Connie’s Tip on MCU Endpoint Limits

Corbet’s Tip on Finding Dial-in Number for Conference created in TMS

The Compass Direction – February 2012

When using video conferencing make sure that you consider what others are hearing on your end. Try to eliminate external sounds as much as possible. If you are in a call with someone, but are having a conversation that does not involve the person or purpose of the call itself, you may want to mute the audio all together.  Always assume the audio feed is active.  At the start of a call and the end, audio is always sent first.  That means that you may be sending audio between endpoints even though you can’t see video.  And of course, avoid eating or chewing gum while using an endpoint.

What you are wearing may affect the way people see you in more than one way when it comes to video conferencing.  Stripes, plaids, and other multicolored designs can appear more pixelated on video.  This can be distracting to others and their focus may be on the distracting clothing rather than the person speaking. It is preferable to stick with solid colors.  This suggestion should also be considered for the purpose of the background of a video call.

Keith’s Tip on Video Etiquette

Gnorth the Compass Gnome has been spotted in Chicago!

The Compass mascot, Gnorth the Gnome, has been spotted in Chicago! Click READ MORE to see the picture!

Gnorth the Gnome spotted in Chicago!

In a nutshell, Active Directory is the database upon which an organizations network is built. To use an analogy, to build a house you need land, to raze the earth, to pour a foundation, and then you can start building, AD is the foundation for the network. In it are every computer (server or desktop), network accessible device (tablets, smart phones), machine name, IP address, user, user permissions, folders, files, etc. and without AD, a modern Microsoft network could not exist.

Active Directory serves as a central location for network administration and security. It is responsible for authenticating and authorizing all users and computers within a network of Windows domain type, assigning and enforcing security policies for all computers in a network and installing or updating software on network computers. For example, when a user logs into a computer that is part of a Windows domain, it is Active Directory that verifies his or her password and specifies what resources they can access.

By integrating TelePresence with AD, you can add users simply by clicking on their names instead of adding them individually, saving time and easing management.

Tony’s Tip on Active Directory

My favorite expression when making IP/ISDN Zones is, “Complete the path.” To “Complete the path,” follow the call flow required to connect to the remote location.

Enjoy your IP/ISDN Zone Dialing!

Sonny’s Tip on IP/ISDN Zones

On the MCUs that support both SD and HD (4501, 8510 Media 2 Blade) there is a setting you have to manually configure to determine whether it will use HD OR SD. On the MCU, go to Settings>Media Ports. The MCU will allow one or the other, but not both. TMS will not switch the port, so if the ports are set to use HD and you launch an SD call it will use 1 HD license (2 SD licenses).

Note: This is also how you can change the 4500 series from HD to HD+.

Connie’s Tip on TMS Routing HD or SD Ports on an MCU

The Compass Direction – January 2012

Corbet’s Tip on Firewall Traversal Zones