 128 Bit

On the DVC1000 Television Settings:

General =
Always answer incoming calls - Checked
Turn on Video Privacy when answering calls - Unchecked
Play Sound with user input - Checked
Automatically adjust video contrast - Checked

Personal Info=
My Name
Country Code
Area Code
Phone#
(All have been entered)

Network=Address=
DHCP - Checked
IP Address - 192.168.0.100
Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.0
Gateway - 192.168.0.1
Host Name (Optional) - Empty
MAC Address is set

DNS=
Primary DNS - 192.168.0.1

Public IP Address=
Auto-detect - Checked
Use Private IP Address (198.162.0.100) - Uncheked
Specify public IP - Unchecked
Public Address (Entered)

I have two wired PC's and two wireless Notebooks, all are working fine.

B

Sorry, not much time here, will try more later, but if Buddy55's outbound settings don't work, you could try briefly moving the DVC over to the DMZ to test it.  Maybe unhook other comps from the router briefly, though probably not necessary.  No idea but I don't think a DVC could retain a trojan or whatever else you might catch while in the DMZ.  If the DMZ doesn't clear your outbound problem, then that narrows it down alot.  Will try more later.  Good Luck.