To install NetMeeting if it was not installed with Windows 98
NetMeeting version 2.1 is a powerful conferencing tool that allows you to take full advantage of the global reach of the Internet or corporate intranets to communicate and collaborate effectively in real time.
The video, audio, and data conferencing functions of NetMeeting 2.1 are all based on industry standards, so you can communicate with people who use compatible products from companies other than Microsoft.
NetMeeting 2.1 is compatible with earlier versions of NetMeeting; with the Microsoft Internet Locator Server (ILS), which lets you find and connect with other people on the Internet; and with applications and solutions built using the Microsoft NetMeeting 2.1 Software Development Kit (SDK). The NetMeeting 2.1 SDK can be downloaded from the NetMeeting SDK Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/sdk/.
For more information about NetMeeting 2.1, see the NetMeeting Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/ or the NetMeeting Resource Kit, which is on the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit compact disc, or can be downloaded from the NetMeeting Resource Kit Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/reskit/.
With NetMeeting 2.1, you can take advantage of the following conferencing options:
Audio conferencing.
NetMeeting 2.1 serves as an Internet telephone with high-quality audio, letting you talk with others in real time over the Internet or an intranet. All you need are a sound card, a microphone, and speakers. While you are conversing, you can bring data or video conferencing capabilities into NetMeeting 2.1.
Video conferencing.
When you add a video capture card and camera to your computer, you can hold a face-to-face conversation over the Internet or an intranet with high-quality video. (You do not need a video camera on your computer to receive video, and there are some cameras that do not require a video capture card.) You can even take a snapshot of a person or an object with your video camera and place it on the Whiteboard for discussion or markup.
Multipoint conferencing.
The comprehensive suite of data conferencing tools in NetMeeting 2.1 lets you collaborate and exchange information with two or more people in real time. You can share information from one or more applications on your computer, exchange graphics or draw diagrams on an electronic Whiteboard, send messages or take notes with the text-based chat program, and send files to other meeting members using the binary file transfer capability.
This section describes hardware requirements and steps for installing and configuring NetMeeting 2.1.
The following hardware is required for data and audio conferencing:
The following hardware is required for data, audio, and video conferencing:
NetMeeting 2.1 works with any video card or camera that provides a Video for Windows capture driver. Some video cameras can plug into the parallel port; other cameras require a video capture card installed in your computer. Camcorders can often be plugged into these adapters.
In general, parallel port cameras are less expensive but can be more CPU-intensive, yielding decreased video performance. Cameras connected to separate video capture cards typically offer better performance. Also, a black and white camera typically offers better performance than an equivalent color camera, because fewer bits need to be sent across the connection.
The NetMeeting 2.1 component of Internet Explorer is selected and installed by default in the full installation of Windows 98. If you do not wish to install it, you can easily deselect it during installation. You can install it later using the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel.
To install NetMeeting if it was not installed with Windows 98
When you run NetMeeting 2.1 the first time, a one-time Configuration Wizard runs to help you set up your personal information, the directory server you want to connect to, and your audio and video device preferences. It then runs an Audio Tuning Wizard that prompts you to select options to tune your audio settings.
After running the Configuration Wizard, you can always change your NetMeeting configuration from within the program by clicking the Tools menu and then clicking Options.
Note
Sound quality can vary depending on your sound card and microphone. To run only the Audio Tuning wizard at any time after you initially run NetMeeting, on the Tools menu, click Audio Tuning Wizard.
The IEAK Profile Manager allows system administrators to control their users’ implementation of NetMeeting 2.1. They can restrict NetMeeting activities, such as file transfer and application sharing, disable or lock down certain options, and specify a default directory server.
For an overview of the IEAK Profile Manager, see "Configuring Internet Explorer with the IEAK Profile Manager" earlier in this chapter.
To set NetMeeting policies and restrictions
Administrators can also implement NetMeeting system policies with the System Policy Editor. Using system policies, administrators can predefine settings and restrictions, and provide standard NetMeeting configurations for their user community.
NetMeeting system policies are set using the Conf.adm template.
For more information about setting system policies, see Chapter 8, "<a href="wrkc08.htm">System Policies," or see the NetMeeting Resource Kit, which is on the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit compact disc or is available at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/reskit/.
The main window of NetMeeting 2.1 contains four navigation icons in the left-hand pane which provide single-click access to the major functions of NetMeeting:
Directory.
The Directory icon opens a window containing a list of users connected to the selected server, including e-mail address, name, and location, the category of the directory (such as Personal or Business) and the server name.
SpeedDial.
If you make a connection to another user through an ILS, the person’s contact information is stored as a SpeedDial entry. You can add anyone to your SpeedDial list by selecting an entry in your Directory and clicking the SpeedDial icon on your toolbar.
Current Call.
When you connect to someone, this window is automatically selected. This window is where you conduct data, voice, and video conferencing.
History.
Select the History icon to see a log of each incoming call. The log includes the name of the caller, your response to the call (accepted or ignored), and the time the call was received.
Note
The navigation icons are part of the default view in NetMeeting 2.1. They can be optionally hidden by deselecting them on the View menu, in which case you can gain access to the particular function by selecting it on the View menu.
The Microsoft Internet Locator Server (ILS) provides a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) service that allows NetMeeting 2.1 users to locate each other on the Internet or corporate intranets. These servers create a directory of NetMeeting users. From this directory, you can select participants to connect to for real-time conferencing and collaboration.
The ILS provides a memory-resident database for storing dynamic directory information. This database allows you to find dynamic information, such as an IP address, for people currently logged on to an Internet service or site. The ILS database maintains the entries, which clients refresh periodically. This process ensures that clients can always access the most current information about each user’s Internet location.
The ILS provides a graphical setup program to help you easily install server components. Administrators can set options for user logon, security, and server access.
Note
If you are an Internet Webmaster or an intranet administrator, you can set up your own Intranet Locator Server on the Internet or your corporate intranet. For more information, refer to the Microsoft Internet Locator Server Operations Guide, or to its companion, the Microsoft Internet Locator Service Operations Reference. Both documents are packaged with the product, or you can download the ILS and the accompanying documents from http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/ils/.
If you want to change any of the personal information that you have entered in the Configuration Wizard, you can do so at any time using Options on the Tools menu, and then clicking the appropriate tab to access the information you want to change.
If your network administrator used the IEAK Profile Manager to restrict the use of the Options dialog box, one or more of the Options tabs may not be visible.
With the video conferencing feature of NetMeeting 2.1, you can send and receive real-time visual images with another conference participant using any Video for Windows-compatible equipment. You can conduct "face-to-face" meetings and use the camera to view any item instantly by placing it in front of the lens. Note that you do not need video hardware to receive images.
NetMeeting 2.1 video has many features, including remotely adjustable video quality, detachable video window, ability to control the size of the video window dynamically, Clipboard accessibility, and the ability to switch video to another meeting member.
If another meeting participant has a camera, receiving video is automatically enabled when you begin a conference. You can disable these options and choose to send or receive video manually at the start of a conference by setting these options on the Video tab of the Options dialog box.
The audio conferencing feature of NetMeeting 2.1 allows you to conduct real-time, point-to-point conversations over the Internet or corporate intranet. NetMeeting 2.1 audio conferencing has many features, including half-duplex and full-duplex audio support, automatic microphone sensitivity level setting, microphone muting, and the ability to switch audio to another meeting participant.
You automatically enable audio when you begin a conference.
Note
For video and audio conferencing, support is limited to TCP/IP connections, and only two people at a time can send and receive audio or video during a meeting.
To switch your audio connection to someone else
– Or –
On the toolbar, click Switch, and then click the name of the person to whom you want to switch.
To stop sending audio to someone
Using Multipoint data conferencing, two or more people can share information in real time over the Internet or corporate intranet. Meeting participants can share applications, exchange information between shared applications through a shared clipboard, transfer files, collaborate on a shared Whiteboard, and communicate with a text-based chat feature.
Participants in the conference can share a program running on one computer. They can review the same data or information and watch the actions of others as they work on the program (for example, editing content or scrolling through information). Participants can share Windows-based applications transparently, without any special knowledge of the application capabilities. The person sharing the application can choose to collaborate with other conference participants, and the participants can take turns editing or controlling the application. Only the person sharing the program needs to have the given application installed on his or her computer.
Caution
When you share an application and collaborate, meeting participants can use the File Open and File Save dialog boxes in your application to open or delete files on your computer or network. To stop someone from using your shared program while you do not have control of the cursor, press ESC. To stop them when you do have control, click Collaborate or press ESC.
The shared Clipboard allows you to exchange its contents with other participants in a conference using familiar cut, copy, and paste operations. For example, you can copy information from a local document and paste the contents into a shared application as part of group collaboration. This capability provides seamless exchange of information between shared and local applications.
With the file transfer capability, you can send one or more files in the background to one or all of the conference participants. You can send files to a particular person by right-clicking on that person’s name in the Current Call window or by dragging and dropping the file into the Microsoft NetMeeting 2.1 window and having it sent automatically to all meeting participants, each of whom can then accept or decline receipt. Again, this file transfer occurs in the background as everyone continues sharing an application, using the Whiteboard, or chatting. This file transfer capability is fully compliant with the T.127 standard.
The Whiteboard program is a multipage, multiuser drawing application that allows conference participants to sketch diagrams, create organization charts, or display other graphic information. Whiteboard is object-oriented, allowing you to move and manipulate its contents by clicking and dragging with the mouse. In addition, you can use the Remote Pointer to point out specific contents or sections of shared pages. This capability extends the application-sharing feature of NetMeeting 2.1 by supporting ad hoc collaboration on a common drawing surface.
Using Chat, you can type text messages to share common ideas or topics with other conference participants or record meeting notes and action items as part of a collaborative process. Conference participants can also use Chat to communicate in the absence of audio support. A new "whisper" feature lets you have a separate, private conversation with another person during a group chat session. From the Chat window, click on the person’s name in the Send to list, and type your text message that only you and the selected person see.
You can configure firewall components in a variety of ways, depending on the specific security policies and overall operations of your organization. While most firewalls are capable of allowing primary (initial) and secondary (subsequent) TCP and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) connections, they might be configured to support only specific connections based on security considerations. For example, some firewalls allow only primary TCP connections, which are considered the most secure and reliable.
To enable NetMeeting 2.1 multipoint data conferencing (application sharing, Whiteboard, chat, file transfer, and directory lookups), your firewall needs to pass through only primary TCP connections on assigned ports. For NetMeeting 2.1 to make calls with audio and video conferencing, your firewall must be able to pass through secondary TCP and UDP connections on dynamically assigned ports. Some firewalls can pass through primary TCP connections on assigned ports but cannot pass through secondary TCP or UDP connections on dynamically assigned ports. In such cases, you are not able to use the audio or video features of NetMeeting 2.1.
When you use NetMeeting 2.1 to call other users over the Internet, several IP ports are required to establish the outbound connection. If you use a firewall to connect to the Internet, you must configure it so that the IP ports shown in Table 20.2 are not blocked.
Table 20.2 Required IP ports in NetMeeting connections with firewalls
| This port | Is used for |
|---|---|
| 389 | Internet Locator Server (TCP) |
| 522 | User Location Service (TCP) |
| 1503 | T.120 (TCP) |
| 1720 | H.323 call setup (TCP) |
| 1731 | Audio call control (TCP) |
| Dynamic | H.323 call control (TCP) |
| Dynamic | H.323 streaming (RTP over UDP) |
To establish outbound NetMeeting 2.1 connections through a firewall, the firewall must be configured to do the following:
The H.323 call setup protocol (over port 1720) dynamically negotiates a TCP port for use by the H.323 call control protocol. Also, both the audio call control protocol (over port 1731) and the H.323 call setup protocol dynamically negotiate UDP ports for use by the H.323 streaming protocol, called the real-time protocol (RTP). In NetMeeting 2.1, two UDP ports are determined on each side of the firewall for audio and video streaming, for a total of four ports for inbound and outbound audio and video. These dynamically negotiated ports are selected arbitrarily from all ports that can be assigned dynamically.
NetMeeting directory services require either port 389 or port 522, depending on the type of server you are using. ILSs, which support LDAP for NetMeeting 2.1, require port 389. The User Location Service (ULS), developed for NetMeeting 1.0, requires port 522.
The following steps describe how to set up the Microsoft Proxy Server to enable the necessary ports for NetMeeting outbound calls. Use this example as a guideline for configuring your proxy server for NetMeeting. For additional information about configuring the Microsoft Proxy Server, refer to the Microsoft Proxy Server Installation and Administration Guide.
To configure the Microsoft Proxy Server for NetMeeting
For example, if you want to add port 389, you would enter the following settings:
For TCP-only ports, click OK after adding information for each port. For ports that require UDP connections, continue with step 4.
Some firewalls cannot support an arbitrary number of virtual internal IP addresses or cannot do so dynamically. With these firewalls, you can establish outbound NetMeeting 2.1 connections from computers inside the firewall to computers outside the firewall, and you can use the audio and video features of NetMeeting 2.1. Other people, however, cannot establish inbound connections from outside the firewall to computers inside the firewall. Typically, this restriction is due to limitations in the network implementation of the firewall.
Note
Some firewalls are capable of accepting only certain protocols and cannot handle TCP connections. For example, if your firewall is a Web proxy server with no generic connection handling mechanism, you are not able to use NetMeeting 2.1 through the firewall.
Microsoft designed NetMeeting 2.1 as a "bandwidth-smart" application with built-in mechanisms for caching, compressing, and optimizing information dynamically. NetMeeting 2.1 includes system policies to limit throughput for audio and video and to restrict audio and video features. These system policies provide additional assurance that corporations can control the impact on bandwidth utilization. NetMeeting 2.1 bandwidth testing confirms these assumptions.
NetMeeting 2.1 achieves optimal bandwidth use by focusing on the most efficient and effective methods for minimizing network traffic while maximizing performance. This effort encompasses intelligent bandwidth management and control, and optimization of data through compression, caching, and other tools.
The following characteristics typify NetMeeting 2.1 data conferencing scenarios:
The following characteristics typify NetMeeting 2.1 audio and video conferencing scenarios:
The conferencing functionality in NetMeeting 2.1 is based on international communication and conferencing standards, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) H.323 standard for audio and video conferencing and the ITU T.120 standard for multipoint data conferencing. The H.323 standard specifies the use of T.120 for data conferencing functionality, allowing audio, data, and video to be used together. H.323 gateway services are being developed that will allow NetMeeting 2.1 users to access the Internet and call any telephone in the world through the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The T.120 standard protocols assist developers in creating applications that allow real-time multipoint data connections and conferencing. These T.120-based applications permit users to transmit and receive data and to collaborate using compatible data conferencing features, such as sharing applications using a Whiteboard and transferring files. The H.323 standard is a hardware standard for audio and video. Because it defines how audio and video information is formatted and packaged for transmission over a network, it allows users on different platforms to use products from different vendors to speak with each other and communicate face to face.
Support for these standards ensures that you can call, connect, and communicate with other users who are using compatible conferencing products. You can also take advantage of conferencing services that support these standards. (For more information about this functionality, see "Multipoint Data Conferencing" earlier in this chapter.)
This section contains a brief description of a troubleshooting strategy for NetMeeting, as well as procedures on how to access NetMeeting’s online Help. For more information about troubleshooting NetMeeting, see the NetMeeting Resource Kit, which is on the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit compact disc, or can be downloaded from the NetMeeting Resource Kit Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/reskit/.
Check to see if the problem is a commonly reported one in the online Help for NetMeeting 2.1, or in the Netmeet.txt readme file which is in the \Program Files\NetMeeting directory. Online Help includes troubleshooting aids for solving problems related to NetMeeting features and components.
To get troubleshooting help from NetMeeting online Help
You can resolve a problem more quickly by systematically isolating and testing error conditions. Use the following methods for isolating your error conditions:
Test each modification individually to see if the change resolves your problem. Make note of all modifications and their effect on symptoms. If you contact product support personnel, this information helps them troubleshoot your problem. Also, the information provides an excellent reference for future troubleshooting.
When possible, check the appropriate online forum. Other users might have discovered, reported, and found workarounds for your problem. Suggestions from others could save you time in tracking down the source of the problem and might give you ideas that can help with troubleshooting.
To get online support