How to get a PC with AIM to videoconference with a Mac running ichat Download AIM and Extras 1- Make sure that you re running AIM 5.5/5.9 on your PC. You can download it by going to www.aim.com and be sure to select version 5.5. Install it. 2- Download the 'extra' Video file and install that. Download it from here http://aimtoday.aol.com/features/main_redesign.adp?fid=video_im Setup the Firewall First of all find out if the PC has been upgrade with the SP2 Service Pack. Service Pack 2 is a recent major system software update to Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional. You can check by going to Start > Control Panel > System > General (it should say somewhere Service Pack 2) Updating a Windows XP computer to SP2 may cause Mac ichat AV to AIM 5.5/5.9 PC video and audio connections to fail because, by default, the firewall created by SP2 blocks UPnP communications from the Internet. If the SP2 firewall is enabled: 1. Go straight to the Firewall Control Panel [Start>Control Panels>Firewall] ) 2. Use the Add Button and Add the AIM application. 2. Select UPnP Framework and click the Edit... button. 3. Be sure that both the TCP 2869 and UDP 1900 ports are checked and listed as 'Any' under Scope. 4. If the Scope of each port is listed as 'Subnet,' click the Change scope... button, and select the 'Any computer (Including those on the Internet)' radio button. Do this for both ports, and then save the changes by clicking the OK buttons. Configure AIM on the PC 1- Start up AIM on the PC. Enter your username and password if you haven t done so already. 2- AIM has two windows. The first one is the basic window which includes "My AIM" "People" and "Help" on top. Use this window to add your buddy list. Go to "+- Setup" on
the lower grey bar and add SCREEN NAMES of your friends or people you want to chat with. Configuring AIM on the PC (Part 2) 1- Close the Setup Windows and return to the Buddies List. All your buddies who are currently online will show up in the Buddies List. 2- Click one of the active buddies. 3- A new Chat window opens. 4- This has "File" "Edit" "Insert" and "People" on top. 5- Click > "File" then > IM Preferences then> Sign On/Off 6- Then click > "Connection" > "Auto Configure" > OK > OK 7- This automatically configures your connection.
Configuring AIM on the PC (Part 3) 1- Stay in the same IM Preferences Window and switch to "Live Video". Click "Video/Audio Tuning": Configuring AIM on the PC (Part 4) 1- The "Audio and Video Tuning Wizard" opens. 2- Click > Next 3- Be sure to enter the right camera. If no camera shows up, your camera is not properly connected or configured. 4- Click > Next 5- Here you will see a video window with your camera in action. 6- Click > Next 7- Click > Next
8- Enter the right microphone. Some cameras have a microphone built in. Some other cameras need a separate microphone. In this case be sure that your mike is properly connected. 9- Select your speakers and be sure they work properly. 10- Click > Next Click > "Click to Test Speakers" 11- Adjust the speaker volume as needed. 12- Click > Next Make a mike test and observe the volume bars moving to the right. Adjust the mike sensitivity so you have a good meter movement when speaking normally without peaking to yellow or red. 13- Click > Next Click > Finish Close the "IM Preferences" Window by clicking > OK. 14- Close the "Instant Message" Window. 15 - Your SETUP is complete. Connecting to a videochat 1- On the "Buddies List" click the SCREEN NAME of a user you wish to chat with. 2- The "Instant Message" window opens. Here you also have a type interface and you might check if your buddy is ready to receive your video chat invitation. 3 - Click the Camera Icon. You are ready to chat. Your buddy still has to accept your invitation.
Setting up ichat Start By opening the ichat application. It will open the Assistant or First Run Screen for you. After filling in the Screen you click the Continue button. There are several message screens that follow. One asks you if you want to "Enable Rendezvous". This is a matter of preference and depending if you have other Macs on the same LAN. It is possible to click through all the First Run Screen without putting any data (text) in the entry boxes other than the prefilled computer account details. ichat will now open up. It will show you the Buddy List "Connecting..." to the AIM server and possibly your Buddy List if you selected to Log on there as well. If you clicked through the Start up Screen with out any details you will now have to go to the ichat Preferences and select Accounts and enter your AIM or @mac name and your password.
You will now have to enter your Buddies. * STEP 1 This is done by pressing the + sign at the bottom of the Buddy List. Indicated in the picture to the right and hidden mostly by the window which will open that you can see in the picture to the right. As you can see it is is linked to your Macs Address Book application. You can choose to select someone from this list by using the "Select Buddy" button or you can add a "New Person". * STEP 2 Use the "New Person" button to add people that are not in your Address Book (yet). A new window will open, by contracting the one seen one the right right and opening another with options to enter certain known facts about your new buddy. * STEP 3 1. First of all is the drop down to select the account/screen name type. The default is for an @mac.com name.
2. The other option is an AIM account/screen name. 3. In the default setting the suffix @mac.com is written next to the end of the following text entry field. So if it is an @mac name you can enter the new buddy's name right away. (The "@mac.com" does not have to be typed. ichat will add it) If it is an AIM name these do not have any suffix so there is no need to add "@AIM.com" either. To clarify so far: - STEP 1. Click to Add (+) button at the bottom of the Buddy List window. STEP 2. Use the New Buddy button. STEP 3a. Select the account type. 3b. Type in the account name (without any (3c.) suffix). * STEP 4. Next you enter a Buddy icon (to the left). If you leave this blank it will dispaly the Buddy icon that your Buddy is currently using. * STEP 5. There are now three text entry fields on the right, under the ones for the Account type and name. 1. First Name 2. Last Name 3. Email: These entry fields are self explanatory and don't need me to explain further. However I will point out that additional information can be added to these fields to display in your Buddy List. ichat's Buddy list window displays the information you enter (or don't) in these fields. If you only enter the account/screen name (and leave the others blank) then that is what is displayed in the list. If a person has two first names that you want to display you can do that. If you know someone as R.D. (or RD) then just type that in the entry field for one of the names. The same windows will open if you use the Add Buddy item from the Buddies menu. This is the end of the basic way of adding New Buddies.
Options You can add Buddies that contact you by using the menu item in the Buddies menu. This can be done from any type of chat. Wait until the chat has finished but do not close the chat window. Now go to the Buddies menu and select add Buddy. It will show you the account name of the Buddy concerned. If ichat is working properly it can be done in the middle of a Chat so that you can send them files or open a Text chat at the same time. Or contact them straight back form your Buddy list if the chat fails.