Be sure you know what number or numbers to call. If you are going into the ESnet MCU (Multi-Control Unit), you should have a confirming email with the numbers on it, titled "DCS Reminder". Thru the MCU, you cannot connect more than a minute or so before scheduled start time, and it will cut you off at 5 minutes before the scheduled end!! Note that conferences thru the MCU cost us about $30/hour for the long distance call. Conferences direct to Fermilab are significantly cheaper, since the MCU is physically at UC Berkeley.
The ESnet MCU wants at least 24 hour notice of any videoconference using its facilities, primarily so that there is reasonable assurance that everyone particpating knows what numbers to use and to avoid conflicts with other users. Therefore, please contact me or go thru Sheila Cisko at Fermilab at least 24 hours ahead of time.
Turn on the monitor, if it is off, or wiggle the mouse to stop the screensaver.
If the computer is off, press the power button on the front of the processor. When the loader starts the 30 second countdown, hit return or just wait. Turn the speaker volume knob down to about the 9 o'clock setting. When it is up and gives you the prompt for a login, enter the initiate login combination, and then login with the hep id. Now turn the speaker volume up to about 2 o'clock setting for conferencing.
If you are doing a network (Internet) conference, see the section on IP Conferencing below before continuing.
Double click on the PT550 icon on the desktop.
PictureTel will come up quickly, and when you see the image from our camera, go to the Phone menu or to the Phonebook icon. If the number you want has recently been called, it will be in the Redial list at the bottom of the Phone menu. Select that number and it will redial. Otherwise, select the Phonebook. Scroll thru it to find the number you want to call, or select New Entry.
For a new entry, click in the name line and enter an identifier and an organization. For DCS, enter DCS and the phone number as the last name, and ESnet for the company. There will be spaces for 2 numbers, enter the first, optionally with spaces for readability; e.g., 9 1 630 840 5930. The second line will be entering the same number. If you have been given 2 numbers, change the second to the second number, otherwise leave it the same. Hit the return or enter key to complete the entry of the new number. A newly entered number will be highlighted the list.
If there are more than you and one other place in the conference, you will usually go thru the ESnet MCU, which will have an area code of 510. Several of these MCU numbers will probably already be in the list, especially for weekly conferences. The MCU will usually use one number for both channels, whereas the 2-point connect will usually have 2 numbers.
Select the number you want (click once). Then click on the Call button in the Phonebook toolbar, or double click the entry to place the call. When it answers, you will get their video in the big window, and you should hear them on the speakers.
If someone is dialing into us, do not try to dial but leave the system in the Not in a Call mode. When an incoming call is received, it pops up a dialog box asking if you want to answer. Then click the Answer button and you will be connected. The dialin site will need to dial the numbers associated with our line; see below under Configuration.
Adjust the camera to point at you. Then adjust the camera focus or light level, if necessary. Adjust the speaker volume as needed. If you are just listening, click on the Mute Audio icon (in the upper left toolbar). Click it again to reenable the mike. The mike status is shown in the lower status bar; the bottom line is us, and the top line is the other end. If there are multiple people in the conference, the software will switch the displayed picture to whoever is talking. On direct conferences you may have some control of the remote camera, but not thru the MCU. To remove the small local window from the conference window, click on the View menu and under Floating Self View, select Self view Off. If the screensaver starts, just wiggle the mouse a little and it will exit.
If you have a document to show, use the document camera on the table. Turn it on with the little slide switch on the top of the camera: slide the switch down. You may adjust the zoom of the document camera with the little remote which will normally be on the middle shelf of the cart. There is a delay in the auto-focus of the camera. Switch between cameras by clicking the desired button at the right end of the PictureTel tool bar.
When you are done, click on the Hang Up icon or on Hang Up under the Phone menu. Then select Exit under the File menu, and you should be back to the desktop. Shut off the document camera.
There is no need to shut the computer down; just leave it sitting for the next use. You may turn the monitor off, but there is a screen saver.
When you leave the room, please be sure the door is locked.
Our PictureTel 550 system is capable of doing videoconferencing over a local network and the Internet. IP conferencing is called H.323 since that is the governing standard. ISDN conferencing is called H.320 because of its standard. At this time, not all IP conferencing systems interoperate correctly. The only systems known to work correctly with our system are other PictureTel systems. There is currently no MCU available for IP conferencing. You must have the IP address (not name) of the system you wish to connect to.
To switch between IP and ISDN, the PictureTel application must be closed. Make the change by going thru the Windows Control Panel:
A. Go to the Control Panel (Start->Settings->Control Panel)
B. Select Multimedia
C. Select Devices
D. Select Media Control Devices
E. Select [MCI] PictureTel 550
F. Select Settings
G. Select either H.323 or H.320
H. Close all windows that you just opened by clicking the OK buttons.
If you change to H.323 (IP) conferencing, please come back in here after you are done and change the settings back to H.320 (ISDN).
Set the destination IP address as the number to call in the Phone book and make the call in the same manner as for ISDN calls.
If you get a gray video window, but the audio is still working, minimize the PT550 application (click the [_] box in the upper right of the header bar). Then go to the Start bar and click on the PT550 box to reopen the window. The video should now be normal.
Normally there is no need to open the PictureTel Network Setup application, available thru the Programs item in the Start menu. It is thru this that the phone numbers that this system is connected to are set. There are 2 numbers associated with our lines, and each also has a SPID which is part of the configuration.
Our ISDN numbers are: 219-631-0092 SPID: 21963100920111
___________________ 219-631-0093 SPID: 21963100930111
Our IP address is 129.74.77.186, node name photon.hep.nd.edu.
Our equipment is PictureTel 550, version 1.1, in a MicroTime PIII-450, running Windows-NT 4.0 SP4. The ISDN NT1 interface is Meridian NTBX80AA/81AA, on indefinite loan from ND Network Engineering. Our network connection is 100baseTX.
UND-CMS (Bruno's) video conference numbers:
9-631-1009 & 9-631-1010
For campus ISDN lines, you must dial out then back in, as shown above.
Fermilab:
Primary scheduler: Sheila Cisko, scisko@fnal.gov, 630-840-4516
Network resource: Kipp (H. A.) Kippenhan, kipp@hep.net, 630-840-8068
D0 9th Circle room telephone: 630-840-2692
D0 FarSide room telephone: 630-840-2541
UND-CMS (Bruno's): 631-4736
UND-HEP (404a NSH): 631-3453
For other room phones, see the list with the system.
Notre Dame Telecommunications: Jerry Wray, 631-8101
Support:
PictureTel Support: 978-292-5000
Codec board serial number: 99104229
Purchased 6/99 from Pyramid Technology Services
Vendor contact is Cathy Weymouth, now back at Open Concepts, Inc.,
phone 1-800-394-5114.