123 Flash Chat FAQ


General Questions:

1. What is 123 Flash Chat Software?
2. Who can use 123 Flash Chat Software?
3. Can you install it for me?
4. Is there any 123flashchat in live?

Design Questions:

1. Can you make a skin to fit my site?
2. Can you design a logo for us?
3. Can I have my own avatars or smileys/emotion?
4. How to edit font?
5. How to resize flash chat client?
6. Can I customize the chat room myself?

Technique Questions:

1. In my flash chat room client, text overflow the textfield, what's wrong?
2. What version of jdk is needed to run 123flashchat server?
3. Do you provide a Windows exe client?
4. Can you create an OEM Windows exe chat client for me?
5. The operation system on my server is Sun Solaris, why my chat server suddenly terminate and the process disappear?
6. Why does my flash client keep loading?
7. Why doesn't my logo appear?
8. How does the flash client support firewall?
9. How to bind 80 port?
10. My server runs Freebsd, can I install 123 flash chat server on it?
11. Can I install 123 flash chat software without a server?
12. What's the bandwidth necessary for running 123 flash chat server software?
13. Why "connection failed"?
14. 123flashchat hardware requirements?
15. in Mysql, "Attempted reconnect 3 times. Giving up. " What shall I do?
16. What plug-in my users need?
17. Can I put ad banner in my chatroom to earn money from chat?
18. How to auto-detect flash player 7.0.19.0?
19. Can 123 flash chat run on shared hosting?
20. Can 123 flash chat support thousands of connections?
21. How to use "add-room" server API?

Purchase Questions:

1. If I buy 123 flash chat software, can I update freely?
2. Can you develop new features for me?
3. If I buy a 50 user license initially, how much should I pay when I update to an 100 user license ?
4. What does user license mean?
5. I'll purchase 50 user license, but 6 months later, how much will I be charged for update?
6. Can I become your reseller?
7. Should I purchase flash source code?
8. How could I pay you?
9. I want to purchase 2 licenses, any discount?
10. I'm "123 Flash Chat Server Software license Buyer or not"?
11. Can I western union transfer money to you?
12. Why 123flashchat expensive?

Integration Questions:

1. What if 123 flash chat server and 123 flash chat client are placed on different server machines?
2. If I host my website and you host my chat room, can you integrate my database?
3. Can members auto login if they already log in portal or forum?
4. How to integrate MS-SQL with 123flashchat?
5. How to auto-login user without integrating database?


Answers to General Questions:

1. What is 123 Flash Chat Software?

It's a fast, easy and affordable way to host and manage real-time chat room in intranet and extranet portals.

123 Flash Chat Software allow you to organize chat-events, collaborative work sessions or online meetings as well. It can be used for customer live support, online conference, dating community, etc.

123 Flash Chat Software brings you high-performance and rock solid stability with fast and easy installation on all major operating systems.

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2. Who can use 123 Flash Chat Software?

123 Flash Chat Software can be used for websites of any size and any industry, especially perfect to dating sites and online live supporters, chat portals, e-learning/ educational portals, entertaiment portals and community chat sites.

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3. Can you install it for me?

YES! We can install for software purchaser on request, without extra charge.

Windows user please provide PCanywhere or other remote control application account;Unix user provide telnet or ssh account instead.

We've helped a lot of customers with installation, you can be sure we won't do anything to impair customers' servers.
you can monitor every move of us once we access your server and don't have to worry about security issue.

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4. Is there any 123flashchat in live?

You are welcome to check out our Client Showcase/ Successful stories.

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Answers to Design Questions:

1. Can you make a skin to fit my site?

Yes! Once purchasing our product, you can write to support@123flashchat.com and leave us your requirements then we'll try our best to make a skin for you. We charge $100 for every set of skin design. Also, you can tell us what kind of background you need to make your chat room different.

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2. Can you design a logo for us?

No problem! Just give us your requirements in details (color code and font) as much as you can and we'd love to make one for you in 24 hours after your order for software license, without extra charge for logo.

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3. Can I have my own avatars or smileys/emotions?

Yes, you can purchase the flash source code (which is only $70 for license buyer, or $139 for not buyer yet) to replace the original avatars and emotions by your own.
ctrl+L to activate the flash library, find folder "avatars_mc", then replace with your own.
Then edit "grid.as" to change the width and height, and rows and columns of avatars.

The avatar graphics are supposed be in 20x20 (or 16x16)pixels, gif or png format (with transparent background).
You may have 50 avatars, the number of avatars can also be a product of row ( <= 8 )and column( <= 10 ),like (8 x 10= 80), or (5 x 6 = 30).

Or, if you need us to replace for you, please send us the group of avatars, we'll update for you in 24 hours after your payment of customization fee.
we charge one hour of extra developing fee ($50) for replacement of every group of avatar files.

The same manner apply to smileys/emotions replacement,
ctrl+L to activate the flash library, find folder "smileys", then replace with your own.
and edit "smiley.as" to change the number, size and names of smileys.
we charge one hour of extra developing fee ($50) for replacement of every group of smileys, if you need.

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4. How to edit font?

After purchasing 123flashchat client source code, you can easily edit font face or size by yourself in this way:

open 123flashchat.fla using macromedia flash MX 2004, ctrl+L to activate the flash library,
click to extend the folder: input_mc, what you need to edit is these two MC:
"msg_mc" and "oneline_msg_mc".

also, below "Timeline", extend "talkmsgframe"folder, there's one layer named "msginput".
double click the keyframe to edit font.

If you like us to do the job for you, we charge one hour of extra developing fee ($50).

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5. How to resize flash chat client?

123 Flash Chat flash client is resizable now!
Edit html code flash tag with which you insert the chat client into your webpage,
Find: WIDTH="634" HEIGHT="476",
replace the values with the expected width and height.
Technically the smallest size is 550*250, and the width would better be over 400 pixel.

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6. Can I customize the chat room myself?

Yes! Please check our tutorials: HOW TO customize skin? , HOW TO change skin color? or HOW TO change background?

Or you can purchase the flash source code files online to customize style.

Skin samples: http://www.123flashchat.com/skin-showcase.html

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Answers to Technique Questions:

1.In my flash chat room client, text overflow the textfield, what's wrong?

You are probably using the first version of flash player 6.0 or even lower version. Please download current version of flash player which is free from http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash. Bingo! problem resolved.

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2. What version of jdk is needed to run 123flashchat server?

Since our server adapted the great-performance java.net.nio package, you need jdk 1.4 or above.
We recommend jdk 1.5 or above. Please try to update your jre version to greatly enhance performance.

Note: for Windows or Linux user, jdk is already included in our download package, you don't have to bother to install it manually again.

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3.Do you provide a Windows exe client?

Yes, you can download a Windows exe client.
The advantages: it can save chat log to user's hard drive. It's also perfect to online live supporters because it can locally connect to the chat server, and with two Windows clients activated in the system tray, both the monitor window and the chat window are placed in the Windows client instead of in the browser, so that you won't be diverted to other webpages by mistake.

You can also offer this exe client to your members to free download, so that they don't have to visit your website to chat with other members, just follow the instructions in the Windows exe client download package to configure it for your own use.

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4. Can you create an OEM Windows exe chat client for me?

Yes, please offer the window caption(your site name, for example) and the icon,
If you don't have an icon yet, we can also free design one for you as your request.
We can also make the application appear on the task bar when running, if you request.
For all the customization, we charge one hour extra developing fee, which is $50.

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5. The operation system on my server is Sun Solaris, why my chat server suddenly terminate and the process disappear?

To run a Java multi-thread program with J2SDK 1.4.x under Solaris system, a patch is indispensable. Please check your system patch. For details, check here:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/show.pl?target=patches/J2SE

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6. Why does my flash client keep loading?

Please make sure you have located the "lang" and "skin" folders into the right directory you've defined in client.xml.

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7. Why doesn't my logo appear?

First check if the logo exists in the skin folder you've chosen.
The logo can only be jpg or swf format, not gif or png, and not bmp either.

For jpg logo, make sure it's in non-progressive mode. If not, please use a software like acdsee to convert it. eg: open your jpg in acdsee, then File -> Save as, choose options in popup dialog and in the option of encoding, DON'T check Progressive, then save jpg. Done.

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8. How does the flash client support firewall?

123 flash chat client communicates with server via TCP protocol. It use a specific port(which can be either lower or higher than 1024), add a rule in your firewall server to allow access. If the end users are behind firewall, he can open your specific port of his firewall(outgoing port)to access chat.

123flashchat current version now support 80 port, which is allowed by most of the firewall but needs flash player 7 support. Details here>>

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9. How to bind 80 port?

Of course you can bind chat server 80 port, but you have to make sure you still have free 80 port.

As we know, http server is always binded on 80 port, so if you have any http server like IIS or Apache,
80 port will be taken by default, that's why you failed to start chat server on 80 port, cause it's already used.

Here is the solution:

If you have only 1 ip address on your server and 80 port must be bound on web server,
then there is no way to bind 80 port on chat server, too.

But if you have 2 or more IPs in your server, you can do it this way:
bind 80 port of one IP on web server, then bind the free 80 port of another IPs to chat server.

For example, you have 2 IPs:
1.2.3.4
9.8.7.6
and you installed apache on your server.
(You can find all your IPs with the command: "ifconfig -a" )
1). please edit httpd.conf (apache configuration file)

Listen 1.2.3.4:80
(Don't use "Listen 80" , it will use all 80 port on every IPs)
restart the web server, then you have the free 80 port on 9.8.7.6

2). edit 123flashchat configuration file: fcserver.xml


restart the chat server, then you can use 80 port!

for IIS web server, it's the same.

PS: If your server is Unix/Linux OS, you have to login to root account first to bind the 80 port, because only root account can bind the port lower than 1024.

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10. My server runs Freebsd, can I install 123 flash chat server on it?

Since freebsd doesn't have official java support, freebsd is not very compatible with java.
123flashchat uses SUN jdk new nio, even with SUN jdk installed, even though you can install 123flashchat on your Freebsd, it can't be very stable. We've tried hard to resolve this problem but so far there isn't any satisfying solution.

We strongly recommend linux server.
because we've done a lot of high-load test on linux server, the performance of 123flashchat on linux is very superb.
If you don't have a proper server, you may consider our chat hosting service.
we offer affordable hosting price to license buyer.
http://www.123flashchat.com/host.html

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11. Can I install 123 flash chat software without a server?

Unfortunately you can't run chat server without a server, but you can consider our affordable chat server hosting plan.

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12. What's the bandwidth necessary for running 123 flash chat server software?

123flashchat uses much less bandwidth than ordinary chat softwares because it's based on TCP socket communication, instead of refresh technology.
The bandwidth required by the chat server depends on the number of concurrent chatters and the frequency of chatting.

ex: for 20 people in one room and 1 message sent by one of the users every 10 second,
if the average size of messages is 100 bytes, then the server needs a bandwidth of (20 messages sent to users every 10 seconds)*100 bytes/10 s *8 = 1.6 k bps.
That means if you have about 20 people chat a lot in your chat room,
Bandwidth per day: 86400 x 1.6 k =135M
Bandwidth per month: 135 X30 =4.05G
You can see usually you don't have to worry about bandwidth with 123 Flash Chat.

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13. Why "connection failed"?

First of all, did you install the chat server on a dedicated server or at least a VDS/VPS? Because only ftp authority on a shared hosting is not enough to run java application on server. If unfortunately you can't host the chat, we offer cheap hosting service: http://www.123flashchat.com/host.html

1) Please check if your chat server already started.
2) Check your client.xml to make sure host value is correct,
it should be in the url string , after "http://"and before the first "/".
eg: your url is http://aaa.bbb.com/ccc/chat.html ,
then the hostname should be "aaa.bbb.com".
3) If still a problem, please check if your firewall has open the port 51127.
4) still not work? then send us the chat URL, we can help to check it out.

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14. 123flashchat hardware requirements?

Most server hardware configurations are eligible for this chat server. The minimum configuration:

Pentium II 500 MHz
64 Mb of RAM. 256 Mb or more is recommended.
500 Mb Hard disk

Adding extra RAM and processors will improve the performance.

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15. in Mysql, "Attempted reconnect 3 times. Giving up. " What shall I do?

Details here>>

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16. What plug-in my users need?

Only flash player 6 or above is needed.
Macromedia Flash Player is the most pervasive software platform in the world, used by over 1 million professionals and reaching 98% of Internet-enabled desktops worldwide as well as a wide range of devices.
Details here>>

The user who doesn't have flash player will be notified by a popup message that he need flash player to chat and be directed to macromedia to free download it.

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17. Can I put AD banner in my chatroom to earn money from chat?

Yes, you can insert one or multiple AD banners in the chatroom.
Details here: http://www.123flashchat.com/howto_advertising_banner.html

Further more, a text AD feature is also available in 123flashchat. It's perfect to broadcast scheduled text advertisement or site news to chat window, too. The parameter in the "default.xml" is called "robot-message".

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18. How to auto-detect flash player 7.0.19.0 ?

Please download the zip file, uncompress it and upload these files to the folder where the "123flashchat.swf" is located.
Then when a user visits 123flashchat.html, it will detect if the user has the latest flash player 7.0.19.0 or not.

To modify the page style, please edit the html pages in the zip package.

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19. Can 123 flash chat run on shared hosting?

Most shared plans don't allow running standalone server application, we suggest VDS( virtual dedicated server) /VPS(virtual private server) host plan which is cheaper than the dedicated server to run 123 flash chat.

Only ftp account is not enough to install 123flashchat on your server, you need telnet or ssh authority to install it.
We offer affordable chat hosting service. You can get a chat room easily and leave chat room installation and maintenance all to us.

Note: Even if we host chat for you, the existing database at your web host can still be integrated with chat after you uploading a dynamic web application like a php or asp or jsp file to your web host by following our further instructions.

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20. Can 123 flash chat support thousands of connections?

Yes, 123 flash chat support high load. and here's the details: 123 Flash Chat Server Performance tuning tutorial.

Another feature in newly release 5.0 is called "Database Connection Pool", when thousands concurrent users are online, by increasing pool size appropriately you can ensure the stability of connecting database and handle high load/ busy traffic.

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21. How to use "add-room" server API?

Details here.


Answers to Purchase Questions:

1. If I buy 123 flash chat software, can I update freely?

You can get a lifetime upgradability freely only if you buy an unlimited user version.
Other license buyers enjoy free updates for a certain period, >>Details

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2.Can you develop new features for me?

That depends. Please write to support@123flashchat.com with your requests to negotiate, and we'll try hard to provide full chat solution to meet your needs if we can arrange time.

We charge extra developing fee by hour, which is $50/hour.

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3. If I buy a 50 user license initially, how much should I pay when I update to an 100 user license ?

To update one chat license to higher level, all you have to pay is just the price difference.

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4. What does User License mean?

A 50 user license means there can be 50 chatters simultaneously in all your chat rooms. (but you can have unlimited registered members for sure.) When the 51th user try to enter room, he will be notified: "room full, please try again later."

As your business grows, when this kind of situation happens a lot, it may the right time for you to upgrade to higher level.

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5. I'll purchase 50 user license, but 6 months later, how much will I be charged for update?

When the certain free update& support period exceeds, you'll be charged for updates and supports and that will be 20% of the license fee for one year. But free of charge for unlimited license for a life time.

Of course, you don't have to pay if you are satisfied with current version and don't need upgrade at all! Because license fee is one-time fee, no further yearly fee attached to the original license.

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6. Can I become your reseller?

Yes. We offer 30% commission to software resellers. But you can only become eligible after purchasing a full price license. Details

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7. Should I purchase flash source code?

As you may know, adding flash cilent source code to a standard package of 123 flash chat will make it a golden package.

The flash client source file is for flash learners to study how to write a flash chat, or an experienced developer to create one's own chat software based on that. Note: with flash source file only, you can not run 123flashchat.
Details

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8. How could I pay you?

1) You can choose Share-it!, a famous German software seller company. Share-it! offers authorised, secure online purchase service in six languages. You can pay in 18 currencies. your order will be authorized by Shareit! and product will be delivered to you in 24 hours. With Shareit!,customers can choose from a wide range of payment options:

Credit Card
Switch/Solo
Bank/Wire Transfer
Check
Cash

2) Or you can choose paypal.com or western union, or regsoft, even bank transfer,
usually we'll send you the product or offer service in 48 hours after we receive your order.

3) The official paypal account of 123flashchat is: paypal@123flashchat.com.
and our personal paypal account is: joy@topcmm.com

Only above two addresses are certified, any other email address does not belong to 123 flash chat or TopCMM Computing Inc.!
If you've sent money to the wrong email, you can contact paypal dispute department to ask for refund or chargeback!
here's the way:
login paypal-->my account--> resolution center--> file a cliaim: Dispute a purchase you made using PayPal.
because as you know, paypal always protect customers more than seller. So don't worry, you won't lose your money.

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9. I want to purchase 2 licenses, any discount?

According to our license agreement, one license for one chat server. If you need to install 2 chat servers, please purchase 2 licenses.
(But, 2 or more domains of yours can share one chat server with the same license. You may create multiple rooms for them.)

We offer 20% discount for more than one license. please contact sales@123flashchat.com to ask for special purchase link.

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10. I'm "123 Flash Chat Server Software license Buyer or not"?

Basically we sell three kinds of products and one service,
(you can buy any one standalone, but if you buy them together, it's much cheaper.)

The first product is software license, second is software client source code, third is chat module.
the service is chat hosting service.

The "123 Flash Chat Server Software license Buyer" means software license purchaser, no matter how many users are limited in a license: 50, 100 or unlimited, etc.
Neither source code buyer alone or module buyer alone is Buyer of software license.

To promote software license sales, we offer much more affordable price of chat hosting service to license buyer.
you can compare them at this page:
http://www.123flashchat.com/host.html or: http://www.123flashchat.com/host-price-table.html

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11. Can I western union transfer money to you?

Yes, please contact sales@123flashchat.com to request details.

After you've done the money transfer in your bank,

a). Please inform us how much money you've paid, what currency you paid with, what product you want to buy.

b). please give us following information which you've filled in at your western union agent:
1) the "The Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN)"
2) your country, city and region
3) your first name and last name(seperately)( exactly correct spelling), case-sensitive.
4) Spell our first name and last name correctly, and don't put them in reversed fields.
5) Your address.

WN is pretty simple and easy and convenient, but you gotta be very careful.

Warning! All the information you've provided to us must be precisely exactly accurately the same with what you've filled on the bank money transfer paper.
or we can't receive the money in our WN agent at all and you can't receive the product in time.
that will waste both your and our time.

After you offer us sufficient information, we can confirm your order and check order status online, then offer you product or chat hosting service immediately.

12. Why 123flashchat expensive?

Actually 123flashchat is relatively cheap in the chat server software industry. Firstly our software is developed with the cut-edge technology; secondly, we offer 24/7 service which means our supporters are always by your side to help you; Thirdly, our product upgrade quite often and with the purchase you're also given a promise of better product in a near future. On the contrary, most free software doesn't last long, if you choose free chat, won't you waste your most precious property- your time- at last?

123 Flash Chat Server Software products offer the best price/performance advantage in the industry, we believe we're worthy of the price.

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Answers to Integration Questions:

1. What if 123 flash chat server and 123 flash chat client are placed on different server machines?

Please check the section of "IP configuration" of this page for tutorial: http://www.123flashchat.com/howto_configure_connection.html

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2. If I host my website and you host my chat room, can you integrate my database?

Yes.
We'll offer you a dynamic web application like a php file or an asp file, please configure the file with your database information, upload it to your web server to co-operate with the integration, then give us the url of the dynamic web page, so that 123 flash chat server can authorize your members' login information using the file. So please contact a live supporter at demo room now or write to support@123flashchat.com to request the file.

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3. Can members auto login if they already log in portal or forum?

Yes, 123flashchat does support auto-login. Details here.

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4. How to integrate MS-SQL with 123flashchat?

Details here.

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5. How to auto-login user without integrating database?

Details here.

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