Starting webcam video conversation causes remote end to go offline

Paul Moritoshi · 06-05-2006, 08:50 PM

When I try to start a webcam video conversation the remote end automatically goes offline. We can write text both ways and have a voice conversation both ways no problem. Also, she can see my webcam. I just can't see hers. I'm in the UK and she's in Japan.

I can have a fault-free 2-way video conversation with other people in Japan, but she's having the same problem when trying to connect with other computers, so it looks very much like it's something at her end.

So far we have:

changed webcameras at her end.
uninstalled and reinstalled Windows Live Messenger (8.0 Beta).
updated her network adapter (Intel PRO 100/VE) driver.
scanned for viruses using a current PCShieldPRO definition and found no viruses.

All to no avail.

Her colleague said it might be something to do with "settings" but that's so vague as to be useless.

She's on a DELL Inspiron 2200 Windows XP Home (Japanese) OS and mine is the equivalent English OS on a HP Compaq nx6125.

I'll supply whatever other technical information might be necessary upon request, but could someone please give me a clue as to what might be causing this problem?

MAQ_FR · 06-07-2006, 03:07 AM

just a few thoughts:

It stinks of lack of bandwidth her end - you could be having a good 8mb ADSL connection & she could be on dial up, or even behind a corporate firewall that blocks video etc.

memory - how much has she got?

Paul Moritoshi · 06-07-2006, 04:06 AM

Maq,
Thanks for your thoughts. I'll check her bandwidth and memory. I assume you're talking about RAM, which I'll have to check. Will get back to you.

Paul Moritoshi · 06-07-2006, 10:06 AM

She tells me that her computer has 248MB RAM (looks odd to me) and her bandwidth is a strange arrangement. She has 12GB from her provider but has to share this (presumably equally) between 4 other people in the same apartment building. One of those people is her flatmate, whose webcam works fine. Also, when I was in Japan I tested my newly set up webcam with hers and it worked fine. So it looks like that's not the problem.

Any other ideas?

06-05-2006, 08:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paul Moritoshi Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Home	Starting webcam video conversation causes remote end to go offline When I try to start a webcam video conversation the remote end automatically goes offline. We can write text both ways and have a voice conversation both ways no problem. Also, she can see my webcam. I just can't see hers. I'm in the UK and she's in Japan. I can have a fault-free 2-way video conversation with other people in Japan, but she's having the same problem when trying to connect with other computers, so it looks very much like it's something at her end. So far we have: changed webcameras at her end. uninstalled and reinstalled Windows Live Messenger (8.0 Beta). updated her network adapter (Intel PRO 100/VE) driver. scanned for viruses using a current PCShieldPRO definition and found no viruses. All to no avail. Her colleague said it might be something to do with "settings" but that's so vague as to be useless. She's on a DELL Inspiron 2200 Windows XP Home (Japanese) OS and mine is the equivalent English OS on a HP Compaq nx6125. I'll supply whatever other technical information might be necessary upon request, but could someone please give me a clue as to what might be causing this problem?

06-07-2006, 03:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
MAQ_FR Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Switzerland (origin: Scotland) Posts: 134 OS: WinXP pro: 2003 Server: 2008 Server: RHES 4	just a few thoughts: It stinks of lack of bandwidth her end - you could be having a good 8mb ADSL connection & she could be on dial up, or even behind a corporate firewall that blocks video etc. memory - how much has she got? __________________ regardz à tous Maq

06-07-2006, 04:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
Paul Moritoshi Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Home	Maq, Thanks for your thoughts. I'll check her bandwidth and memory. I assume you're talking about RAM, which I'll have to check. Will get back to you.

06-07-2006, 10:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
Paul Moritoshi Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Home	She tells me that her computer has 248MB RAM (looks odd to me) and her bandwidth is a strange arrangement. She has 12GB from her provider but has to share this (presumably equally) between 4 other people in the same apartment building. One of those people is her flatmate, whose webcam works fine. Also, when I was in Japan I tested my newly set up webcam with hers and it worked fine. So it looks like that's not the problem. Any other ideas?