First Steps To Using Your New Web Conference Room

Updated January 2011

When your room was created an email was sent to advise you that your Web Conference Room is available for immediate use. What do you do next? The email included URL links and passwords: a) to log into the room, b) to perform room administration, and c) links to online documentation. This article assumes you received that email.

There are other ways to log into a room, such as links on web pages. If these methods are used alternative instructions would likely have been provided. You are encouraged to review the additional tutorials and articles in this knowledgebase plus Features and Online Documentation

This article will focus on using the technology with Windows. Other articles will cover MAC and Linux systems. The browser is only used to launch the application and while it has been tested with different browsers this discussion will focus on using Internet Explorer.

The Steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Copy the room login URL provided in the email and paste it into the address field of the browser and press the Enter key. (Alternatively you can click on the link in the email).
3. Click on the Download link to download and install the plugin.
4. When the dialogue appears asking you to choose Run, Save or Cancel choose Run. This will both download the plugin and initiate the installation process. If you use a browser other than Internet Explorer you will need to Save the file and then run the file you downloaded to install the plugin.
If you see firewall and security prompts you should choose the option to always allow - or similar statements.
5. When the dialogue appears asking you to Run or Not Run click Run.
6. Wait for the completion dialog and click Finish.
The plugin is now installed and ready for use.
7. Click on the link to enter the room.
8. Enter your name and the moderator password specified in the email.
9. Click Log On.

Congratulations! You have logged into your virtual conference room. To talk, push and hold the Ctrl key. Release the Ctrl when you have finished speaking so others can talk. In addition you can push web pages, text chat and do many other activities. These functions are discussed in other articles in this knowledgebase.

The room was set up with default configuration settings. For example by default, text chat is enabled. The room settings can be modified. This is discussed in the Room Administration section below.

10. To log out of a room Click the "File Menu" and click "Exit" or close the window

Inviting guests to your room:

It is unlikely you will use this Web Conference room to talk to yourself. You will be inviting friends, business associates, students, seminar attendees, and so forth, to join you in the room. We refer to these individual as participants.

Participants will enter your room using the same steps specified above. The only difference is that participants will not be moderators and therefore will leave the password field blank or enter the user password you set up. User privileges will be discussed in the next section.

Send out the invitation:

Types of users:

Room Administration:

Room Web Administration:

Other articles cover the administration steps in more detail.

Checking out the room:

Occasionally there are challenges with speakers and microphones. If there is a problem, usually it is the microphone - most likely because it has never been set up and used previously. If the audio systems of your computer are already working correctly in other audio applications, they should also work correctly in the room. If you are having problems, check the speaker and microphone connections to ensure that they are plugged in correctly. Make sure any switches and volume controls are correctly set. Check the Windows Audio Schema to ensure the correct device is being used and the correct parameters are set - use the File/Speaker Setting or the File/Microphone Setting in the room or use the Windows Control Panel. A microphone is only required if you wish to talk. The text chat, if it is enabled, can be used for text conversations.