Author Archive

Day 18: Questions to Ask When Purchasing Video Conference Equipment

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. First: Reseller Definition First, realize that Tandberg, Polycom and LifeSize generally do not sell directly to customers. They sell through resellers, also called integrators, because theses resellers also sell the peripherals, add-ons and even design the room installations. This could include [...]

Day 17: Top 5 Basic Network Troubleshooting Tips

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. No Internet, No Videoconference. A phrase we often say to the teachers and educators we support. So in today’s post, let’s look at some basic things to check when you can’t connect anywhere. 1. Is the Internet working in the school/district? [...]

Day 16: Top 10 Basic Audio and Video Troubleshooting Tips for Video Conferencing

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. Remember that there are four parts to a technically successful video conference: sending video, receiving video, sending audio, and receiving audio. Most of the common problems related to one of these four parts. 1. I See Black / I See Blue/ [...]

Day 14: Dialing Tips for the Polycom RMX

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. If you have a Polycom RMX, or need to dial into a Polycom RMX, you may find these tips helpful. To dial out from the RMX First, you need to create the participant to set how the dialing will occur. If [...]

Day 15: Dialing Tips for the Codian MCU

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. If you have a Codian bridge, or need to dial into a Codian bridge, you may find these tips helpful. To dial into the Codian MCU Cisco-TANDBERG-Codian bridges usually pose no problem for participants dialing in. LifeSize and Polycom endpoints can [...]

Day 13: How to Dial with a LifeSize Remote

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. The LifeSize remote has menu-driven functionality that neither the Polycom nor TANDBERG remotes do. The buttons on the remote are not static. The blue, green, yellow, and orange buttons each have multiple functions. How to Dial From the home screen, there [...]

Day 12: How to Dial with a Cisco-TANDBERG Remote

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. Most parts of dialing are straight forward. Enter the numbers and connect. However there are some unique features or issues with each remote that we want to share. Special thank you to Lori Colwill for her assistance with this post. How [...]

Day 11: How To Dial with a Polycom Remote

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. We have covered the larger issues of setting up and optimizing the network, using gatekeepers, and how to tell people to connect with you via a firewall traversal unit. This week, we are shifting our focus on when you pick up [...]

Day 10: How To Manage Numerous Units Without Losing Your Mind

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. This post is written specifically for those in K12 education who have many videoconference endpoints to support. These are some of the strategies we use to keep our sanity when supporting multiple schools with videoconferencing. Web Access to Endpoints If at [...]

Day 9: Gatekeepers: The Good, The Bad, and The Necessary

This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing. Today we examine the role of gatekeepers in an H.323 video conference environment. Some people view gatekeepers as an essential part of video conferencing; others view them as an annoyance and hindrance. Here’s our collective view of how they work in [...]