Troubleshooting Connections in NetMeeting Using Telnet

This article describes how to use the Telnet tool to troubleshoot problems connecting to a directory server or another NetMeeting client.

The Telnet tool that is included with Windows can be used to connect to a Telnet server. Telnet can be used to connect over any of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ports that NetMeeting uses, including ports 389, 522, 1503, 1720, and 1731. TCP port 1731 is also used by NetMeeting and must be open along with UDP ports above 1024, but you will not be able to use Telnet to test port 1731 or any UDP ports.

Troubleshooting Directory Server Settings

Microsoft supports configuring NetMeeting to connect to one directory server at a time. NetMeeting 1.0 supports the User Location Server (ULS) directory server standard via User Locator Protocol (ULP). NetMeeting 2.0 supports the industry-standard Internet Locator Server (ILS) directory server standard via Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). NetMeeting 2.0 also supports ULS for backward compatibility.

If you are using a proxy connection, have your network administrator check the proxy settings. Use port 389 for ILS and port 522 for ULS.

To connect to a directory server, the directory server must be functioning properly. NetMeeting directory services require either port 389 or port 522. To verify that the directory server is functioning properly, use Telnet to connect over these ports. For information about how to do this, see the "Troubleshooting the Directory Server" or "Troubleshooting the NetMeeting Client" sections of this article.

Troubleshooting the Directory Server

If you are connecting to a directory server, use Telnet to connect over port 389 or port 522. To do so, use the following steps:

1. Connect to your Internet service provider.
2. Click Start, click Run, type telnet in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. On the Connect menu, click Remote System.
4. Type the name of the directory server in the Host Name box.
5. If you are connecting to an ILS, type 389 in the Port box. If you are connecting to a ULS, type 522 in the Port box.
6. Click Connect.

NOTE: The value in the TermType box does not matter.

If the port is open, Telnet establishes a connection. Because you are not connecting to a Telnet server, Telnet does not notify you that a connection has been established. However, you do have the option to disconnect. If the port is not open, a "Connect Failed" message is displayed.

Troubleshooting the NetMeeting Client

If you are calling directly to another NetMeeting client, use Telnet to connect over port 1503 or 1720. If you are not using the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) or the Domain Name Service (DNS), you must know the computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address. In addition, NetMeeting must be running on the computer you are attempting to connect to.

To use Telnet to connect over port 1503 or 1720 use the steps from the previous section with the following changes. Make sure that NetMeeting is open and running on the computer you are trying to connect to and type the name of the computer you are trying to connect to or the IP address of that computer in the Host Name box and type 1503 or 1720 in the Port box.

To determine the IP address, on the Help menu, click About Windows Netmeeting. Note the IP addresses that are listed. (Or for Windows NT, open a command prompt and type ipconfig /all. For Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition, click Start, click Run, and type Winipcfg. Select the appropriate network adapter and note its IP address.)

If you can connect to a directory server or another NetMeeting client with Telnet, but not with NetMeeting, the problem is most likely caused by NetMeeting. If you cannot connect with Telnet, the problem is most likely caused by something else. If you cannot successfully communicate over the TCP ports that NetMeeting uses, then you cannot establish connections with NetMeeting.