jabber: port listening?

student975 · 2011-08-17 16:24:19

I have tried audio/video pidgin-to-pidgin calls with accounts from jabber.org and getonsip.com. Inside LAN (workstation and netbook running Arch are connected to the same home router) all is OK. At case I try to audio/video call to remote respondent (at one case (Arch) also behind own home router, at other case (Mint) behind iptables firewall) a call is establishing, but both audio and video streams don't transfer. Respondents and me - all have static IPs.

Must I (as well respondents) open some ports for listening to?
Where to dig in?
Some not-default settings in Network tab of pidgin Preferences?

Last edited by student975 (2011-08-17 16:42:28)

R00KIE · 2011-08-18 11:06:43

From the tests I've done (tried calls and file transfer between google accounts) you need to make sure both clients know their external IP. Configure the stun server and tell pidgin to "Use automatically detected IP address".

I don't use UPnP, I have it disabled in the router so I have "Enable automatic router port forwarding" unchecked as it would do nothing, you want to check "Manually specify range of ports to listen on" and choose a port range.

Make sure you open those ports in the firewall and make sure you forward those ports in the router or in alternative use UPnP to get automagic router port forwarding. When I tested it I did forward and open the range of ports I had configured for both tcp and udp protocols.

Restart pidgin and check it detected your external IP correctly, then it should work. One _important_ detail is that _both_ sides must have the configuration right, the range of ports configured in pidgin _must_ be open in any firewall and properly forwarded in any router and be accessible from the outside world otherwise things might not work at all or work well only in one direction.

student975 · 2011-08-21 23:20:07

Thanks for the hints! Have tried. At first case (respondent uses a router with forwarded range of ports, both TCP and UDP) calling works. At second (direct connection without router, ports are open with ufw again for both TCP and UDP) calling doesn't work. Can not understand the difference. Pidgin settings are exactly the same.

R00KIE · 2011-08-22 09:45:21

You could try disabling the firewall for testing purposes and see if the problem is with the firewall configuration. If it isn't you'll have to do detective work and maybe use a combination of wireshark, netstat/ss and iftop to check which ports pidgin uses to listen for incoming connections and which ports incoming connections are hitting.

student975 · 2011-08-22 15:25:26

I have tried to inspect connection inside LAN. I have noticed four UDP streams between respondents. Ports are absolutely random in 30000-60000 range. Network settings seem to be ignored by pidgin.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-08-17 16:24:19

jabber: port listening?

#2 2011-08-18 11:06:43

Re: jabber: port listening?

#3 2011-08-21 23:20:07

Re: jabber: port listening?

#4 2011-08-22 09:45:21

Re: jabber: port listening?

#5 2011-08-22 15:25:26

Re: jabber: port listening?

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