The packet activity certainly seems to be in line with what occurs during a voice session. Here’s the general flow of things:

Stage 1:

Connect to the RTCP (Real time control protocol – over TCP) server
->Send authentication
<-Recieve OK
->Send chat room information
<-Receive information about the server to log into for that chat room
Disconnect

Stage 2:
Connect to the RTCP server for the chat room
->Send authentication
<-Receive OK
<-Receive initial user list and other information

Stage 3:
Create a UDP socket for RTP (real time protocol)
->Send the initial ‘alert’ packet
<-Receive an OK packet
Send and receive compressed audio data

Yahoo uses what is known as the RTP protocol which is documented in RFC-1889 (circa 1996). Although it’s been some time since I’ve dug into the protocol specs the port numbers used should be arbitrary and are probably specific to the application using the protocol.

The UDP packets you listed above are known as broadcast packets which are sent to every computer connected to your LAN or local IP block. Generally speaking they have nothing to do with messenger as if they did the port would be in the range of 5000 to 5010 although 5000 is usually the only one used.

Considering that your tracelog stops at a packet sent to the voice server on port 5001 and given the size of the packet it’s being sent to establish the connection. If you don’t get any packets back on that port the connection attempt is either being ignored or blocked.

One of several things are happening here:

1. You have your firewall configured to block that port regardless of what application is running.

2. Yahoo! has either blocked your IP address or has banned the entire block of IP addresses allocated to Charter.

3. Charter is blocking it for whatever insane reason they can come up with.

The only reasons I can think of that would cause Charter to block those ports is if they were used by one of the popular P2P application (likely) or if Charter is totally inept (also likely)

The people using Charter want to prove the issue is with Charter they need to find someone who is with another ISP such as Cox, AOL, etc. and have that person start up some kind of internet application which accepts connections and configure it for port 5001. Then just try connecting to it.

If the connection is successful chances are Yahoo! is ignoring the connection request (IP ban) -OR- Charter has decided to actually block access to the yahoo voice service.

If the connection is not successful (and the user on the other ISP configured everything properly) Charter is definitely blocking it for whatever reason. If this is the case call them up and refuse to get off the phone until you talk to someone in their network security dept.

As far as I know TFI Technology is now defunct and StayAlive is no longer available. Their website is also no longer around ( http://www.tfi-technology.com )

Only true to a point. It doesn’t simply say hey there’s a link in their profile so let’ ignore them. That’s not how it works.

Simply an option. Don’t think it’s for you don’t turn it on. Some people prefer to block those with adult oriented profiles, especially those who frequent religious oriented rooms.

Incorrect.

Depends on the site. Most are simply blocked.

Since you were banned from my forum for posting links to malicious content including crash links and pages containing scripts which exploit vulnerabilities in IE I’m pretty sure I know why you’re posting it.

If you’re going to post at least make the content accurate.