Alternative CryptoCurrency Mining Pool Connection Problems

[opticbit]

I'm using win xp and the gui miner, got it running fine most of the bitcoin pools, also ran it on a namecoin pool, no problems.

I've tried to mine on IXCoin and IOCoin and SoildCoin and it keeps timeing out or some other error

For solid coin I tried on sc digbit and sc guild, and bitparking, can't remember any other pools I've tried.

Its an old MacBook so its an nvidia card that does about 5mhash,  I know shouldn't be mining on a laptop... I'm just playing with it for a little while.  Not sure what I'm missing,  I've found that the opencl miner works best on the normal bitcoin pools, is something else needed for these alternative chains?