Screen-friendly page
Printer-friendly pageSetting Up iChat
This page contains information about using the iChat instant messaging client with Illinois Chat.
Configuration
If you are running Mac OS X, you can use Apple's iChat to access Illinois Chat.
If you are already using iChat for instant messaging, then all you will need to do is follow the steps below.
If you are not already using iChat, you will have to set up either an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) account or a .Mac account.
Note: If you are currently logged into iChat, you must log out before you can set up your Illinois Chat account. To log out, go to the iChat menu and select Log Out of AIM.
1. From the iChat menu, select Preferences.
2. Select the Accounts section at the top.
3. Click on the + icon at the lower left to add a new account.
Show an image of the Accounts window.
4. Choose Jabber Account from the Account Type drop-down list. Enter the following information:
- Jabber ID: Use your NetID in the form yournetid@chat.illinois.edu.
- Password: Use your Active Directory password.
- Server: chat.illinois.edu
- (Optional): Description: Your description of this instant messaging account -- for example, "yournetid on Illinois Chat."
- Check the Use This Account checkbox.
Show an image of the process of adding a new account.
5. Click Add.
6. Close the Accounts window and you will see a window representing your Illinois Chat account. It will be labeled Jabber List because Jabber is a technical component of Illinois Chat.
7. Click on the heading that says Offline.
8. Choose Available.
Show how to connect to Illinois Chat.
After you've selected Available from the list of status options, you will be connected to Illinois Chat.
Show the Jabber List while connected to Illinois Chat.
Adding contacts
To add new University contacts to your Illinois Chat contact list:
1. Click on the + icon in the bottom left corner of your buddy list.
2. Select the New Person button.
3. Select AIM from the Account Type drop-down menu.
4. Enter the buddy's information in the Account Name field in the form: theirnetid@chat.illinois.edu.
5. Click Add.
Once you have gone through the process to add a buddy, you will see a notice that states "Waiting for Authorization" next to your buddy's screen name. Your buddy will receive a notification that you wish to add him/her the next time s/he logs into Illinois Chat. You may also want to notify your contact through another method such as email to be certain that your contact is aware that you wish to add him/her to your Illinois Chat buddy list.
Setting your account to allow logging in from multiple computers
If you have more than one computer (for example, an office desktop and a laptop or iPhone), you may want to set your account preferences to allow you to log in from multiple computers, referred to in iChat as "locations." If you set your preferences to allow this, when you log in from a new location your instant messages will be sent to the computer or device you're actively using at the moment. This feature is further described in Illinois Chat: Logging In from More Than One Computer.
1. If you're already logged into iChat, log out of your account so that you can adjust your settings.
2. From the iChat menu, select Preferences.
3. Select Accounts from the top menu in the window.
4. Select your Jabber account from the left hand Accounts list.
5. Select Server Settings from the middle menu in the window.
6. Uncheck the Use my machine name check box, if it is checked.
7. Enter a name that you want your location to be known as, for example "Work Computer," in the field form next to Location.
Note: Be sure to give each of your locations a unique name, so that iChat will be able to recognize the different locations properly.
8. Log in to your Jabber account. You will now be logged into the location you entered in your form field.
You can add more locations on different computers by following the steps above for each computer.
Show how to allow multiple locations in iChat.
