FAQs for e-Conference

1.What is "multipoint-to-multipoint" video conferencing?
This is where three or more parties/clients located at different sites participate in a conference where each party has an equal chance to be heard and seen by everybody else. These different sites can either be within the same local network, or spread over a wide geographical area across public IP networks. Technically, we call this type of telecommunication a multipoint or multicast (packet) video conference.

2. What is the required bandwidth for e-Conference V5.0
The recommended minimum bandwidth for e-Conference is 256kbps for each participating site at a remote location away from the server.

3. What is the system requirement for e-Conference V5.0?
The recommended minimum CPU specification is Pentium III with 256Mb RAM, full duplex sound card, 10/100BT Network Interface Card, USB Interface for Web Camera, Web Camera & Microphone, a public IP address and Microsoft Office for Document Conferencing (DC).

5. Can I use a browser?
No. All potential clients use our proprietary software (e-Conference V5.0 Client Software) to start and access Conferences. The software is installed by using an installation compact disk (CD) or by downloading from our site. For more information, get e-Conference Help.

6. What platform(s) does e-Conference V5.0 run on?
e-Conference Client V5.0 runs on Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 2 installed.) or XP. For using, Windows NT 4, it requires a capture card to be installed because NT dose not support USB for the web camera.

7. Is e-Conference V5.0 an Open hardware compliant?
Yes. e-Conference is fully software based and can be used with any capture cards and cameras. e-Conference V5.0 can also be seamlessly integrated into any IP based network infrastructure including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, ATM, satellite and wireless networks.

8. What is the most suitable sound card for e-Conference?
Generally e-Conference works well with any type of sound cards.

9. What type of PC camera is required?
e-Conference V5.0 supports 16 to 24bit cameras with NTSC format. The following list of cameras has been tested to be optimally-compatible to the client software. However this is not an exhaustive list and we expect many more names in due time

Windows 2000/XP
Ezonics EZCam I (VVL chipset) (USB) (***)
Prolink PCC300 (USB) (***)
3Com HomeConnect (USB) (***)
Logitech QuickCam Web (16bit) (***)
Sony (S-Video) Philips Eyeball (CCD)
Logitech QuickCam Express (**)
Logitech QuickCam Pro3000(***)
Aiptek VGA Pen Camera II (***)
Blue Thunder Eye (*)

10. How do we start a conference
Your User name and Password will be registered in e-Conference server. Press on start conference icon. You will get a dialog box, register your conference name into the server and you can proceed now. Get help.

11. What should I do if the picture quality is unsatisfactory?
Picture quality is highly dependent on bandwidth availability, so the best way to address this is to try reducing the frame rate per second at your end. Check your Bandwidth.

12. What if I'm unable to get pictures at my end?
There a few possibilities to check for this problem.

1. Your video source
2. Is your camera switched on or properly connected?
3. Is your server running properly? If not, you should reboot your server.
4. Your e-Conference utility control panel. You could have accidentally selected "Audio only" conferencing.
5. You are probably behind a firewall. Please check Question 17 for details.

13. What do I need to do if I could not connect to the e-Conference server?
Check your server if it is running or not

1. Check your e-Conference utility to ensure you have input the correct IP address.

2. Check your physical connection between the server and your PC in the local network.

14. How do I change the frame rate at my conference window?
Select the Clock icon on your local window and choose your frame rate.

15. Windows 2000 keeps dropping the Ezonics camera driver whenever I login. What do I do
Unfortunately Ezonics has discontinued the manufacturing of this camera. The driver that is provided by MLABS for the Ezonics camera is a third party driver. The driver will only work for the person who installed it. Solutions:

• Install the camera driver for the person who needs it.
• Purchase a newer camera.

16. Does your system have a problem with some built-in sound cards?
We have a sound "stuttering" problem with built in AC97 sound chip. The stuttering does not start immediately, but happens after a short while of usage (about 3-5 minutes).

Solution : Disable the AC97 from the BIOS and install e-Conference compliant sound card

17. What ports do I need to open to communicate with people outside of my firewall?
Typical ports used for MCSv5 traffic:
Protocol: TCP Port: 5050 - 5054
Protocol: UDP Port: 5060 - 5065

MCS Server Firewall:
Protocol: TCP Port: 5050 - 5057
Protocol: UDP Port: 5060 - 5065

Personal Computer Firewall:
Protocol: TCP Port: 5050 - 5054
Protocol: UDP Port: 5060 - 5065

18. How does Document Conferencing work?
Document Conferencing is divided into two entities, the client entity and the server entity. Document Conferencing is another proof of the expansion capabilities of e-Conference and its distributed architecture.

Both the client and the server run independently of the e-Conference-Client and e-Conference-Server. When executed, the Document Conferencing Server interfaces with the e-Conference server for the user list etc., while the Document Conferencing Client talks to the e-Conference client. The Document Conferencing entities provide the added functionality of advanced document conferencing to e-Conference. The functions of the client are as follows:

• Send, receive and control power point, word or excel file

• "Chat" with all the participants in the conference Multi point file transfer

All the files transferred by the Document Conferencing Client are reflected to all the other clients through the server. Document Conferencing Server:

• The functions of the document conferencing server are as follows.

• To communicate with e-Conference server to get conference information.

• Handle the transfer of data (chat, documents and file transfer) to multiple sites.

To reflect the control signals from the chairman site to all the other sites. Communicate with other servers in multiple LANs conferences

Document Conferencing however only works with Microsoft Office

19. Can chat messages be saved? If so, what format can they be saved in?
Chat messages can be easily saved using the save function in the chat window. Chat sessions that you save will be saved as a text files.